33. Someone told Saul, “Look! The army is disobeying the Lord by eating meat before the blood drains out.”“You're right,” Saul answered. “They are being unfaithful to the Lord! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here.
34. Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock, then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.”That night the soldiers brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there.
35. It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to the Lord.
36. Saul said, “Let's attack the Philistines again while it's still dark. We can fight them all night. Let's kill them and take everything they own!”The people answered, “We will do whatever you want.”“Wait!” Ahijah the priest said. “Let's ask God what we should do.”
37. Saul asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?”This time God did not answer.
38. Saul called his army officers together and said, “We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering.
39. I swear by the living Lord that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan.”No one said a word.
40. Saul told his army, “You stand on that side of the priest, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other side.”Everyone agreed.
41. Then Saul prayed, “Our Lord, God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Please show us who sinned. Was it my son Jonathan and I, or was it your people Israel?”The answer came back that Jonathan or Saul had sinned, not the army.
42. Saul told Ahijah, “Now ask the Lord to decide between Jonathan and me.”The answer came back that Jonathan had sinned.
43. “Jonathan,” Saul exclaimed, “tell me what you did!”“I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!”
44. “Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die.”
45. “No!” the soldiers shouted. “God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the Lord that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!” So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.
46. Saul stopped hunting down the Philistines, and they went home.