24. The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: “A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies.” So nobody had eaten anything all day.
25. They all came into a wooded area and found honey everywhere.
26. The woods were full of honey, but no one ate any of it because they were all afraid of Saul's curse.
27. But Jonathan had not heard his father threaten the people with a curse; so he reached out with the stick he was carrying, dipped it in a honeycomb, and ate some honey. At once he felt much better.
28. But one of the men said, “We are all weak with hunger, but your father threatened us and said, ‘A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.’ ”
29. Jonathan answered, “What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey!
30. How much better it would have been today if our people had eaten the food they took when they defeated the enemy. Just think how many more Philistines they would have killed!”
31. That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak with hunger,
32. and so they rushed over to what they had captured from the enemy, took sheep and cattle, slaughtered them on the spot, and ate the meat with the blood still in it.
33. Saul was told, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.”“You are traitors!” Saul cried out. “Roll a big stone over here to me.”
34. Then he gave another order: “Go among the people and tell them all to bring their cattle and sheep here. They are to slaughter them and eat them here; they must not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.” So that night they all brought their cattle and slaughtered them there.
35. Saul built an altar to the Lord, the first one that he built.
36. Saul said to his men, “Let's go down and attack the Philistines in the night, plunder them until dawn, and kill them all.”“Do whatever you think best,” they answered.But the priest said, “Let's consult God first.”
37. So Saul asked God, “Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give us victory?” But God did not answer that day.
38. Then Saul said to the leaders of the people, “Come here and find out what sin was committed today.
39. I promise by the living Lord, who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan.” But no one said anything.