18. Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time.
19. While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.”
20. Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there, the Philistines were fighting against each other in great confusion!
21. There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22. When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle.
23. So the Lord saved Israel that day. The battle extended beyond Beth-aven,
24. and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
25. Everyone went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground.
26. When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it because they feared the oath.
27. However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. When he ate the honey, he had renewed energy.
28. Then, one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”
29. Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little honey.
30. How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”
31. The Israelites struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash all the way to Aijalon. Since the Israelites were completely exhausted,
32. they rushed to the plunder, took sheep, cattle, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate meat with the blood still in it.
33. Some reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.” Saul said, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large stone over here at once.”
34. He then said, “Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep. Do the slaughtering here and then you can eat. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.’ ” So every one of the troops brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.