11. When both Jonathan and his officer let the Philistines see them, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in!”
12. The Philistines in the camp shouted to Jonathan and his officer, “Come up to us. We’ll teach you a lesson!”Jonathan said to his officer, “Climb up behind me, because the Lord has given the Philistines to Israel!”
13. So Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, and his officer climbed just behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines as he went, and his officer killed them as he followed behind him.
14. In that first fight Jonathan and his officer killed about twenty Philistines over a half acre of ground.
15. All the Philistine soldiers panicked—those in the camp and those in the raiding party. The ground itself shook! God had caused the panic.
16. Saul’s guards were at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin when they saw the Philistine soldiers running in every direction.
17. Saul said to his army, “Check to see who has left our camp.” When they checked, they learned that Jonathan and his officer were gone.
18. So Saul said to Ahijah the priest, “Bring the Ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)
19. While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp was growing. Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Put your hand down!”
20. Then Saul gathered his army and entered the battle. They found the Philistines confused, striking each other with their swords!
21. Earlier, there were Hebrews who had served the Philistines and had stayed in their camp, but now they joined the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan.
22. When all the Israelites hidden in the mountains of Ephraim heard that the Philistine soldiers were running away, they also joined the battle and chased the Philistines.
23. So the Lord saved the Israelites that day, and the battle moved on past Beth Aven.
24. The men of Israel were miserable that day because Saul had made an oath for all of them. He had said, “No one should eat food before evening and before I finish defeating my enemies. If he does, he will be cursed!” So no Israelite soldier ate food.
25. Now the army went into the woods, where there was some honey on the ground.
26. They came upon some honey, but no one took any because they were afraid of the oath.
27. Jonathan had not heard the oath Saul had put on the army, so he dipped the end of his stick into the honey and lifted some out and ate it. Then he felt better.