27. But Yonathan had not heard that his father had taken an oath of the people, and he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth. And his eyes lit up.
28. Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly took an oath of the people, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’ ” And the people were weary.
29. And Yonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Now see how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey.
30. “How much better if the people had well eaten today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For then, would not the slaughter among the Philistines have been greater?”
31. And they smote the Philistines that day from Miḵmash to Ayalon. So the people were very weary,
32. and the people pounced on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate with the blood.
33. And they told Sha’ul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against יהוה by eating with the blood!” And he said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today.”
34. And Sha’ul said, “Scatter among the people, and say to them, ‘Each one bring his ox near to me, and each one his sheep, and you shall slaughter them here, and eat. And do not sin against יהוה by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.
35. And Sha’ul built an altar to יהוה. It was the first altar he built to יהוה.
36. And Sha’ul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to Elohim here.”
37. And Sha’ul asked of Elohim, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Do You give them into the hand of Yisra’ĕl?” But He did not answer him that day.
38. And Sha’ul said, “Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.
39. “For as יהוה lives, who saves Yisra’ĕl, though it be in Yonathan my son, he shall certainly die.” But not one among all the people answered him.
40. And he said to all Yisra’ĕl, “You be on one side, and my son Yonathan and I be on the other side.” And the people said to Sha’ul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41. Then Sha’ul said to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Give a perfect lot.” And Sha’ul and Yonathan were taken, but the people escaped.