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.
42. And Sha’ul said, “Cast lots between my son Yonathan and me.” And Yonathan was taken.
43. Sha’ul then said to Yonathan, “Explain to me what you have done.” And Yonathan explained to him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. See, let me die!”
44. And Sha’ul answered, “Elohim do so and more also, for you shall certainly die, Yonathan.”
45. But the people said to Sha’ul, “Should Yonathan die, who has wrought this great deliverance in Yisra’ĕl? Far be it! As יהוה lives, let not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with Elohim this day.” Thus the people delivered Yonathan, and he did not die.
46. And Sha’ul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
47. And Sha’ul took the reign over Yisra’ĕl, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Mo’aḇ, and against the children of Ammon, and against Eḏom, and against the sovereigns of Tsoḇah, and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.
48. And he gathered an army and smote the Amalĕqites, and delivered Yisra’ĕl from the hands of those who plundered them.