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.
28. Then one of the soldiers told Jonathan, “Your father made an oath for all the soldiers. He said any man who eats today will be cursed! That’s why they are so weak.”
29. Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the land! See how much better I feel after just tasting a little of this honey!
30. It would have been much better for the men to eat the food they took from their enemies today. We could have killed many more Philistines!”
31. That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon. After that, they were very tired.
32. They had taken sheep, cattle, and calves from the Philistines. Now they were so hungry they killed the animals on the ground and ate them, without draining the blood from them!
33. Someone said to Saul, “Look! The men are sinning against the Lord. They’re eating meat without draining the blood from it!”Saul said, “You have sinned! Roll a large stone over here now!”