30. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?’
31. That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted.
32. They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood.
33. Then someone said to Saul, ‘Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood in it.’‘You have broken faith,’ he said. ‘Roll a large stone over here at once.’
34. Then he said, ‘Go out among the men and tell them, “Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.” ’So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.
35. Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.
36. Saul said, ‘Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.’‘Do whatever seems best to you,’ they replied.But the priest said, ‘Let us enquire of God here.’
37. So Saul asked God, ‘Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?’ But God did not answer him that day.
38. Saul therefore said, ‘Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today.
39. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.’ But not one of them said a word.
40. Saul then said to all the Israelites, ‘You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.’‘Do what seems best to you,’ they replied.
41. Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault,e respond with Thummim.’ Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared.
42. Saul said, ‘Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.’ And Jonathan was taken.
43. Then Saul said to Jonathan, ‘Tell me what you have done.’So Jonathan told him, ‘I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!’
44. Saul said, ‘May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.’
45. But the men said to Saul, ‘Should Jonathan die – he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.’ So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
46. Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.
47. After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kingsf of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them.g