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This file was generated by Descript 

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Ethan: Welcome to Immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

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Day 100 and 89

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saul was 30 years old when he became
king, and he reigned for 42 years.

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Saul selected 3000 special troops
from the army of Israel and

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sent the rest of the men home.

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He took 2000 of the chosen men with him to
Mik Mash and the Hill Country of Bethel.

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The other 1, 000 went with
Saul's son Jonathan to Gibeah

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in the land of Benjamin.

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Soon after this, Jonathan
attacked and defeated the

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garrison of Philistines at Geba.

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The news spread quickly
among the Philistines.

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So Saul blew the ram's horn
throughout the land, saying, Hebrews,

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hear this, rise up in revolt.

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All Israel heard the news that Saul
had destroyed the Philistine garrison

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at Geba, and that the Philistines now
hated the Israelites more than ever.

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So the entire Israelite army was
summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

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The Philistines mustered a
mighty army of 3, 000 chariots.

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6, 000 charioteers, and as many warriors
as the grains of sand on the seashore.

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They camped at Michmash,
east of Beth Avon.

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The men of Israel saw what a tight
spot they were in, and because

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they were hard pressed by the
enemy, they tried to hide in caves.

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rocks, holes, and cisterns.

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Some of them crossed the Jordan river and
escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead.

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Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal and
his men were trembling with fear.

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Saul waited there seven days for
Samuel as Samuel had instructed him

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earlier, but Samuel still didn't come.

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Saul realized that his troops
were rapidly slipping away.

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So he demanded, bring me the burnt
offering and the peace offerings.

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And Saul sacrificed the
burnt offering himself.

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Just as Saul was finishing with
the burnt offering, Samuel arrived.

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Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but
Samuel said, What is this you have done?

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Saul replied, I saw my
men scattering from me.

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And you didn't arrive when you
said you would, and the Philistines

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are at Mikmash ready for battle.

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So I said, the Philistines are ready
to march against us at Gilgal, and I

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haven't even asked for the Lord's help.

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So I felt compelled to offer the
burnt offering myself before you came.

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How foolish!

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Samuel exclaimed.

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You have not kept the command
the Lord your God gave you.

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Had you kept it, the Lord
would have established your

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kingdom over Israel forever.

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But now your kingdom must end,
for the Lord has sought out

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a man after his own heart.

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The Lord has already appointed him to
be the leader of his people, because

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you have not kept the Lord's command.

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Samuel then left Gilgal and went on
his way, but the rest of the troops

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went with Saul to meet the army.

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They went up from Gilgal to
Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.

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When Saul counted the men who
were still with him, he found

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only six hundred were left.

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Saul and Jonathan and the
troops with them were staying

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at Geba in the land of Benjamin.

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The Philistines set up
their camp at Michmash.

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Three raiding parties soon left
the camp of the Philistines.

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One went north towards
Aphra in the land of Shul.

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Another went west to Beth Horon.

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And the third moved toward
the border above the valley

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of Zeboim near the wilderness.

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There were no blacksmiths in the
land of Israel in those days.

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The Philistines wouldn't allow
them for fear they would make

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swords and spears for the Hebrews.

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So whenever the Israelites needed
to sharpen their plowshares, picks,

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axes, or sickles, they had to take
them to a Philistine blacksmith.

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The charges were as follows, a quarter
of an ounce of silver for sharpening

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a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth
of an ounce for sharpening an axe

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or making the point of an ox goad.

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So on the day of the battle, none of
the people of Israel had a sword or

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spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.

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The pass at Michmash had
meanwhile been secured by a

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contingent of the Philistine army.

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One day Jonathan said to his armor
bearer, Come on, let's go over to where

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the Philistines have their outpost.

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But Jonathan did not tell
his father what he was doing.

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Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were
camped on the outskirts of Gibeah,

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around the pomegranate tree at Migron.

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Among Saul's men was Ahijah,
the priest, who was wearing

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the ephod, the priestly vest.

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Ahijah was the son of Ichabod's
brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas,

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son of Eli, the priest of the
Lord who had served at Shiloh.

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No one realized that Jonathan
had left the Israelite camp.

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To reach the Philistine outpost,
Jonathan had to go down between two rocky

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cliffs that were called Bozes and Sina.

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The cliff on the north was in
front of Michmash, and the one on

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the south was in front of Geba.

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Let's go across to the
outpost of those pagans.

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Jonathan said to his armor bearer,
Perhaps the Lord will help us,

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for nothing can hinder the Lord.

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He can win a battle whether he
has many warriors or only a few.

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Do what you think is best,
the armor bearer replied.

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I'm with you completely,
whatever you decide.

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All right then, Jonathan told him.

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We will cross over and let them see us.

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If they say to us, stay where you
are or we'll kill you, then we

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will stop and not go up to them.

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But if they say, come on up
and fight, then we will go up.

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That will be the Lord's sign
that He will help us defeat them.

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When the Philistines saw them coming,
they shouted, Look, the Hebrews

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are crawling out of their holes.

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Then the men from the outpost
shouted to Jonathan, Come on up

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here, and we'll teach you a lesson.

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Come on, climb right behind me,
Jonathan said to his armor bearer,

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for the Lord will help us defeat them.

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So they climbed up using both hands
and feet, and the Philistines fell

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before Jonathan, and his armor bearer
killed those who came behind them.

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They killed some twenty men
in all, and their bodies were

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scattered over about half an acre.

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Suddenly, panic broke out
in the Philistine army.

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Both in the camp and in the
field, including even the

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outposts and raiding parties.

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And just then an earthquake
struck, and everyone was terrified.

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Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of
Benjamin saw a strange sight.

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The vast army of Philistines began
to melt away in every direction.

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Call the roll and find out who's missing.

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Saul ordered.

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And when they checked, they found that
Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.

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Then Saul shouted to Ahijah,
Bring the ephod here!

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For at that time Ahijah was wearing
the ephod in front of the Israelites.

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But while Saul was talking to
the priest, the confusion in the

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Philistine camp grew louder and louder.

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So Saul said to the priest,
Never mind, let's get going.

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Then Saul and all his men rushed
out to the battle and found the

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Philistines killing each other.

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There was terrible confusion everywhere.

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Even the Hebrews who had previously
gone over to the Philistine army

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revolted and joined in with Saul.

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Jonathan and the rest of the Israelites.

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Likewise, the men of Israel who
were hiding in the hill country of

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Ephraim, joined the chase when they
saw the Philistines running away.

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So the Lord saved Israel that
day, and the battle continued

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to rage even beyond Beth Aven.

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Now, the men of Israel were
pressed to exhaustion that day.

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Because Saul had placed them under
an oath, saying, Let a curse fall on

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anyone who eats before evening, before
I have full revenge on my enemies.

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So no one ate anything all day,
even though they had all found

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honeycomb on the ground in the forest.

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They didn't dare touch the honey because
they all feared the oath they had taken.

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But Jonathan had not heard his
father's command, and he dipped

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the end of his stick into a piece
of honeycomb and ate the honey.

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After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed.

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But one of the men saw him and
said, Your father made the army

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take a strict oath that anyone who
eats food today will be cursed.

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That is why everyone is weary and faint.

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My father has made trouble for
us all, Jonathan exclaimed.

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A command like that only hurts us.

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See how refreshed I am now that I
have eaten this little bit of honey?

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If the men had been allowed to eat
freely from the food they found among

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our enemies, think how many more
Philistines we could have killed.

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They chased and killed the Philistines
all day from Michmash to Ajalon,

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growing more and more faint.

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That evening they rushed for the
battle plunder and butchered the sheep,

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goats, cattle, and calves, but they
ate them without draining the blood.

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Someone reported to Saul, Look, the
men are sitting against the Lord by

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eating meat that still has blood in it.

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That is very wrong, Saul said.

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Find a large stone and roll it over here.

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Then go out among the troops
and tell them, Bring the cattle,

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sheep, and goats here to me.

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Kill them here and drain the
blood before you eat them.

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Do not sin against the Lord by eating
meat with the blood still in it.

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So that night, all the troops brought
their animals and slaughtered them there.

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Then Saul built an altar to the Lord.

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It was the first of the
altars he built to the Lord.

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Then Saul said, Let's chase
the Philistines all night and

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plunder them until sunrise.

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Let's destroy every last one of them.

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His men replied, We'll do
whatever you think is best.

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But the priest said, Let's ask God first.

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So Saul asked God, Should
we go after the Philistines?

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Will you help us defeat them?

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But God made no reply that day.

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Then Saul said to the
leaders, Something's wrong.

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I want all my army
commanders to come here.

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We must find out what
sin was committed today.

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I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued
Israel that the sinner will surely die,

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even if it is my own son, Jonathan.

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But no one would tell
him what the trouble was.

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Then Saul said, Jonathan and
I will stand over here, and

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all of you stand over there.

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And the people responded to
Saul, Whatever you think is best.

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Then Saul prayed, O Lord, God
of Israel, please show us who

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is guilty and who is innocent.

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Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan
and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones.

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And the people were declared innocent.

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Then Saul said, Now cast lots again
and choose between me and Jonathan.

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And Jonathan was shown
to be the guilty one.

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Tell me what you've done,
Saul demanded of Jonathan.

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I tasted a little honey,
Jonathan admitted.

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It was only a little bit
on the end of my stick.

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Does that deserve death?

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Yes, Jonathan, Saul said.

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You must die.

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May God strike me and even kill
me if you do not die for this.

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But the people broke in and
said to Saul, Jonathan has won

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this great victory for Israel.

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Should he die?

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Far from it.

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As surely as the Lord lives, not one
hair on his head will be touched, for

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God helped him do a great deed today.

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So the people rescued Jonathan,
and he was not put to death.

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Then Saul called back the army
from chasing the Philistines, and

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the Philistines returned home.

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Now when Saul had secured his grasp
on Israel's throne, he fought against

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his enemies in every direction.

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Against Moab, Ammon.

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Edom, the kings of Zobah,
and the Philistines.

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And wherever he turned, he was victorious.

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He performed great deeds and conquered
the Amalekites, saving Israel from

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all those who had plundered them.

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Saul's sons included Jonathan,
Ish bosheth, and Malkishua.

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He also had two daughters, Merab,
who was older, and Michael.

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Saul's wife was Ahinoam,
the daughter of Ahimeaz.

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The commander of Saul's army was Adner.

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The son of Saul's uncle, Ner, Saul's
father, Kish, and Abner's father,

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Ner, were both sons of Abiel.

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The Israelites fought constantly with the
Philistines throughout Saul's lifetime.

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So whenever Saul observed a young
man who was brave and strong,

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he drafted him into his army.