The First Book of Samuel

14 One day Jon′a·than the son of Saul tell im servant wey de carry im weapons say: “Come make we cross go the Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers camp wey dey the other side.” But e no tell im papa. 2 That time, Saul de stay under the pomegranate tree for Mig′ron, wey dey for the ending-ending part for Gib′e·ah, and about 600 men dey with-am for there. 3 (And A·hi′jah the son of A·hi′tub, the brother of Ich′a·bod, wey be the son of Phin′e·has, the son of E′li, wey be the priest of Jehovah for Shi′loh, be de wear the eph′od.)* And the people no know say Jon′a·than don comot. 4 Now, for the small roads wey Jon′a·than want cross go the camp of Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers, two rocks wey be like teeth dey there, one dey one side of the road and the other one dey the other side. The name of one na Bo′zez, and the other one na Se′neh. 5 One of the rocks dey for the north side, and e be like pillar, and e face Mich′mash, the other one dey for the south side and e face Ge′ba.

6 So Jon′a·than tell the person wey de carry im weapons say: “Come make we cross go the camp of this men wey them no circumcise.* Maybe Jehovah go help us, because nothing fit stop Jehovah to save us, whether the number of people wey e use plenty or small.” 7 The person wey de carry im weapons come tell-am say: “Do anything wey your heart tell you say make you do. Go anywhere wey you want go, and I go follow you go anywhere wey your heart tell you.” 8 Then Jon′a·than talk say: “We go cross go where those men dey, and do make them see us. 9 If them tell us say, ‘Make una stand there, we go come meet una!’ we go stand for where we dey and we no go go meet them. 10 But if them talk say, ‘Make una climb come fight us!’ we go climb go meet them, because Jehovah go put them for our hand. Na this one go be our sign.”

11 Two of them come do make the soldiers for the camp of Phi·lisʹti·a people see them. Phi·lisʹti·a people come talk say: “See! Hebrew people don de come out from the holes where them be hide.” 12 So the soldiers wey dey the camp tell Jon′a·than and the person wey de carry im weapons say: “Make una climb come meet us, we go show una pepper!” Quick-quick, Jon′a·than tell the person wey de carry im weapons say: “Follow me, because Jehovah go put them for the hand of Israel.” 13 Jon′a·than come use im hand and leg climb up, and the person wey de carry im weapons de follow-am for back; then Jon′a·than start to kill Phi·lisʹti·a people, and the person wey de carry im weapons de follow-am for back de kill the ones wey never die. 14 When Jon′a·than and the person wey de carry im weapons first start the attack, them kill about 20 men, when them never even go far.*

15 Fear come catch the soldiers wey dey the main camp and all the soldiers for the small camp, and even the soldiers wey de go out go attack Israel people. Ground come start to shake, and God make all of them fear. 16 The soldiers wey de guard Saul for Gib′e·ah wey dey the land of Benjamin come see say confusion dey everywhere for the camp of the enemy.

17 Then Saul tell the people wey dey with-am say: “Abeg, make una count the people so that we go know who comot.” When them count the people, them see say Jon′a·than and the person wey de carry im weapons no dey. 18 Saul come tell A·hi′jah say: “Bring the Ark of the true God come here!” (Because the Ark of the true God dey with Israel people that time.*) 19 As Saul de talk to the priest, the noise wey de come from the camp of Phi·lisʹti·a people because of the confusion come de loud more-more. Saul come tell the priest say: “Stop wetin you de do.” 20 So Saul and all the people wey dey with-am gather together to go fight Phi·lisʹti·a people. When them reach there, them see say Phi·lisʹti·a people don de fight each other, and them don confuse no be small. 21 Apart from that one, Hebrew people wey be dey the side of Phi·lisʹti·a people and wey be dey with them for the camp, come start to join Israel people under Saul and Jon′a·than. 22 All the men of Israel wey be de hide for the area wey mountains dey for E′phra·im come hear say Phi·lisʹti·a people don run, them too come join the war de pursue them. 23 Them continue to fight with them go reach even Beth-a′ven. Na so Jehovah take save Israel people that day.

24 But the men of Israel really tire that day, because Saul don make the people agree for wetin e swear say: “E no go better for anybody wey chop any food before evening reach, and till I don do my enemies back!” So nobody chop any food.

25 Then all the people* enter the forest, and them see say honey dey ground for there. 26 When the people enter the forest, them see say honey de drop, but nobody lick the honey* because them de fear the swear wey the king swear. 27 But Jon′a·than no hear say im papa don make the people agree for wetin e swear, so e stretch im hand and use the mouth of the stick wey dey im hand touch the honey. When e comot the stick from the honey and taste-am, im eyes come shine. 28 One of the people come talk say: “Your papa make the people agree for wetin e swear say, ‘E no go better for the person wey chop any food today!’ Na im make the people tire like this.” 29 But Jon′a·than talk say: “My papa don cause serious trouble for the land. See how my eyes just shine because I taste this small honey. 30 E for better if to say them allow the people chop from the things wey them collect from their enemies today! That one for even make us kill Phi·lisʹti·a people pass like this.”

31 That day, them continue to kill Phi·lisʹti·a people from Mich′mash go reach Ai′ja·lon, the people come tire no be small. 32 So them no fit control theirself as them rush the things wey them collect from their enemies. Them carry sheep, cows, and cow pikin them, and kill them for ground. Them come de chop the meat with the blood. 33 So them go tell Saul say: “See! The people de sin against Jehovah, them de chop meat with blood.” Saul come talk say: “Una don sin. Make una roll one big stone come here now-now.” 34 Then Saul talk say: “Make una go everywhere wey the people dey and tell them say, ‘Each of una must come kill im bull and sheep for here before una go chop them. Make una no sin against Jehovah as una de chop meat with the blood.’” So each of the people bring their bull come there that night, and kill-am for there. 35 Saul come build one altar for Jehovah. This na the first altar wey e build for Jehovah.

36 Later, Saul talk say: “Make we go down for night go attack Phi·lisʹti·a people, and pack all their things until day go break. We no go allow even one person survive.” The people come talk say: “Do anything wey good for your eyes.” Then the priest talk say: “Make we ask the true God about the matter for this place.” 37 Saul come ask God say: “Make I go down go attack Phi·lisʹti·a people? You go put them for Israel people hand?” But God no answer-am that day. 38 So Saul talk say: “Make all of una wey be chief for Israel come here, so that una go find out which sin we don commit today. 39 Because as Jehovah wey save Israel people dey alive, even if e be say na Jon′a·than my son be the person, e must die.” But nobody answer-am. 40 Then e tell all Israel people say: “Una go dey one side and me and my son Jon′a·than go dey the other side.” The people come tell Saul say: “Do anything wey good for your eye.”

41 Then Saul tell Jehovah say: “O God of Israel, use the Thum′mim answer us!” Then the Thum′mim choose Jon′a·than and Saul. The people come free. 42 Saul come talk say: “Make una cast lots* to know whether na me or na my son Jon′a·than.” The lots come fall for Jon′a·than. 43 Then Saul tell Jon′a·than say: “Tell me, wetin you do?” So Jon′a·than tell-am say: “Na just the small honey wey dey the mouth of the stick wey be dey my hand I taste. If una want kill me, na me be this!”

44 Saul come talk say: “Make God punish me and add join-am, if you, Jonʹa·than, no die.” 45 But the people tell Saul say: “Jon′a·than suppose die? The person wey make Israel win like this? That one no go happen as Jehovah dey alive, even one hair from im head no suppose fall for ground, because na God help-am do this thing today.” Na so the people take save Jon′a·than, e no come die.

46 Then Saul stop to pursue Phi·lisʹti·a people, and Phi·lisʹti·a people go back to their own area.

47 Saul come make im position as king of Israel strong, and e fight all im enemies for everywhere. E fight Mo′ab people, Am′mon people, E′dom people, the kings of Zo′bah, and Phi·lisʹti·a people; and e win for anywhere wey e go fight. 48 E no fear to fight, e win Amʹa·lek people and save Israel from the hand of their enemies wey de attack them and collect their things.

49 The sons of Saul na Jon′a·than, Ish′vi, and Mal′chi-shu′a. And e get two daughters. The name of the senior one na Me′rab, and the name of the junior one na Mi′chal. 50 The name of Saul wife na A·hin′o·am, wey be the daughter of A·him′a·az. The name of the person wey de control im army na Ab′ner, the son of Ner, wey be Saul uncle. 51 Na Kish be Saul papa, and Ner wey be Ab′ner papa na the son of A·bi′el.

52 All the time wey Saul dey alive, e fight well-well with Phi·lisʹti·a people. When Saul see any man wey strong and no de fear, e go add-am join im army.