27 But Jonathan hadn’t heard his father make the people swear the pledge, so he dipped the end of the staff he was carrying into the honeycomb. When he ate some his eyes lit up.
28 Then one of the soldiers spoke up: "Your father bound the troops by a solemn pledge: ‘Anyone who eats food today is doomed.’ That’s why the troops are exhausted."
29 Jonathan said, "My father has brought trouble to the land. Look how my eyes lit up when I tasted just a bit of that honey!
30 It would have been even better if the troops had eaten some of their enemies’ plunder today when they found it! But now the Philistine defeat isn’t as thorough as it might have been."
31 That day, after they had fought the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the troops were completely exhausted.
32 So the troops tore into the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground and devoured them with the blood still in them.
33 When it was reported to Saul, "The troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it," Saul said, "All of you are traitors! Roll a large stone over here right now.