King Saul, when he sent his soldiers to chase the Philistines, forbade them to taste food till the setting of the sun. And this he did in a very solemn manner, making a vow, like Jephthah. He said that if any man ate anything before the sun went down, that man must be put to death. But as the day went on, the soldiers grew very hungry. At last they came to a wood, where there were honeycombs lying on the ground; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for they remembered the king’s vow. Then came Jonathan and saw the honey, and before anybody could stop him he reached out a stick and took some honey on the end of it and put it in his mouth. For he knew nothing of the king’s commandment. Then the sun went down, and after supper Saul said, “Let us go again in pursuit of the enemy.” But the priest forbade it. The priest said that there was sin in the camp. They must first find out the sinner and punish him as the king had vowed. And Saul said, “Come near now, all you chiefs, and let us see where the sin has been this day. For, as the Lord liveth, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. Then said the king, “Stand you all on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side, and we will cast lots.” And they cast lots, and Saul and Jonathan were taken; and they cast lots between Jonathan and Saul, and Jonathan was taken. And Saul said, “My son, what have you done?” And Jonathan answered, “I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and so I must die.” And Saul said, “God do so and more also: for thou shah surely die, Jonathan.” But up rose all the people, and cried, “Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? The hero of the battle, the king’s son, shall he die? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. Somehow, King Saul was never the same man after that. It seemed as if the dreadful strain and distress of that night had affected his mind. Much of the time he was like himself; but again there were days when he would speak to nobody, but would sit apart thinking dreadful thoughts. One day, Samuel came to Saul and said, “I have a message for you from the Lord. He wishes you to go to war with the men of Amalek.” Now the Amalekites were the oldest enemies of Israel. They lived down south in the deserts, and had been the first to attack the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. And ever since, they had been like the wild Indians in the days of our forefathers. They would dash up, with bows and arrows, and fire upon the villages of the Israelites and kill the people. “Now,” said Samuel, “you must go to war with these savages and destroy them utterly. You must not leave any of them alive, and you must destroy all that they have, that they may be no more a nation.”