The people obeyed, and every man of them, from that hour on and far into the night, brought his spoil to the altar, and all that was needed for food was slain there, and the blood sprinkled upon the stone. This was the first altar King Saul set up to the Lord.
The sun was now set, and dark was come. Seeing then that strength had returned into his troops, and that they were rested and renewed, Saul summoned his captains to meet him in council, and Ahiah, the priest of the Lord, was with him.
‘The night comes,’ he said, ‘and the Philistines peradventure may think that our pursuit is at an end and that they are safe. Let us then up and follow after them, before morning give them time and light to rally, smite them until daybreak and leave not a man of them alive.’
His captains agreed. They were eager to follow him and filled with exultation. ‘Do whatever seems good to thee,’ they said.
But Ahiah the priest intervened between them. ‘Let not my lord,’ he said, ‘be in too great haste to decide in this matter, but first let us draw near to Jehovah, and pray for his guidance. Unless it be his will that Israel go down after the Philistines, thou shalt not prevail against them.’
Saul consented, chafing at the delay. The priest withdrew and made entreaty to the Lord, but returned again to the king, troubled in mind, for though he had prayed long and earnestly, no assurance had entered into his soul of any answer to his prayer. And he counselled Saul to discover with whom lay the guilt of having transgressed that day.
Saul turned away from the priest in fury. His one desire was to seize the opportunity night gave him to press on after the Philistines and overwhelm them in such a disaster that for years to come they would never venture to raid the borders of Israel again.
But he remembered his vow and the curse he had uttered. God was against him. His kingdom was at stake. He had not the strength to stand alone. Why was not Samuel by his side, he asked himself again and again. And as he thus debated within himself, his wrath increased against the unknown transgressor who had estranged God from him and kept him back from the full glory of his vengeance.
He bade his captains stay with him, and sent out messengers to summon the chief men of Israel into his presence. They came in haste. Many of them had been wounded in the battle, and had but hastily bound up their wounds, and all were dishevelled and bloodstained, and covered with dust after the long pursuit. Last to come was Jonathan, who in certain hope that his father would continue the pursuit, had seized a moment in the lull that had followed the first onset to snatch a little sleep. Saul greeted him with a troubled smile, and Jonathan sat down at his side.
Then Saul stood up before the assembly and spoke: ‘God who watcheth over Israel,’ he said, ‘hath been very gracious to us this day, yet in the midst of our triumph it seems that by some man or men among us a wanton offence hath been committed against him, though how I cannot tell. What say you all? Shall we not by some sure means detect and discover this transgressor? Shall he not suffer for the outrage that he hath done against Israel? And how else shall this be made known—unless any of you can yourselves bear witness against him—except by consulting the oracle of God? Ay,’ he said to them, laying his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, ‘and even though the guilt lie with my own son Jonathan, he shall surely die.’
And there was not one among them that answered him.
Then Saul sent a messenger to bring in Ahiah the priest, bidding him prepare to consult the oracle of God. The priest came in to them, clad in his linen ephod with the breastplate of judgment upon it. Its gems faintly glistened in the light of the torches. Then said Saul: ‘Let the oracle first declare whether the