1 Samuel 14:24-34 - Saul's Oath Leads To Trouble
24 And all the people were with Saul. There were about twenty thousand men. The fight was general through all the mountains of Ephraim. Saul made a great error that day. He put the people under an oath, saying: Let that man be cursed who eats any food before evening. I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So the people did not eat.
25 All the people came to the forest. There was honey on the ground. The bees had gone from it. 26 When the people entered the woods, the honey was flowing. But no one put his hand to his mouth. The people were afraid of violating their oath. 27 Jonathan had not heard that his father forced the people to take an oath. So he stretched out the tip of the staff he had in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he put it to his mouth his eyes lit up. 28 Then one of the people told him: Your father forced the people to take a solemn oath, saying: 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.' That is why the people were exhausted.
29 Jonathan answered: My father brought trouble to the country. See how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey? 30 If only the people had eaten some of the enemies' food they found today. We would have killed more Philistines.
31 That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, but the people were thoroughly exhausted. 32 They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the ground and ate the meat without draining the blood. 33 Someone told Saul: The army is disobeying Jehovah by eating meat before the blood drains out. You are right, Saul answered. They are being unfaithful to Jehovah! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here. 34 Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock and then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey Jehovah by eating meat with blood still in it. That night the people brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there.