13:1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.
13:2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
13:3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
13:4 So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
13:5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.
13:6 When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
13:7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.
13:8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.
13:9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.
13:10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
13:11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,
13:12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’S favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13:13 “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
13:14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’S command.”
13:15 Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
13:16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash.
13:17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,
13:18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.
13:19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!”
13:20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.
13:21 The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
13:22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
13:23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.
13:1 Saul was years old when he began to reign; and he reigned over Israel two years.
13:2 And Saul chose three thousand men from Israel for himself; and two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
13:3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear!
13:4 And when all Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people gathered themselves behind Saul at Gilgal.
13:5 And the Philistines assembled themselves for battle with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and people like the sand that is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in distress (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and among rocks and in cellars and in pits.
13:7 And some Hebrews crossed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead; but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people trembled behind him.
13:8 And he waited for seven days, until the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people scattered from him.
13:9 Then Saul said, Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me. And he offered up the burnt offering.
13:10 And just as he finished offering up the burnt offering, there came Samuel; and Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
13:11 And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, When I saw that the people were scattered from me and that you had not come at the appointed time and that the Philistines assembled themselves at Michmash,
13:12 I said, Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah. Therefore I forced myself to offer up the burnt offering.
13:13 Then Samuel said to Saul, You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which He commanded you. For now Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel forever;
13:14 But now your kingdom will not continue. Jehovah has sought a man according to His heart for Himself, and Jehovah has appointed him ruler over His people; for you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you.
13:15 Then Samuel rose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were with him, about six hundred men.
13:16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were with them dwelt in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
13:17 And the raiders came out from the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
13:18 And another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
13:19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears;
13:20 Therefore all Israel would go down to the Philistines so that each might sharpen his plowshare or his mattock or his ax or his hoe.
13:21 And the price was two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares and for mattocks and for three-pronged forks and for axes and for setting the goads.
13:22 So on the day of the battle there was not a sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and with Jonathan, but such were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
13:23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.