1 Samuel 13

Saul {was} a son of a year in his becoming king, and he reigned over Israel two years.

And Saul chose for himself 3,000 from Israel. And 2,000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people, he sent away, a man to his tent. \*

And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that {was} at Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew upon a shofar in all of the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

And all of Israel heard, saying, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines, and now Israel has made itself stink among the Philistines.” And the people were summoned after Saul {to} Gilgal. \*

And the Philistines gathered themselves to fight with Israel: 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea for abundance. And they went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.

And a man of Israel saw that it was narrow to him, for the people were distressed. And the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in cliffs and in pits and in cisterns.

And Hebrews crossed the Jordan {to} the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul, he {was} still at Gilgal, and all of the people trembled after him. \*

And he waited seven days to the appointed time that Samuel. But Samuel did not come {to} Gilgal, and the people were scattering from beside him.

So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.

And it happened, as he finished offering the burnt offering that, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him to bless him. \*

And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people had scattered from beside me, and you, you had not come by the appointed time of days, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

then I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me {at} Gilgal, but I have not entreated the face of God.’ So I forced myself, and I offered the burnt offering.” \*

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the command of God your God that he commanded you. For now God would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

But now your kingdom will not stand. God has sought for himself a man according to his heart, and God has commanded him to {be} ruler over his people, for you have not kept what God commanded you.” \*

And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people being found with him, about 600 men.

Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the people being found with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines had camped at Michmash. \*

And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines, three companies. One company turned to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

and one company turned the way of Beth Horon, and one company turned the way of the border looking down upon the Valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness. \*

Now a blacksmith was not found in all of the land of Israel. For the Philistines had said, “Lest the Hebrews make a sword or a spear.”

And all of Israel went down {to} the Philistines, a man to sharpen his plow blade and his pick and his axe and his sickle.

And the charge was a pim for plowshares and for picks and for a three-fork and for axes and for straightening the goad. \*

So it was on the day of battle that a sword or spear {was} not found in the hand of any of the people who {were} with Saul and with Jonathan, but one was found for Saul and for his son Jonathan.

Now a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. \*