¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the people with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ And the raiding party came from the Philistine camp in three companies: one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another toward the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now no ^[a]blacksmith (metal-worker) could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” ²⁰ So all [the men of] Israel went down to the Philistines, each to get his plowshare, pick, axe, or sickle sharpened. ²¹ The fee [for sharpening] was a pim (two-thirds of a shekel) for the plowshares, the picks, the pitchforks, and the axes, and to straighten the goads (cattle prods). ²² So it came about on the day of battle that ^[b]neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.