1 Samuel 13 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Samuel 13

War with the Philistines

 ¹Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel.

 ²Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in ^(A)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at ^(B)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent.

 ³Jonathan smote ^(C)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(D)Geba, and the Philistines heard of it Then Saul ^(E)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."

 ⁴All Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(F)had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal.

 ⁵Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and ^(G)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(H)Beth-aven.

 ⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^(I)the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits.

 ⁷Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(J)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

 ⁸Now ^(K)he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

 ⁹So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And ^(L)he offered the burnt offering.

 ¹⁰As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^(M)Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.

 ¹¹But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that ^(N)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

 ¹²therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.' So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering."

 ¹³Samuel said to Saul, "^(O)You have acted foolishly; ^(P)you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel ^(Q)forever.

 ¹⁴"But ^(R)now your kingdom shall not endure ^(S)The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

 ¹⁵Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to ^(T)Gibeah of Benjamin And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, ^(U)about six hundred men.

 ¹⁶Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in ^(V)Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

 ¹⁷And ^(W)the raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward ^(X)Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

 ¹⁸and another company turned toward ^(Y)Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the border which overlooks the valley of ^(Z)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

 ¹⁹Now ^(AA)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make ^(AB)swords or spears."

 ²⁰So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.

 ²¹The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the hoes.

 ²²So it came about on the day of battle that ^(AC)neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.

 ²³And ^(AD)the garrison of the Philistines went out to ^(AE)the pass of Michmash.