1 Samuel 13:5-14

Names of God Bible

⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel. They had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. ⁶ When the Israelites saw they were in trouble because the army was hard-pressed, they hid in caves, in thorny thickets, among rocks, in pits, and in cisterns. ⁷ Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan River into the territory of Gad and Gilead. But Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people who followed him trembled in fear.

⁸ He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to scatter. ⁹ Then Saul said, “Bring me the animals for the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” So he sacrificed the burnt offering. ¹⁰ As he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, Samuel came, and Saul went to greet him.

¹¹ Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Saul replied, “I saw the troops were scattering. You didn’t come when you said you would, and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. ¹² So I thought, ‘Now, the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, but I haven’t sought Yahweh’s favor.’ I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering.”

¹³ “You did a foolish thing,” Samuel told Saul. “You didn’t follow the command of Yahweh your Elohim. If you had, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom will not last. Yahweh has searched for a man after his own heart. Yahweh has appointed him as ruler of his people, because you didn’t follow the command of Yahweh.”