Saul Strikes Down the Philistines

13 ^[a]Saul was ^[b]thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ^[c]forty-two years over Israel.

² And 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. ³ And Jonathan struck ^(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.” ⁴ Then all Israel heard ^[d]the news that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(F)had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned ^[e]to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ Now 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. ⁶ Now 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. ⁷ Also 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.

Saul Doesn’t Keep Yahweh’s Commandment

⁸ So ^(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. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And ^(L)he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ And as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^(M)Saul went out to meet him and to ^[f]greet him. ¹¹ But 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, ¹² therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, “^(O)You have acted foolishly; ^(P)you have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom ^[g]over Israel ^(Q)forever. ¹⁴ But ^(R)now your kingdom shall not endure. ^(S)Yahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”

¹⁵ Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to ^(T)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ^[h]numbered the people who were present with him, ^(U)about six hundred men. ¹⁶ Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in ^(V)Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ And ^(W)the ^[i]raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ^[j]companies: one ^[k]company turned ^[l]toward ^(X)Ophrah, to the land of Shual, ¹⁸ and another ^[m]company turned to the way of ^(Y)Beth-horon, and another ^[n]company turned to the way of the border which overlooks the valley of ^(Z)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now ^(AA)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make ^[o](AB)swords or spears.” ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his ^[p]goad. ²¹ And the charge was ^[q]two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the goad. ²² So it happened 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. ²³ And ^(AD)the garrison of the Philistines went out to ^(AE)the pass of Michmash.