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1 Samuel 13
Legacy Standard Bible

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.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 The Heb is difficult; lit Saul was one year old when he began to reign. Now he reigned for two years over Israel
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 As in some mss of the LXX; M.T. omits thirty
  3. 1 Samuel 13:1 See Acts 13:21; M.T. omits forty
  4. 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit saying
  5. 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit after
  6. 1 Samuel 13:10 Lit bless
  7. 1 Samuel 13:13 Lit to
  8. 1 Samuel 13:15 Lit mustered
  9. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit destroyers
  10. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit heads
  11. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit head
  12. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit toward the direction of
  13. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit head
  14. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit head
  15. 1 Samuel 13:19 Lit sword or spear
  16. 1 Samuel 13:20 Heb plowshares
  17. 1 Samuel 13:21 Heb pim
Close RSV

1 Samuel 13
Revised Standard Version

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two[b] years over Israel.

2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib′e-ah of Benjamin; the rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines which was at Geba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-a′ven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in straits (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 or crossed the fords of the Jordan[c] to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord’; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; 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 for ever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gib′e-ah of Benjamin.

Preparations for Battle

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shu′al, 18 another company turned toward Beth-hor′on, and another company turned toward the border that looks down upon the valley of Zebo′im toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”; 20 but every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle;[d] 21 and the charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[e] 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 The number is lacking in Heb
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 Two is not the entire number. Something has dropped out.
  3. 1 Samuel 13:7 Cn: Heb Hebrews crossed the Jordan
  4. 1 Samuel 13:20 Gk: Heb plowshare
  5. 1 Samuel 13:21 The Heb of this verse is obscure
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