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1 Samuel 13
New American Standard Bible

War with the Philistines

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

2 Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in (A)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at (B)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent. 3 And Jonathan attacked (C)the garrison of the Philistines that was in (D)Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul (E)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 And all Israel heard [c]the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel (F)had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned [d]to Saul at Gilgal.

5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand 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 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then (I)the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits. 7 And 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.

8 Now (K)he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And (L)he offered the burnt offering. 10 But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and (M)Saul went out to meet him and to [e]greet him. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed [f]time, and that (N)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 I [g]thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not [h]asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering.” 13 But Samuel 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 the Lord would now have established your kingdom [i]over Israel (Q)forever. 14 But (R)now your kingdom shall not endure. (S)The Lord has sought for Himself a man [j]after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to (T)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul [k]counted the people who were [l]present with him, (U)about six hundred men. 16 Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were [m]present with them were staying in (V)Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17 Then (W)[n]raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three [o]companies: one [p]company turned [q]toward (X)Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 and another [r]company turned [s]toward (Y)Beth-horon, and another [t]company turned [u]toward the border that overlooks the Valley of (Z)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now (AA)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make [v](AB)swords or spears.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21 The charge was [w]two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the [x]cattle goads. 22 So 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. 23 And (AD)the garrison of the Philistines went out to (AE)the gorge of Michmash.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 As in some LXX mss, but very uncertain; MT one year old
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 See Acts 13:21; Heb two years
  3. 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit saying
  4. 1 Samuel 13:4 Lit after
  5. 1 Samuel 13:10 Lit bless
  6. 1 Samuel 13:11 Lit time of days
  7. 1 Samuel 13:12 Lit said
  8. 1 Samuel 13:12 Or appeased
  9. 1 Samuel 13:13 Lit to
  10. 1 Samuel 13:14 Lit like His
  11. 1 Samuel 13:15 Lit mustered
  12. 1 Samuel 13:15 Lit found
  13. 1 Samuel 13:16 Lit found
  14. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit destroyers
  15. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit heads
  16. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit head
  17. 1 Samuel 13:17 Lit to the way of
  18. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit head
  19. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit the way of
  20. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit head
  21. 1 Samuel 13:18 Lit the way of
  22. 1 Samuel 13:19 Lit sword or spear
  23. 1 Samuel 13:21 Heb pim
  24. 1 Samuel 13:21 I.e., spiked sticks for driving cattle
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1 Samuel 13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

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 out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; the rest of the people he sent home to their tents.(A) 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”(B) 4 When all Israel heard that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 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 at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.(C) 6 When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.(D) 7 Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan 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 began to slip away from Saul.[c](E) 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me and the offerings of well-being.” And he offered the burnt offering.(F) 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him and salute him.(G) 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the people were slipping away from me and that you did not come within the days appointed and that the Philistines were mustering at Michmash,(H) 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 Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,(I) 14 but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”(J) 15 And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal.[d] The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin.[e]

Preparations for Battle

Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.(K) 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped at Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah to the land of Shual,(L) 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain[f] that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.(M)

19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves,”(N) 20 so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, or sickles.[g] 21 The charge was two-thirds of a shekel[h] for the plowshares and for the mattocks and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[i] 22 So on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.(O)

Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines

23 Now a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash.

Footnotes

  1. 13.1 The number is lacking in the Heb text (13.1 is lacking in Gk mss).
  2. 13.1 Two is not the entire number; something has dropped out.
  3. 13.8 Heb him
  4. 13.15 Gk: Heb went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin
  5. 13.15 Gk: Heb lacks The rest . . . of Benjamin
  6. 13.18 Cn: Heb border road
  7. 13.20 Gk: Heb plowshare
  8. 13.21 Heb was a pim
  9. 13.21 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
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