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)

²⁶ Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went warriors whose hearts God had touched.^(A)

³¹ After they had struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, the troops were very faint,

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.^(A)

Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines

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

⁶ let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the Lord at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord.”^[a] The king said, “I will hand them over.”

³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.^(A)

⁵² There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any strong or valiant warrior, he took him into his service.^(A)

⁵ One crag rose on the north in front of Michmash and the other on the south in front of Geba.