1 Samuel 13:15-23

New International Version - UK

¹⁵ Then Samuel left Gilgal^[a] and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.

Israel without weapons

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah^[b] of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned towards Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, ¹⁸ another towards Beth Horon, and the third towards the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.

¹⁹ Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’ ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles^[c] sharpened. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel^[d] for sharpening ploughshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel^[e] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²² So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Jonathan attacks the Philistines

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