1 Samuel 13
Christian Standard Bible
Saul’s Failure
13 Saul was thirty years[a] old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years[b] over Israel.[c] 2 He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash(A) and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah(B) of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison[d](C) in Gibeah,[e] and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land(D) saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” [f](E) 4 And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand[g] chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore.(F) They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.[h](G)
6 The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.(H) 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8 He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set,(I) but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.
10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11 and Samuel asked, “What have you done?”
Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish.(J) You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.(K) It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel,(L) 14 but now your reign will not endure.(M) The Lord has found a man after his own heart,[i](N) and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” 15 Then Samuel went[j] from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.
16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba(O) of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17 Raiding parties(P) went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah(Q) road leading to the land of Shual. 18 The next division headed toward the Beth-horon(R) road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley(S) toward the wilderness.
19 No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel(T) because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” 20 So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.[k] 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[l] for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod. 22 So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul(U) and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines
23 Now a Philistine garrison(V) took control of the pass at Michmash.
Footnotes
- 13:1 Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year
- 13:1 Text emended; MT reads two years
- 13:1 Some LXX mss omit v. 1
- 13:3 Or governor, also in v. 4
- 13:3 LXX; MT reads Geba
- 13:3 LXX reads “The slaves have revolted”
- 13:5 One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000
- 13:5 LXX reads Michmash, opposite Beth-horon to the south
- 13:14 Lit man according to his heart
- 13:15 LXX reads Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way, and the rest of the people followed Saul to join the people in his army. They went
- 13:20 LXX; MT reads plowshares
- 13:21 Lit of a pim; about one-fourth ounce of silver
1 Samuel 13
King James Version
13 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in 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 say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.
15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
18 And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
1 Samuel 13
Wycliffe Bible
13 Saul was a son of one year, that is, as innocent and clean of sin as a child of one year, when he began to reign; and he reigned upon Israel two (and twenty) years. (Saul was fifty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.)
2 And Saul chose to him three thousand men of Israel, and two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash, (and) in the hill (country) of Bethel; and a thousand were with (his son) Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; soothly he sent again the tother people each man into his tabernacle (and he sent the rest of the people back to their tents).
3 And Jonathan smote the station, that is, (the) forcelet, either stronghold, of (the) Philistines, that was in Geba. And when (the) Philistines had heard (of) this, Saul sounded with a clarion in all the land, and said, Hebrews, hear. (And Jonathan struck the station, that is, the fortress, or the stronghold, of the Philistines, that was in Geba; and all the Philistines heard about it. And Saul sounded with a trumpet in all the land, and said, Hebrew men, hear this!)
4 And all Israel heard such a fame, (that) Saul smote the station of Philistines; and Israel raised up himself against the Philistines; then the people cried after Saul in Gilgal. (And all Israel heard the report, that Saul had struck the Philistines’ station; and also that the people of Israel were loathed by all the Philistines. And the people came together in Gilgal to follow Saul.)
5 And the Philistines were gathered together to fight against Israel; thirty thousand of chariots, and six thousand of knights, and the tother common people, as gravel which is full much in the brink of the sea (and the common people, as innumerable as the sand which is on the seashore); and they went up, and setted their tents in Michmash, at the east coast of Bethaven.
6 And when [the] men of Israel had seen, that they were set in straitness, for (this) the people was tormented, (and) they hid themselves in dens (and they hid themselves in caves), and in privy places, and in stones, and in ditches, and in cisterns.
7 Soothly (some of the) Hebrews passed (over) Jordan, into the land of Gad and of Gilead. And when Saul was yet in Gilgal, all the people was afeared that followed him (And when Saul was still in Gilgal, all the people who followed him were afraid).
8 And seven days he abode Samuel by [the] covenant, and Samuel came not into Gilgal; and the people went away from Saul. (And for seven days he waited for Samuel, as by their pact, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and then the people began to go away from Saul.)
9 Therefore Saul said, Bring ye to me (a) burnt sacrifice, and peaceable offerings (and peace offerings); and he offered (the) burnt sacrifice.
10 And when he had ended offering the burnt sacrifice, lo! Samuel came; and Saul went out against him, to greet him (and Saul went out to greet him).
11 And Samuel said to Saul, What hast thou done? Saul answered, Lo! for I saw that the people went away from me, and thou camest not by the days of (our) covenant; and the Philistines were gathered together in Michmash;
12 I said, Now (the) Philistines shall come down to me in(to) Gilgal, and I have not pleased the face of the Lord; (and so) I was compelled by need, and I offered (a) burnt sacrifice to the Lord.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done follily, and thou hast not kept the behests of thy Lord God, which he commanded to thee (Thou hast done foolishly, and thou hast not obeyed the command of the Lord thy God, which he commanded to thee); and if thou haddest not done this thing, right now the Lord had made ready thy realm upon Israel [into] without end;
14 but thy realm shall not rise further. The Lord hath sought a man to himself after his heart; and the Lord hath commanded to him, that he should be duke on his people, for thou keptest not those things which the Lord commanded. (but now thy kingdom shall not endure. And the Lord shall seek another man for himself after his own heart; and the Lord shall command him, that he should be the ruler over his people, for thou hast not kept, or obeyed, what the Lord commanded to thee.)
15 And Samuel rose, and went up from Gilgal into Gibeah of Benjamin; and the people that (were) left went up after Saul against the people that fought against them; and they came from Gilgal into Gibeah, in the hill of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people, that were found with him, as six hundred men. (And Samuel rose up, and went away from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin; and the people who were left went up with Saul to fight against their enemies; and they came from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul counted the people who were found with him, and there were about six hundred men.)
16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that was found with them, was in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the Philistines sat together in Michmash. (And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who were found with them, were in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the Philistines sat together in Michmash.)
17 And three companies went out of the Philistines’ tents to take prey; one company went against the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual (one group went toward Ophrah, in the land of Shual);
18 and another company entered by the way of Bethhoron; and the third company turned itself to the way of the term in the land of Diba; and that term nigheth to the valley of Zeboim against the desert. (and the second group went by the way of Bethhoron; and the third group turned toward the way of the border at Wadi Abu Diba; and that border overlooketh the Zeboim Valley and the wilderness.)
19 And none ironsmith was found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines were wary, either eschewed, lest peradventure the Hebrews made sword either spear. (And no ironsmith was found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines forbade them, lest the Hebrews made for themselves swords or spears.)
20 Therefore all Israel went down to the Philistines, that each man should sharpen his share, and his pickax, and his ax, and his cutting hook; (And so all Israel needed to go down to the Philistines, where each man could sharpen his plowshare, and his pickax, and his ax, and his cutting hook;)
21 for all the edges of their shares were blunt, and of their pickaxes, and of their three-toothed forks, and of axes, unto a prick to be amended. (for all the edges of their plowshares, their pickaxes, their three-toothed forks, and their axes, were blunt, and needed sharpening.)
22 And when the day of battle came, no sword nor spear was found in the hand of all the people that was with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul, and Jonathan his son. (And so when the day of battle came, no sword or spear was found in the hands of all the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul, and his son Jonathan.)
23 Forsooth the station of Philistines went out, that it should pass into Michmash. (And the Philistines’ garrison went out to the Michmash Pass.)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble