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1 Samuel 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 Samuel 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul’s Failure
13 Saul was 30 years[a] old when he became king, and he reigned 42 years[b] over Israel.[c] 2 He chose 3,000 men from Israel for himself: 2,000 were with Saul at Michmash(A) and in Bethel’s hill country, and 1,000 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) that was in Geba,(D) and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land(E) saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”[e](F) 4 And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison,[f] 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: 3,000[g] chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore.(G) They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.[h](H)
6 The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.(I) 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,(J) 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.(K) You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you.(L) It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel,(M) 14 but now your reign will not endure.(N) The Lord has found a man loyal to Him,[i](O) 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 600 men.
16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba(P) of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17 Raiding parties(Q) went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah(R) road leading to the land of Shual. 18 The next division headed toward the Beth-horon(S) road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Valley of Zeboim(T) toward the wilderness.
19 No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel,(U) 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 an oxgoad. 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(V) and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines
23 Now a Philistine garrison(W) took control of the pass at Michmash.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Text emended; MT reads two years
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Some LXX mss omit v. 1
- 1 Samuel 13:3 Or governor
- 1 Samuel 13:3 LXX reads The slaves have revolted
- 1 Samuel 13:4 Or governor
- 1 Samuel 13:5 One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000
- 1 Samuel 13:5 LXX reads Michmash, opposite Beth-horon to the south
- 1 Samuel 13:14 Lit man according to His heart
- 1 Samuel 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
- 1 Samuel 13:20 LXX; MT reads plowshares
- 1 Samuel 13:21 Lit of a pim; about ¼ ounce of silver
1 Samuel 13
New International Version
1 Samuel 13
New International Version
Samuel Rebukes Saul
13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years.
2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand(A) were with him at Mikmash(B) and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah(C) in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost(D) at Geba,(E) and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet(F) blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious(G) to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines assembled(H) to fight Israel, with three thousand[c] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand(I) on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash,(J) east of Beth Aven.(K) 6 When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid(L) in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.(M) 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad(N) and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking(O) with fear. 8 He waited seven(P) days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered(Q) up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel(R) arrived, and Saul went out to greet(S) him.
11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,(T) 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,(U) and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.(V)’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13 “You have done a foolish thing,(W)” Samuel said. “You have not kept(X) the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.(Y) 14 But now your kingdom(Z) will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart(AA) and appointed(AB) him ruler(AC) of his people, because you have not kept(AD) the Lord’s command.”
15 Then Samuel left Gilgal[d] and went up to Gibeah(AE) in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.(AF)
Israel Without Weapons
16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah[e](AG) in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding(AH) parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah(AI) in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon,(AJ) and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim(AK) facing the wilderness.
19 Not a blacksmith(AL) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!(AM)” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles[f] sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[g] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel[h] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan(AN) had a sword or spear(AO) 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(AP) at Mikmash.(AQ)
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 13:1 A few late manuscripts of the Septuagint; Hebrew does not have thirty.
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Acts 13:21); Masoretic Text does not have forty-.
- 1 Samuel 13:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand
- 1 Samuel 13:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Gilgal and went his way; the rest of the people went after Saul to meet the army, and they went out of Gilgal
- 1 Samuel 13:16 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
- 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points
- 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/4 ounce or about 8 grams
- 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
1 Samuel 13
New King James Version
1 Samuel 13
New King James Version
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
13 Saul [a]reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in (A)Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with (B)Jonathan in (C)Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan attacked (D)the garrison of the Philistines that was in (E)Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become [b]an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, [c]thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people (F)as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of (G)Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people (H)hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the (I)land of Gad and Gilead.
As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 (J)Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might [d]greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, (K)“You have done foolishly. (L)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 forever. 14 (M)But now your kingdom shall not continue. (N)The Lord has sought for Himself a man (O)after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have (P)not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of [e]Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, (Q)about six hundred men.
No Weapons for the Army
16 Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in [f]Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road to (R)Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18 another company turned to the road to (S)Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of (T)Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now (U)there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a [g]pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that (V)there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23 (W)And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 13:1 Heb. is difficult; cf. 2 Sam. 5:4; 2 Kin. 14:2; see also 2 Sam. 2:10; Acts 13:21
- 1 Samuel 13:4 odious
- 1 Samuel 13:5 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; Syr. and some mss. of LXX three thousand
- 1 Samuel 13:10 Lit. bless him
- 1 Samuel 13:15 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. add And the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the people who fought against them, going from Gilgal to Gibeah in the hill of Benjamin.
- 1 Samuel 13:16 Heb. Geba
- 1 Samuel 13:21 About two-thirds shekel weight
1 Samuel 13
Contemporary English Version
1 Samuel 13
Contemporary English Version
Saul Disobeys the Lord
13 Saul was a young man[a] when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years. 2 Then[b] he chose 3,000 men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else[c] home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan[d] at Gibeah[e] in the territory of Benjamin.
3 Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba.[f] The Philistine camp was destroyed, but[g] the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, “Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened.”
4 The messengers then said to the people of Israel, “Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba.[h] Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal.”
5 The Philistines called their army together to fight Israel. They had 3,000[i] chariots, 6,000 cavalry, and as many foot soldiers as there are grains of sand on the beach. They went to Michmash and set up camp there east of Beth-Aven.[j]
6 The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves or in clumps of bushes,[k] and some ran to places where they could hide among large rocks. Others hid in tombs[l] or in deep dry pits. 7 Still others[m] went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River.
Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear, 8 (A) and they were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do,[n] but Samuel did not come. 9 Finally, Saul commanded, “Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the Lord and ask for his help.”
Saul killed one of the animals, 10 and just as he placed it on the altar, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to welcome him.
11 “What have you done?” Samuel asked.
Saul answered, “My soldiers were leaving in all directions, and you didn't come when you were supposed to. The Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the Lord's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire.”
13 “That was stupid!” Samuel said. “You didn't obey the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel. 14 (B) But no, you disobeyed, and so the Lord won't choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, he has already chosen the one he wants to be the next leader of his people.” 15 Then Samuel left Gilgal.
Part of Saul's army had not deserted him, and he led them to Gibeah in Benjamin to join his other troops. Then he counted them[o] and found that he still had 600 men. 16 Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin.
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
The Philistine army was camped at Michmash. 17 Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual. 18 Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.
19 The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. “If we allowed that,” they said, “those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears.”
20-21 Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod,[p] they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles,[q] and pitchforks[r] they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices. 22 So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 The Philistines moved their camp to the pass at Michmash,
Footnotes
- 13.1 a young man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text; several manuscripts of one ancient translation have “thirty years old.”
- 13.1,2 for … Then: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 13.2 everyone else: People who were not full-time soldiers, but fought together with the army when the nation was in danger.
- 13.2 Jonathan: Saul's son (see verse 16).
- 13.2 Michmash … Bethel … Gibeah: These three towns form a triangle, with Bethel to the north.
- 13.3 Geba: Geba was between Gibeah and Michmash.
- 13.3 led an attack … destroyed, but: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba, and.”
- 13.4 destroyed … Geba: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba.”
- 13.5 3,000: Some ancient translations; Hebrew “30,000.”
- 13.5 Beth-Aven: This Beth-Aven was probably located about one and a half kilometers southwest of Michmash, between Michmash and Geba.
- 13.6 in … bushes: Or “in cracks in the rocks.”
- 13.6 tombs: The Hebrew word may mean a room cut into solid rock and used as a burial place, or it may mean a cellar.
- 13.7 Still others: This translates a Hebrew word which may be used of wandering groups of people who sometimes became outlaws or hired soldiers (see also 14.21).
- 13.8 Samuel … to do: See 10.8.
- 13.15 Then Samuel … counted them: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted his army.”
- 13.20,21 cattle prod: A pole used to poke cattle and make them move.
- 13.20,21 sickles: One ancient translation; Hebrew “plow-blades.”
- 13.20,21 pitchforks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
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