Saul’s Failure

13 Saul was thirty years^[a] old when he became king, and he reigned for 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 favour.” 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 towards the Ophrah^(Q) road leading to the land of Shual. ¹⁸ The next division headed towards the Beth-horon^(R) road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley^(S) towards 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 ploughs, mattocks, axes, and sickles.^{[k] 21} The price was two-thirds of a shekel^[l] for ploughs 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.