Israel Asks for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed^(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.^{[a] 2} The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,^(B) and they served at Beersheba.^{(C) 3} But his sons^(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(F) and perverted^(G) justice.

⁴ So all the elders^(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^{(I) 5} They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(J) to lead^[b](K) us, such as all the other nations^(L) have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king^(M) to lead us,” this displeased^(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen^(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(P) but they have rejected me as their king.^{(Q) 8} As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰ Samuel told^(T) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(U) your sons and make them serve^(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{(W) 12} Some he will assign to be commanders^(X) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your^(Y) fields and vineyards^(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.^{(AA) 15} He will take a tenth^(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer^(AC) you in that day.^(AD)”

¹⁹ But the people refused^(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want^(AF) a king^(AG) over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations,^(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated^(AI) it before the Lord. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen^(AJ) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

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)