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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.)

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).

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!)

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.)

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.

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.

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).

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Samuel Rebukes Saul

13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years.

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.

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!” 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.

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) 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) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 A few late manuscripts of the Septuagint; Hebrew does not have thirty.
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Acts 13:21); Masoretic Text does not have forty-.
  3. 1 Samuel 13:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand