Saul Strikes Down the Philistines

13 ^[a]Saul was ^[b]thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ^[c]forty-two years over Israel.

² And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in ^(A)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at ^(B)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. ³ And Jonathan struck ^(C)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(D)Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul ^(E)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” ⁴ Then all Israel heard ^[d]the news that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(F)had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned ^[e]to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and ^(G)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(H)Beth-aven. ⁶ Now the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed). Then ^(I)the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. ⁷ Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(J)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.