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

Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents. Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal. The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits. Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:1 The traditional Hebrew text omits “thirty” and “forty-”. The blanks are filled in here from a few manuscripts of the Septuagint.

Saul Fights the Philistines

13 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,[a] Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in (A)Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in (B)Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. Jonathan defeated (C)the garrison of the Philistines that was (D)at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul (E)blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops (F)like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of (G)Beth-aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves (H)in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 Hebrew Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel; some Greek manuscripts give Saul's age when he began to reign as thirty years