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15 Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 The raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”; 20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle. 21 The price was one payim[a] each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:21 A payim (or pim) was 2/3 shekel of silver, or 0.26 ounces, or 7.6 grams

15 Then Samuel got up and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul and Jonathan his son and the army that remained with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines encamped at Micmash. 17 The raiders[a] went out from the camp of the Philistines in three divisions. One division turned on the road[b] to Ophrah toward the land of Shual. 18 One division turned on the road[c] to Beth Horon, and one turned on the road[d] toward the border overlooking the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now no skilled craftsman could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “So that the Hebrews cannot make swords or spears for themselves.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to have his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his iron plowshare[e] sharpened. 21 The charge[f] was two-thirds of a shekel[g] for the plowshare and for the mattock, and a third of a shekel for the pick[h] and for the axe, and to set the goading sticks. 22 So[i] on the day of battle, there was not a sword or a spear found in the hands of all the army that was with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.[j]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:17 Literally “destroyers”
  2. 1 Samuel 13:17 Or “way”
  3. 1 Samuel 13:18 Or “way”
  4. 1 Samuel 13:18 Or “way”
  5. 1 Samuel 13:20 So the Masoretic Hebrew text; LXX reads “sickle”
  6. 1 Samuel 13:21 Or “fee”
  7. 1 Samuel 13:21 Literally “a pim” (possibly a stone weight used as a measure)
  8. 1 Samuel 13:21 Literally “and for three, a pick” (uncertain; perhaps meaning “a third of a shekel,” or a three-pronged pick”
  9. 1 Samuel 13:22 Literally, “And it happened”
  10. 1 Samuel 13:22 Literally, “it could be found for Saul and for Jonathan his son”