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)

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(A) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(B) from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ^(C) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(D) to the third heaven.^(E) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{(F) 3} And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up^(G) to paradise^(H) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{(I) 6} Even if I should choose to boast,^(J) I would not be a fool,^(K) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(L) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(M) a messenger of Satan,^(N) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(O) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(P) is sufficient for you, for my power^(Q) is made perfect in weakness.^(R)”^(S) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(T) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(U) in persecutions,^(V) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(W)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself,^(X) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a](Y) even though I am nothing.^{(Z) 12} I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^{(AA) 13} How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(AB) Forgive me this wrong!^(AC)

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(AD) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(AE) but parents for their children.^{(AF) 15} So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(AG) If I love you more,^(AH) will you love me less? ¹⁶ Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(AI) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(AJ) Titus^(AK) to go to you and I sent our brother^(AL) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(AM) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(AN) is for your strengthening.^{(AO) 20} For I am afraid that when I come^(AP) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(AQ) I fear that there may be discord,^(AR) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(AS) slander,^(AT) gossip,^(AU) arrogance^(AV) and disorder.^{(AW) 21} I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(AX) over many who have sinned earlier^(AY) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(AZ) in which they have indulged.