¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(A) themselves to other gods^(B) and worshiped them.^(C) They quickly turned^(D) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^(E)

¹² They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods^(A) of the peoples around them.^(B) They aroused^(C) the Lord’s anger^(D)

¹⁹ Not a blacksmith^(A) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!^(B)” ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles^[a] sharpened. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel^[b] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel^[c] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²² So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan^(C) had a sword or spear^(D) in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

³ Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron^(A) and had cruelly oppressed^(B) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.