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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”

15 Then Samuel went[a] from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about 600 men.

16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba(A) of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17 Raiding parties(B) went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah(C) road leading to the land of Shual. 18 The next division headed toward the Beth-horon(D) road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Valley of Zeboim(E) toward the wilderness.

19 No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel,(F) because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” 20 So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.[b] 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[c] for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on an oxgoad. 22 So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul(G) and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:15 LXX reads Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way, and the rest of the people followed Saul to join the people in his army. They went
  2. 1 Samuel 13:20 LXX; MT reads plowshares
  3. 1 Samuel 13:21 Lit of a pim; about ¼ ounce of silver