1 Samuel 13

1Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel.

2And Saul chose for himself three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, each man to his tent.

3Jonathan struck down the Philistine garrison that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the ram's horn throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

4And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has struck down the Philistine garrison, and Israel has also become odious to the Philistines.” Then the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth-aven.

6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble, because the people were hard pressed, the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, among rocks, in strongholds, and in pits.

7And Hebrews crossed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people trembled behind him.

8He waited seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.

9So Saul said, “Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.

10And it happened, as soon as he had finished offering up the burnt offering, that behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him, to bless him.

11Then Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and you had not come at the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,”

12So I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered up the burnt offering.

13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”

14But now your kingdom will not endure. Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him ruler over his people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.

15Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin, and Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

16Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people who were with them, were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines had encamped at Michmash.

17And raiders came out from the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward the road to Ophrah, toward the land of Shual.

18and one company turned toward the road to Beth-horon, and one company turned toward the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness.

19No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

20So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle.

21And the charge was a pim for the plowshares, for the mattocks, for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and for setting the goads.

22So on the day of battle, not a sword or spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

23And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.