1 Samuel

13 Saul was [thirty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

2 Saul chose him three thousand men out of Israel, of whom there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and in the hill-country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan, in Gibeah of Benjamin,—but the rest of the people he let go every man to his own home.

3 Then did Jonathan smite the garrison of Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it,—and Saul blew with a horn throughout all the land saying, Let the Hebrews hear!

4 And all Israel heard say—Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines, Moreover, also Israel have made themselves odious among the Philistines,—so the people were called together to follow Saul to Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, a people also like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude,—and they came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

6 So the men of Israel saw they were in a strait, for the people had been harassed,—and the people had hidden themselves in caves and in thickets and among cliffs and in holes and in pits.

7 And Hebrews had passed over the Jordan, to the land of Gad and Gilead,—but Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people trembled after him.

8 And he waited seven days by the set time that Samuel had named, but Samuel came not to Gilgal,—and the people were scattered from him.

9 Then said Saul, Bring near unto me, the ascending-sacrifice and the peace-offerings. And he offered up the ascending-sacrifice.

10 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of offering up the ascending-sacrifice, lo! Samuel had come,—and Saul went out to meet him, that he might bless him.

11 Then said Samuel—What hast thou done? And Saul said—Because I saw that the people had been scattered from me, and thou hadst not come within the appointed days, and the Philistines had gathered themselves together to Michmash,

12 therefore I said—Now will the Philistines come down against me at Gilgal, but the face of Yahweh have I not appeased: So I forced myself, and offered up the ascending-sacrifice.

13 And Samuel said unto Saul—Thou hast shewn thyself foolish,—thou hast not kept the commandment of Yahweh thy God, which he commanded thee, for now would Yahweh have established thy kingdom unto Israel until times age-abiding;

14 Whereas now shall thy kingdom not be established,—Yahweh hath sought out for him a man after his own heart, and Yahweh hath commanded him to be leader over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Yahweh commanded thee.

15 And Samuel arose and ascended from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men.

16 Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were found with him were abiding in Geba of Benjamin,—but the Philistines had encamped in Michmash.

17 And the spoilers came forth out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies,—the first company turned unto the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;

18 and the second company turned unto the way of Beth-horon,—and the third company turned unto the way of the boundary that overlooketh the valley of Zeboim towards the wilderness.

19 Now a smith could not be found, throughout all the land of Israel—for the Philistines had said, Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear.

20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines,—to sharpen every man his share, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle.

21 Howbeit they had a file for the sickles and the mattocks, and the three-pronged forks and the axes,—and for setting the goads.

22 Thus would it come to pass, in the day of battle, that there was found—neither sword nor spear in the hand of any of the people, that were with Saul and Jonathan,—but such were found belonging to Saul and to Jonathan his son.

23 Now the garrison of the Philistines had come out to the pass of Michmash.