1 Samuel 13

1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.

Saul [is] a son of [[thirty]] years in his reigning, and he has reigned over Israel [forty]-two years,

2 He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.

then Saul chooses for himself three thousand [men] out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and one thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and he has sent each one of the remnant of the people to his tents.

3 Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

And Jonathan strikes the garrison of the Philistines which [is] in Geba, and the Philistines hear, and Saul has blown with a horn through all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”

4 And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

And all Israel have heard, saying, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines,” and also, “Israel has been abhorred by the Philistines”; and the people are called after Saul to Gilgal.

5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

And the Philistines have been gathered to fight with Israel; thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a people as the sand which [is] on the seashore for multitude; and they come up and encamp in Michmash, east of Beth-Aven.

6 Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

And the men of Israel have seen that they are distressed, that the people have been oppressed, and the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.

And Hebrews have passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; and Saul [is] yet in Gilgal, and all the people have trembled after him.

8 And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

And he waits seven days, according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel has not come to Gilgal, and the people are scattered from off him.

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

And Saul says, “Bring the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings near to me”; and he causes the burnt-offering to ascend.

10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

And it comes to pass at his completing to cause the burnt-offering to ascend, that behold, Samuel has come, and Saul goes out to meet him, to bless him;

11 “What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

and Samuel says, “What have you done?” And Saul says, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from off me, and you had not come at the appointment of the days, and the Philistines are gathered to Michmash,

12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

and I say, Now the Philistines come down to me to Gilgal, and I have not appeased the face of YHWH; and I force myself, and cause the burnt-offering to ascend.”

13 “You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

And Samuel says to Saul, “You have been foolish; you have not kept the command of your God YHWH, which He commanded you, for now YHWH had established your kingdom over Israel for all time;

14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

and now, your kingdom does not stand, YHWH has sought [for] a man for Himself according to His own heart, and YHWH charges him for leader over His people, for you have not kept that which YHWH commanded you.”

15 Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

And Samuel rises, and goes up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin; and Saul inspects the people who are found with him, about six hundred men,

16 Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

and Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who are found with them, are abiding in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the Philistines have encamped in Michmash.

17 And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,

And the destroyer goes out from the camp of the Philistines—three detachments: one detachment turns to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

18 another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.

and one detachment turns the way of Beth-Horon, and one detachment turns the way of the border which is looking on the Valley of the Zeboim, toward the wilderness.

19 And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”

And a craftsman is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear”;

20 Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.

and all Israel goes down to the Philistines, to each sharpen his plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock;

21 The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.

and there has been the file for mattocks, and for coulters, and for three-pronged rakes, and for the axes, and to set up the goads.

22 So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

And it has been, in the day of battle, that there has not been found a sword and spear in the hand of any of the people who [are] with Saul and with Jonathan—but it is found with Saul and with his son Jonathan.

23 And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

And the station of the Philistines goes out to the passage of Michmash.