1 Samuel 13
When Saul had reigned one year, —and two years he reigned over Israel, —
2 And Saul took for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom he kept two thousand with him in Michmash and in the mountain of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin: the rest of the people he sent back to their tents.
Saul chose for himself three thousand men out of Israel; and there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and on the mountain of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib'ah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent away every man to his tents.
3 And Jonathan made an attack on the armed force of the Philistines stationed at Gibeah; and news was given to the Philistines that the Hebrews were turned against them. And Saul had a horn sounded through all the land,
And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was at Geba', and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the cornet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear it.
4 And all Israel had the news that Saul had made an attack on the Philistines, and that Israel was bitterly hated by the Philistines. And the people came together after Saul to Gilgal.
And all Israel heard it, saying, Saul hath smitten the outpost of the Philistines, and the Israelites also have put themselves in ill-favor with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines came together to make war on Israel, three thousand war-carriages and six thousand horsemen and an army of people like the sands of the sea in number: they came up and took up their position in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw the danger they were in, (for the people were troubled, ) they took cover in cracks in the hillsides and in the woods and in rocks and holes and hollows.
And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, [for the people were oppressed, ] then did the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in strongholds, and in pits.
7 And a great number of the people had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people went after him shaking in fear.
And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil'ad. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him hastily.
8 And he went on waiting there for seven days, the time fixed by Samuel: but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were starting to go away from him.
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattering themselves from him.
9 Then Saul said, Come here and give me the burned offering and the peace-offerings. And he made a burned offering to the Lord.
And Saul said, Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.
10 And when the burned offering was ended, Samuel came; and Saul went out to see him and to give him a blessing.
And it came to pass, that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were going away from me, and you had not come at the time which had been fixed, and the Philistines had come together at Michmash;
And Samuel said, What hast thou done: And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering themselves from me, whereas thou camest not at the appointed day, and the Philistines are gathering themselves together at Michmash;
12 I said, Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have made no prayer for help to the Lord: and so, forcing myself to do it, I made a burned offering.
And I said, The Philistines will now come down unto me to Gilgal, and I have not yet made supplication unto the Lord: wherefore I forced myself, and offered the burnt-offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, You have done a foolish thing: you have not kept the rules which the Lord your God gave you; it was the purpose of the Lord to make your authority over Israel safe for ever.
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he had commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy government over Israel for ever.
14 But now, your authority will not go on: the Lord, searching for a man who is pleasing to him in every way, has given him the place of ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord gave you orders to do.
But now thy government shall not endure: the Lord hath sought out for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath ordained him to be chief over his people; because thou hast not kept what the Lord had commanded thee.
15 Then Samuel went up from Gilgal and the rest of the people went up after Saul against the men of war, and they came from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin: and Saul took the number of the people who were with him, about six hundred men.
And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gib'ah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were to be found with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, with Jonathan his son and the people who were with them, was waiting in Geba in the land of Benjamin: but the tents of the Philistines were in Michmash.
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were to be found with them, were lying in Geba' of Benjamin; but the Philistines were encamped in Michmash.
17 And three bands of men came out from the Philistines to make an attack; one band went by the road which goes to Ophrah, into the land of Shual:
And the troop of freebooters went out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned into the way to 'Ophrah, unto the land of Shu'al;
18 And another went in the direction of Beth-horon: and another went by the hill looking down on the valley of Zeboiim, in the direction of the waste land.
And another company turned into the way to Beth-choron; and the other company turned into the way to the frontier that looketh over the valley of Zebo'im toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears:
Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, So that the Hebrews shall not make themselves swords or spears.
20 But all the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their ploughs and blades and axes and hooks made sharp;
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plough-share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
21 For they had instruments for putting an edge on their ploughs and blades and forks and axes, and for putting iron points on their ox-driving rods.
And they used a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So on the day of the fight at Michmash, not a sword or a spear was to be seen in the hands of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan: only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
So it came to pass on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and with Jonathan his son.
23 And the armed force of the Philistines went out to the narrow way of Michmash.
And the outpost of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
