1 Samuel
Chapter 13
1 Saul was king for one year; after two years as king of Israel,
2 Saul picked 3,000 Israeli soldiers; 2,000 stayed with Saul in Michmash and Bethel, 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and he sent the others home.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines found out. Saul sounded the trumpet all over the country, saying, “Let the Israelites hear.”
4 Everyone in Israel heard that Saul had defeated a Philistine outpost, and that the Philistines hated Israel. So the people gathered to follow Saul to Gilgal.
5 The Philistines came together to battle Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and a huge crowd like the sand by the sea. They advanced and set up camp at Michmash, to the east of Bethaven.
6 When the Israelite men realized they were in trouble because the people were distressed, they hid in caves, bushes, rocks, high areas, and pits.
7 Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan River to Gad and Gilead, while Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people with him were scared.
8 He waited seven days, as Samuel had ordered, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people left him.
9 Saul said, “Bring me a burnt offering and peace offerings.” Then he gave the burnt offering.
10 After he finished the burnt offering, Samuel arrived; Saul went out to greet him.
11 And Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “I saw the people leaving me, you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines were uniting at Michmash.”
12 So I thought, ‘The Philistines will soon attack me at Gilgal, and I haven’t asked for God’s help.’ So I felt I had to go ahead and offer a sacrifice.
13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you did not follow God’s command which He gave you. Because of this, God would have made your rule over Israel last forever, but now he will not.”
14 But now your kingdom won’t last. God has chosen a man who pleases Him, and God has told him to lead His people because you did not follow God’s commands.
15 Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the people with him, about six hundred men.
16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people with them stayed in Gibeah in Benjamin’s land, while the Philistines camped in Michmash.
17 The raiders came out of the Philistines’ camp in three groups: one group went toward the road to Ophrah, in Shual’s territory.
18 One group went towards Bethhoron, and another went along the road that borders the valley of Zeboim, heading to the desert.
19 In all of Israel, no blacksmith could be found because the Philistines didn’t want the Hebrews to make swords or spears.
20 All the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, cutting tools, axes, and hoes.
21 They had a tool to sharpen the hoes, plows, forks, axes, and prods.
22 On the battle day, no one with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 The Philistine soldiers went to the Michmash path.