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War with the Philistines

¹ Saul was ^(F1)thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ^(F2)forty-two years over Israel.

² Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in ^(C1)Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at ^(C2)Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent.³ And Jonathan attacked ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines that was in ^(C2)Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul ^(C3)blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"⁴ And all Israel heard ^(F1)the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^(C1)had become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned ^(F2)to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and ^(C1)people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^(C2)Beth-aven.⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^(C1)the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.⁷ And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^(C1)Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

⁸ Now ^(C1)he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.⁹ So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And ^(C1)he offered the burnt offering.¹⁰ But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^(C1)Saul went out to meet him and to ^(F1)greet him.¹¹ But Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed ^(F1)time, and that ^(C1)the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,¹² I ^(F1)thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not ^(F2)asked the favor of the LORD.' So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering."¹³ But Samuel said to Saul, "^(C1)You have acted foolishly! ^(C2)You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom ^(F1)over Israel ^(C3)forever.¹⁴ "But ^(C1)now your kingdom shall not endure. ^(C2)The LORD has sought for Himself a man ^(F1)after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

¹⁵ Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to ^(C1)Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ^(F1)counted the people who were ^(F2)present with him, ^(C2)about six hundred men.¹⁶ Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were ^(F1)present with them were staying in ^(C1)Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.¹⁷ Then ^(F1)(C1)raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ^(F2)companies: one ^(F3)company turned ^(F4)toward ^(C2)Ophrah, to the land of Shual,¹⁸ and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward ^(C1)Beth-horon, and another ^(F1)company turned ^(F2)toward the border that overlooks the Valley of ^(C2)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now ^(C1)no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make ^(F1)(C2)swords or spears."²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.²¹ The charge was ^(F1)two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the ^(F2)cattle goads.²² So it came about on the day of battle that ^(C1)neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.²³ And ^(C1)the garrison of the Philistines went out to ^(C2)the gorge of Michmash.