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¹ 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.