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¹ Saul was ... years old when he began to reign; And he reigned two years over Israel.² Saul chose himself three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.³ And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.⁴ And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was a stench to the Philistines. And the people had gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.⁵ And the Philistines assembled 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 of Beth-aven.⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits.⁷ Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸ And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed]: but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.⁹ And Saul said, Bring the burnt-offering here to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.¹⁰ And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, look, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.¹¹ And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn't come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;¹² therefore I said, Now will the Philistines come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of Yahweh: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly; you haven't kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you: for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue: Yahweh has sought himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be leader over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.

¹⁵ And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal, and went on his way. But the remainder of the people went up after Saul to meet the battlefolk, and they went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.¹⁶ And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.¹⁷ And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;¹⁸ and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.¹⁹ Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Or else the Hebrews will make swords or spears:²⁰ but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his coulter, and his ax, and his mattock;²¹ yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the three-pronged fork, and for the axes, and to set the goads.²² So it came to pass in 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 with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found.²³ And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.