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¹ Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,² Saul chose him three thousand [men] of Israel; [of which] two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount 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 [of it]. 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 a garrison of the Philistines, and [that] Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines: and the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.⁵ And the Philistines assembled 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 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 high places, and in pits.⁷ And [some of] the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. 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 came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.⁹ And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt-offering to me, and 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, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.¹¹ And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and [that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and [that] the Philistines assembled at Michmash;¹² Therefore said I, the Philistines will now come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD; I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering.¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.

¹⁵ And Samuel arose, and went up 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 Gibeah 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 leadeth to] Ophrah, to the land of Shual:¹⁸ And another company turned the way [to] Beth-horon: and another company turned [to] the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim towards the wilderness.¹⁹ Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: (for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make [them] swords or spears:)²⁰ But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his colter, and his ax, and his mattock.²¹ Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the colters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen 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 was there found.²³ And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.