1 Samuel 13

Revised Geneva Translation

13 Saul now had been king for one year. And he reigned over Israel for two years.

² Then Saul chose for himself three thousand of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and on Mount Bethel. And a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each man to his tent.

³ And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was on the hill. And the Philistines’ heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Hear, O you Hebrews!”

⁴ And all Israel heard say, “Saul has destroyed a garrison of the Philistines!” Therefore, Israel was made abhorrent to the Philistines. And the people gathered together with Saul to Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines also gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen. For the people were like the sand which is by the seaside in multitude, and came up and camped in Michmash, eastward from Beth Aven.

⁶ And when the men of Israel saw that they were in distress (for the people were oppressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holds and in rocks and in towers and in pits.

⁷ And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan, to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people, for fear followed him.

⁸ And he waited for seven days, according to the time that Samuel had appointed. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal. Therefore, the people were scattered from him.

⁹ And Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings.” And he offered a burnt offering.

¹⁰ And as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went forth to meet him, to greet him.

¹¹ And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Then Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you had not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash,

¹² “therefore I said, ‘The Philistines will come down now upon me, to Gilgal. And I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ I was bold, therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”

¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly! You have not kept the Commandment of the LORD your [j]God, which He Commanded you! For the LORD had now established your kingdom upon Israel forever.

¹⁴ “But now, your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after his own heart. And the LORD has Commanded him to be Governor over His people, because you have not kept that which the LORD had Commanded you.”

¹⁵ And Samuel arose and got himself up from Gilgal in Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul counted the people who were found with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶ And Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the people who were found with them, had their lodging in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines camped in Michmash.

¹⁷ And three bands came out of the camp of the Philistines, to destroy. One band turned to the road of Ophrah, to the land of Shual.

¹⁸ And another band turned toward the road to Beth Horon. And the third band turned toward the road of the territory that looks toward the valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Then there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.”

²⁰ Therefore, all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his weeding hook.

²¹ But they already had a file for the plowshares and for the mattocks and for the pick forks and for the axes and to sharpen the goads.

²² So, when the day of battle had come, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and Jonathan (his son).

²³ And the garrison of the Philistines came out to the passage of Michmash.