1
For a year* Saul reigned; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2
then Saul chose for himself three thousand from 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 remainder of the people he sent each··man◦ to his tent.
3
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Gibea, and the Philistines heard, and Saul sounded with the shophar* in all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
4
And all Israel heard, saying, Saul has smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and Israel even stank with the Philistines. And the people were summoned after Saul to Gilgal.
5
And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as sand which is on the lip of the sea for multitude; and they came··up and encamped in Michmash eastward of Beth-aven.
6
And the men◦ of Israel saw that they were··in··adversity, for the people were hard pressed, and the people hid··themselves in caves, and in thorny··shrubs, and in rocks◦, and in grottos, and in pits.
7
And the Hebrews crossed··over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people following after him were··frightened.
8
And he waited* seven days, according to the time appointed with Samuel, but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9
And Saul said, Present to▵ me the burnt··offering and the peace··offerings; and he offered··up the burnt··offering.
10
And it was, as◦ he completed offering··up the burnt··offering, that behold, Samuel came; and Saul went··out to meet him, that he might bless him.
11
And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because◦ I saw that the people were scattered from me, and thou◦ camest not at the days appointed; and the Philistines were gathered at Michmash:
12
and I said, Now the Philistines will come··down to▵ me at Gilgal, and I have not implored the face of Jehovah; and I forced··myself, and offered··up the burnt··offering.
13
And Samuel said to▵ Saul, Thou hast been··senseless; Thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God which He commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel even··to eternity.
14
But now thy kingdom shall not rise··up; Jehovah has sought for Himself a man◦ after His own heart, and Jehovah has commanded him to be monarch over His people, for thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee.
15
And Samuel arose and went··up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered◦ the people that were··found with him, about six hundred men◦.
16
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, dwelt in Gibea of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17
And the destroyers came··out from the camp of the Philistines in three companies◦; one company◦ faced unto▵ the way to Ophrah, unto▵ the land of Shual.
18
And one company◦ faced the way of Beth-choron; And one company◦ faced the way of the border, looking··out upon the ravine of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19
And there was no◦ craftsman found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear:
20
and all Israel went··down··to the Philistines to whet◦ every man◦ his plow··share, and his mattock, and his axe◦, and his sickle;
21
when there was bluntness in the edges* of the shares, and the mattocks, and the three-pronged forks, and in the axes◦, and to set··up the goads.
22
And it was, on the day of the 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 crossing of Michmash.
