1Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,[1]2Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. (1Sa 10:26; 1Sa 13:5; 1Sa 13:11; 1Sa 13:15; 1Sa 13:16; 1Sa 13:23; 1Sa 14:31)3Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” (Jud 3:27; 1Sa 10:5; 1Sa 13:16; 1Sa 14:5)4And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.5And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. (Jos 11:4; 1Sa 14:23)6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, (Jud 6:2; Heb 11:38)7and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
8He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. (1Sa 10:8)9So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.10As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.11Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash,12I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. (1Sa 15:11; 2Sa 24:10; 1Ch 21:8; 2Ch 16:9)14But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince[2] over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1Sa 15:28; Ac 13:22)15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal[3] to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. (1Sa 13:2; 1Sa 14:2)16And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. (1Sa 13:3; 1Sa 14:5)17And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; (1Sa 14:15)18another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. (Jos 10:10; Ne 11:34)19Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” (2Ki 24:14)20But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,[4]21and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel[5] for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel[6] for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[7]22So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. (Jud 5:8)23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. (1Sa 14:1; 1Sa 14:4; 1Sa 14:6; 1Sa 14:11; 2Sa 23:14; Isa 10:28)
1Saul was thirty[1] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-[2] two years. (Ac 13:21)2Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, ‘Let the Hebrews hear!’4So all Israel heard the news: ‘Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.’ And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.5The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand[3] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.6When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.8He waited for seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.9So he said, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.’ And Saul offered up the burnt offering.10Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.11‘What have you done?’ asked Samuel. Saul replied, ‘When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,12I thought, “Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favour.” So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.’13‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.14But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.’15Then Samuel left Gilgal[4] and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
Israel without weapons
16Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah[5] of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.17Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned towards Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,18another towards Beth Horon, and the third towards the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.19Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’20So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sickles[6] sharpened.21The price was two-thirds of a shekel[7] for sharpening ploughshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel[8] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.22So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan attacks the Philistines
23Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
1 Samuel 13
King James Version
1Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,2Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.3And 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.4And all Israel heard say 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.5And the Philistines gathered 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 pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.7And 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.8And 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.9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.10And 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.11And 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 gathered themselves together at Michmash;12Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.13And 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.14But 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.15And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:18And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.21Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.22So 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.23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.