1Saul tinha trinta[1] anos de idade quando começou a reinar e reinou sobre Israel quarenta[2] e dois anos.2Saul[3] escolheu três mil homens de Israel; dois mil ficaram com ele em Micmás e nos montes de Betel e mil ficaram com Jônatas em Gibeá de Benjamim. O restante dos homens ele mandou de volta para suas tendas.3Jônatas atacou os destacamentos dos filisteus em Gibeá[4], e os filisteus foram informados disso. Então Saul mandou tocar a trombeta por todo o país, dizendo: “Que os hebreus fiquem sabendo disto!”4E todo o Israel ouviu a notícia de que Saul tinha atacado o destacamento dos filisteus, atraindo o ódio dos filisteus sobre Israel[5]. Então os homens foram convocados para se unirem a Saul em Gilgal.5Os filisteus reuniram-se para lutar contra Israel com três mil[6] carros de guerra, seis mil condutores de carros e tantos soldados quanto a areia da praia. Eles foram a Micmás, a leste de Bete-Áven, e lá acamparam.6Quando os soldados de Israel viram que a situação era difícil e que o seu exército estava sendo muito pressionado, esconderam-se em cavernas e buracos, entre as rochas e em poços e cisternas.7Alguns hebreus até atravessaram o Jordão para chegar à terra de Gade e de Gileade. Saul ficou em Gilgal, e os soldados que estavam com ele tremiam de medo.8Ele esperou sete dias, o prazo estabelecido por Samuel; mas este não chegou a Gilgal, e os soldados de Saul começaram a se dispersar.9E ele ordenou: “Tragam-me o holocausto e os sacrifícios de comunhão[7]”. Saul então ofereceu o holocausto;10quando terminou de oferecê-lo, Samuel chegou, e Saul foi saudá-lo.11Perguntou-lhe Samuel: “O que você fez?” Saul respondeu: “Quando vi que os soldados estavam se dispersando e que não tinhas chegado no prazo estabelecido, e que os filisteus estavam reunidos em Micmás,12pensei: Agora, os filisteus me atacarão em Gilgal, e eu não busquei o SENHOR. Por isso senti-me obrigado a oferecer o holocausto”.13Disse Samuel: “Você agiu como tolo, desobedecendo ao mandamento que o SENHOR, o seu Deus, deu a você; se tivesse obedecido, ele teria estabelecido para sempre o seu reinado sobre Israel.14Mas agora o seu reinado não permanecerá; o SENHOR procurou um homem segundo o seu coração e o designou líder de seu povo, pois você não obedeceu ao mandamento do SENHOR”.15Então Samuel partiu de Gilgal[8] e foi a Gibeá de Benjamim, e Saul contou os soldados que estavam com ele. Eram cerca de seiscentos.
A Desvantagem Militar de Israel
16Saul e seu filho Jônatas, acompanhados de seus soldados, ficaram em Gibeá de Benjamim, enquanto os filisteus estavam acampados em Micmás.17Uma tropa de ataque saiu do acampamento filisteu em três divisões. Uma foi em direção a Ofra, nos arredores de Sual,18outra em direção a Bete-Horom, e a terceira em direção à região fronteiriça de onde se avista o vale de Zeboim, diante do deserto.19Naquela época não havia nem mesmo um único ferreiro em toda a terra de Israel, pois os filisteus não queriam que os hebreus fizessem espadas e lanças.20Assim, eles tinham que ir aos filisteus para afiar seus arados, enxadas, machados e foices[9].21O preço para afiar rastelos e enxadas era oito gramas[10] de prata, e quatro gramas[11] de prata para afiar tridentes, machados e pontas de aguilhadas.22Por isso, no dia da batalha, nenhum soldado de Saul e Jônatas tinha espada ou lança nas mãos, exceto o próprio Saul e seu filho Jônatas.
Jônatas Ataca os Filisteus
23Aconteceu que um destacamento filisteu foi para o desfiladeiro de Micmás.
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. (1 Sm 10:26; 1 Sm 13:5; 1 Sm 13:11; 1 Sm 13:15; 1 Sm 13:16; 1 Sm 13:23; 1 Sm 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.” (Jz 3:27; 1 Sm 10:5; 1 Sm 13:16; 1 Sm 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. (Js 11:4; 1 Sm 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, (Jz 6:2; Hb 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. (1 Sm 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. (1 Sm 15:11; 2 Sm 24:10; 1 Cr 21:8; 2 Cr 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.” (1 Sm 15:28; At 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. (1 Sm 13:2; 1 Sm 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. (1 Sm 13:3; 1 Sm 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; (1 Sm 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. (Js 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.” (2 Rs 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. (Jz 5:8)23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. (1 Sm 14:1; 1 Sm 14:4; 1 Sm 14:6; 1 Sm 14:11; 2 Sm 23:14; Is 10:28)