1.Samuel 13 | New International Reader’s Version

Samuel judges Saul’s sin

1 Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 of Israel’s men. Two thousand of them were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel. One thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul sent the rest back to their homes. 3 Some Philistine soldiers were stationed at Geba. Jonathan attacked them. The other Philistines heard about it. Saul announced, ‘Let the Hebrew people hear about what has happened!’ He had trumpets blown all through the land. 4 So all the Israelites heard the news. They were told, ‘Saul has attacked the Philistine army camp at Geba. Now the Philistines can’t stand the Israelites.’ The Israelites were called out to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel. They had 3,000 chariots and 6,000 chariot drivers. Their soldiers were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash. It was east of Beth Aven. 6 The Israelites saw that their army was in deep trouble. So they hid in caves. They hid among bushes and rocks. They also hid in pits and empty wells. 7 Some of them even went across the River Jordan. They went to the lands of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal. All the troops with him were shaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, just as Samuel had told him to. But Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal. And Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, ‘Bring me the burnt offering and the friendship offerings.’ Then he offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as Saul finished offering the sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to greet him. 11 ‘What have you done?’ asked Samuel. Saul replied, ‘I saw that the men were scattering. I saw that the Philistines were gathering together at Mikmash. You didn’t come when you said you would. 12 So I thought, “Now the Philistines will come down to attack me at Gilgal. And I haven’t asked the LORD for his blessing.” So I felt I had to sacrifice the burnt offering.’ 13 ‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You haven’t obeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. If you had, he would have made your kingdom secure over Israel for all time to come. 14 But now your kingdom won’t last. The LORD has already looked for a man who is dear to his heart. He has appointed him king of his people. That’s because you haven’t obeyed the LORD’s command.’ 15 Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were with him. The total number was about 600.

Israel doesn’t have weapons

16 Saul and his son Jonathan were staying in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The men who remained in the army were there with them. At the same time, the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Three groups of soldiers went out from the Philistine camp to attack Israel. One group turned and went towards Ophrah in the area of Shual. 18 Another went towards Beth Horon. The third went towards the border that looked out over the Valley of Zeboim. That valley faces the desert. 19 There weren’t any blacksmiths in the whole land of Israel. That’s because the Philistines had said, ‘The Hebrews might hire them to make swords or spears!’ 20 So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines. They had to go to them to get their ploughs, hoes, axes and sickles sharpened. 21 It cost 8 grams of silver to sharpen a plough or a hoe. It cost 4 grams to sharpen a pitchfork or an axe. That’s also what it cost to put new tips on the large sticks used to drive oxen. 22 So the Israelite soldiers went out to battle without swords or spears in their hands. That was true for all of Saul’s and Jonathan’s soldiers. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had those weapons.

Jonathan attacks the Philistines

23 A group of Philistine soldiers had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.

English Standard Version

Saul Fights the Philistines

1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,* 2 Saul 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. 3 Jonathan 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.” 4 And 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. 5 And 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. 6 When 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, 7 and 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

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel 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, 12 I 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.” 13 And 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. 14 But 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* over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 And 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* to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now 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.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,* 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel* for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel* for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.* 22 So 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. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

1.Samuel 13 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Samuel judges Saul’s sin

Israel doesn’t have weapons

Jonathan attacks the Philistines

Saul Fights the Philistines

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice