1 Samuel 13
War with the Philistines
1 Saul was ▼▼As in some LXX mss, but very uncertain; MT one year old
thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ▼▼See Acts 13:21; Heb two years
forty-two years over Israel. 2 Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in cMichmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at dGibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent. 3And Jonathan attacked ethe garrison of the Philistines that was in fGeba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul gblew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4And all Israel heard ▼▼Lit saying
the news that Saul had attacked the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ihad become repulsive to the Philistines. Then the people were summoned ▼▼Lit after
to Saul at Gilgal. 5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and kpeople like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of lBeth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then mthe people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits. 7And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of nGad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling. 8 Now ohe waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And phe offered the burnt offering. 10But as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and qSaul went out to meet him and to ▼▼Lit bless
greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Since I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed ▼▼Lit time of days
time, and that tthe Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12I ▼▼Lit said
thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not ▼▼Or appeased
asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I worked up the courage and offered the burnt offering.” 13But Samuel said to Saul, “ wYou have acted foolishly! xYou have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for the Lord would now have established your kingdom ▼▼Lit to
over Israel zforever. 14But aanow your kingdom shall not endure. abThe Lord has sought for Himself a man ▼▼Lit like His
after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 15 Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal to adGibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ▼▼Lit mustered
counted the people who were ▼▼Lit found
present with him, agabout six hundred men. 16Now Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were ▼▼Lit found
present with them were staying in aiGeba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17Then ▼▼Lit destroyers
akraiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ▼▼Lit heads
companies: one ▼▼Lit head
company turned ▼▼Lit to the way of
toward aoOphrah, to the land of Shual, 18and another ▼▼Lit head
company turned ▼▼Lit the way of
toward arBeth-horon, and another ▼▼Lit head
company turned ▼▼Lit the way of
toward the border that overlooks the Valley of auZeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now avno blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make ▼▼Lit sword or spear
axswords or spears.” 20So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21The charge was ▼▼Heb pim
two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the ▼▼I.e., spiked sticks for driving cattle
cattle goads. 22So it came about on the day of battle that baneither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. 23And bbthe garrison of the Philistines went out to bcthe gorge of Michmash.
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