1Sa 13 | NASB2020 | STEP | Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign , and he reigned for forty- two years over Israel .

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. 3 And 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!” 4 And 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. 6 When 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. 7 And 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. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And ^phe offered the burnt offering. 10 But 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. 11 But 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, 12 I ^{▼▼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.” 13 But 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. 14 But ^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. 16 Now 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. 17 Then ^{▼▼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, 18 and 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.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21 The 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. 22 So 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. 23 And ^bbthe garrison of the Philistines went out to ^bcthe gorge of Michmash.