1 Samuel 13

Saul Fights the Philistines

1Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,
Hebrew Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned two years over Israel (see 1 Samuel 10:6); some Greek manuscripts give Saul’s age when he began to reign as thirty years
2Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in bMichmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in cGibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3Jonathan defeated dthe garrison of the Philistines that was eat Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul fblew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 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 glike the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of hBeth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves iin caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 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

8 jHe waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 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, k“You have done foolishly. lYou 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. 14But now myour kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man nafter his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince
Or leader
over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
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
Septuagint; Hebrew lacks  The rest of the people . . . from Gilgal
to qGibeah of Benjamin.

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, rabout six hundred men.
16And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in sGeba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And traiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18another company turned toward uBeth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of vZeboim toward the wilderness.

19 wNow 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.” 20But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,
Septuagint; Hebrew plowshare
21and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel
Hebrew  was a pim
for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel
A  shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.
The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
22So on the day of the battle abthere 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. 23And acthe garrison of the Philistines went out to the adpass of aeMichmash.

1 Samuel 14

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

1One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave
Or under the pomegranate [tree]
at agMigron. The people who were with him were about ahsix hundred men,
3including aiAhijah the son of Ahitub, ajIchabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord akin Shiloh, alwearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4Within amthe passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of anGeba.

6Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these aouncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, apfor nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish.
Septuagint  Do all that your mind inclines to
Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
8Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming arout of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre
Hebrew  a yoke
of land.
15And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even atthe raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
Or  became a panic from God


16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude avwas dispersing here and there.
Septuagint; Hebrew they went here and there
17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people
Hebrew; Septuagint  “Bring the ephod.” For at that time he wore the ephod before the people
of Israel.
19Now aywhile Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, azevery Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, baeven they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22Likewise, when all the men of Israel bbwho had hidden themselves bcin the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 bdSo the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond beBeth-aven.

Saul’s Rash Vow

24And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, bfso Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25Now when all the people
Hebrew land
came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground.
26And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, bhso he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were bifaint. 29Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”

31They struck down the Philistines that day from bjMichmash to bkAijalon. And the people were very blfaint. 32The people bmpounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them bnwith the blood. 33Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating bowith the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.”
Septuagint; Hebrew this day
34And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35And Saul bqbuilt an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But brthe priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” bsBut he did not answer him that day. 38And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39For btas the Lord lives who saves Israel, buthough it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”
Vulgate and Septuagint; Hebrew Therefore  Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Give Thummim.”
bwAnd Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.
42Then Saul said, bxCast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.

43Then Saul said to Jonathan, byTell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, bz“I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44And Saul said, caGod do so to me and more also; cbyou shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! ccAs the Lord lives, cdthere shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies

47When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, ceagainst the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of cfZobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48And he did valiantly cgand struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

49 chNow the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was ciMerab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. cjAnd the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, ckSaul’s uncle. 51 clKish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of cmAbiel.

52There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, cnhe attached him to himself.

2 Chronicles 28:18

18 coAnd the Philistines had made raids on cpthe cities in the Shephelah and the Negeb of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco cqwith its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. And they settled there.
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