Shmuel I - Chapter 13

1. Saul was a year in his reign, and he reigned two years over Israel.

2. And Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel, and they were with Saul; two thousand in Michmash and in the mountain of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and he sent the rest of the people, every man to his tents.

3. And Jonathan smote the officer of the Philistines, who was in Geba, and the Philistines heard; and Saul sounded the shofar throughout all the land, saying: "Let the Hebrews hear."

4. And all Israel heard, saying, "Saul has smitten the officer of the Philistines, and also that Israel has become hateful to the Philistines." And the people gathered after Saul to Gilgal.

5. And the Philistines gathered to wage war with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand riders, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they went up and camped in Michmash to the east of Beth-aven.

6. And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, for the people were hard-pressed, and the people hid in the caves, and in the thickets, in the rocky crags, and in the towers, and in the pits.

7. And some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people hurried after him.

8. And he waited seven days, to the appointed time which Samuel (had set), and Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people scattered from him.

9. And Saul said, "Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offering"; and he offered up the burnt offering.

10. And it was, when he finished offering up the burnt offering, that behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out toward him to greet him.

11. And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "For I saw that the people had scattered from me, and you did not come at the appointed time of the days, and the Philistines are gathered in Michmash.

12. And I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me to Gilgal, and I have not yet made supplication before the Lord,' and I forced myself, and I offered up the burnt offering."

13. And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly; you have not observed the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

14. But now, your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought for Himself a man after His heart, and the Lord has appointed him to be a ruler over His people, for you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you."

15. And Samuel rose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin; and Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

16. And Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were encamped in Michmash.

17. And the raiders emerged from the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned to the road (leading) to Ophrah, to the land of Shual.

18. And one company turned to the road leading to Beth-horon, and one company turned to the road leading to the border, which overlooks the valley of the 'zeboim', toward the wilderness.

19. Now, not a smith was to be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear."

20. And all Israel went down to the (land of) the Philistines to sharpen each man his plowshare and his colter and his axe and his mattock.

21. And there was a file for the mattocks and for the colters and for the three-pronged pitchforks and for the axes, and to set the goad.

22. And it was on the day of war, that neither sword nor spear was found in the possession of all the people who were with Saul and with Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

23. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the other side of Michmash.