1Samuel 13:21 - Prayer Tents

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

13Saul was. . . years old when he began to reign; and he reigned. . . and two years over Israel.H7586H4427H1121H8141H4427H8147H8141H34782Saul chose three thousand out 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 to their tents.H7586H977H7969H505H3478H505H7586H4363H2022H1008H505H3129H1390H1144H3499H5971H7971H376H1683Jonathan 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!"H3129H5221H5333H6430H1387H6430H8085H7586H8628H7782H776H559H5680H80854When all Israel heard that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines, the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.H3478H8085H559H7586H5221H5333H6430H3478H887H6430H5971H6817H310H7586H15375The 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 at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.H6430H622H3898H3478H7970H505H7393H8337H505H6571H5971H2344H3220H8193H7230H5927H2583H4363H6926H10076When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.H376H3478H7200H6887H5971H5065H5971H2244H4631H2337H5553H6877H9537Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.H5680H5674H3383H776H1410H1568H7586H1537H5971H310H27298He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul.H3176H3176H7651H3117H4150H8050H8050H935H1537H5971H63279So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the offerings of well-being." And he offered the burnt offering.H7586H559H5066H5930H8002H5927H593010As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him.H3615H5927H5930H8050H935H7586H3318H7125H128811Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul replied, "When I saw that the people were slipping away from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering at Michmash,H8050H559H6213H7586H559H7200H5971H5310H935H3117H4150H6430H622H436312I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the LORD'; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering."H559H6430H3381H1537H2470H6440H3068H662H5927H593013Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you. The LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,H8050H559H7586H5528H8104H4687H3068H430H6680H3068H3559H4467H3478H5704H576914but now your kingdom will not continue; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart; and the LORD has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."H4467H6965H3068H1245H376H3824H3068H6680H5057H5971H8104H3068H6680

Preparations for Battle

15And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.H8050H6965H5927H1537H1390H1144H7586H6485H5971H4672H8337H3967H37616Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped at Michmash.H7586H3129H1121H5971H4672H3427H1387H1144H6430H2583H436317And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,H7843H3318H4264H6430H7969H7218H259H7218H6437H1870H6084H776H777718another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.H259H7218H6437H1870H1032H259H7218H6437H1870H1366H8259H1516H6650H405719Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves";H2796H4672H776H3478H6430H559H5680H6213H2719H259520so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshare, mattocks, axes, or sickles;H3478H3381H6430H3913H376H4282H855H7134H428121The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.H6477H6310H4281H855H7969H7053H7134H5324H186122So on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.H3117H4421H2719H2595H4672H3027H5971H7586H3129H7586H3129H1121H4672

Jonathan Surprises and Routs the Philistines

23Now a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass of Michmash.H4673H6430H3318H4569H4363