13Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.H7586H4427H1121H8141H4427H8147H8141H34782Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.H7586H977H7969H505H3478H505H7586H4363H2022H1008H505H3129H1390H1144H3499H5971H7971H376H1683Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!"H3129H5221H5333H6430H1387H6430H8085H7586H8628H7782H776H559H5680H80854So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.H3478H8085H559H7586H5221H5333H6430H3478H887H6430H5971H6817H310H7586H15375The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.H6430H622H3898H3478H7970H505H7393H8337H505H6571H5971H2344H3220H8193H7230H5927H2583H4363H6926H10076When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.H376H3478H7200H6887H5971H5065H5971H2244H4631H2337H5553H6877H9537Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.H5680H5674H3383H776H1410H1568H7586H1537H5971H310H27298He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter.H3176H3176H7651H3117H4150H8050H8050H935H1537H5971H63279So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering.H7586H559H5066H5930H8002H5927H593010Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.H3615H5927H5930H8050H935H7586H3318H7125H128811"What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,H8050H559H6213H7586H559H7200H5971H5310H935H3117H4150H6430H622H436312I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD'S favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."H559H6430H3381H1537H2470H6440H3068H662H5927H593013"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.H8050H559H7586H5528H8104H4687H3068H430H6680H3068H3559H4467H3478H5704H576914But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD'S command."H4467H6965H3068H1245H376H3824H3068H6680H5057H5971H8104H3068H668015Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.H8050H6965H5927H1537H1390H1144H7586H6485H5971H4672H8337H3967H376
Israel Without Weapons
16Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Micmash.H7586H3129H1121H5971H4672H3427H1387H1144H6430H2583H436317Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,H7843H3318H4264H6430H7969H7218H259H7218H6437H1870H6084H776H777718another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the desert.H259H7218H6437H1870H1032H259H7218H6437H1870H1366H8259H1516H6650H405719Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!"H2796H4672H776H3478H6430H559H5680H6213H2719H259520So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.H3478H3381H6430H3913H376H4282H855H7134H428121The price was two thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.H6477H6310H4281H855H7969H7053H7134H5324H186122So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.H3117H4421H2719H2595H4672H3027H5971H7586H3129H7586H3129H1121H4672
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
23Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Micmash.H4673H6430H3318H4569H4363