THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 13 ©
Saul chooses three thousand soldiers to be with him, and Jonathan, v. 1, etc. Jonathan smites the garrison of the Philistines at Gibeah, 3. Saul summons all the people together, 4. The Philistines come with great strength to fight against Israel, 5. The Israelites, for fear, hide themselves in caves, &c. 6. Saul offers before Samuel comes to him, 7. For which he is reproved by Samuel, 11. Who foretells him that his kingdom would not last long, 13. Saul with his people stay at Gibeah, 16. The Philistines invade the land of Israel with three companies, 17. Where weapons are wanting, 19. Only Saul and Jonathan have weapons, 22.
SAUL1 reigned one year; and when he had reigned 2two years over Israel,
Saul chose him 3three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in 4Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in 5Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
And Jonathan 6smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in 7Geba, and the Philistines 8heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, 9Let the Hebrews hear.
And all Israel heard say that 10Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, 11and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
¶And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, 12thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is 13on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in 14Michmash, eastward from 15Beth-aven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then 16the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
And some of the 17Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people 18followed him trembling.
¶ 19And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that 20Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and 21the people were scattered from him.
And Saul 22said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he 23offered the burnt offering.
And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute 24him.
¶And Samuel said, 25What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not 26within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
27Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made 28supplication unto the LORD: 29I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
And Samuel said to Saul, 30Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy 31kingdom upon Israel 32for ever.
But now thy kingdom shall not continue: 33the LORD hath sought him 34a man after his own heart, and the LORD 35hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, 36about six hundred men.
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in 37Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
¶And 38the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to 39Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:
And another company turned the way to 40Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of 41Zeboim toward the wilderness.
¶Now there wasa no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, 42Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter,b and his axe, and his mattock.c
Yet they had a 43file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the 44forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen 45the goads.
So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear 46found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.
And the 47garrison of the Philistines went out to 48the passaged of Michmash.