CHAPTER 13
He chose
for himself
three
thousand men
of Israel:
Two thousand
were
with
Saul
at Michmash
and in the hill country
of Bethel,
and a thousand
were
with
Jonathan
in Gibeah
of Benjamin.
And the rest
of the troops
he sent away,
each
to his own home.
Then Jonathan
attacked
the Philistine
outpost
at Geba,
and the Philistines
heard about it.
So Saul
blew
the trumpet
throughout
the land,
saying,
“Let the Hebrews
hear!”
And all
Israel
heard
the news:
“Saul
has attacked
an outpost
of the Philistines,
and now
Israel
has become a stench
to the Philistines!”
Then the people
were summoned
to join Saul
at Gilgal.
Now the Philistines
assembled
to fight
against
Israel
with three
thousand
chariots,
six
thousand
horsemen,
and troops
as numerous
as the sand
on
the seashore.
They went up
and camped
at Michmash,
east
of
Beth-aven.
Seeing
that
they were
in danger
because
their troops
were hard-pressed,
the men
of Israel
hid
in caves
and thickets,
among the rocks,
and in cellars
and cisterns.
Some Hebrews
even crossed
the Jordan
into the land
of Gad
and Gilead.
Saul, however,
remained
at Gilgal,
and all
his troops
were quaking with fear.
And Saul waited
seven
days
for the time appointed
by
Samuel,
but Samuel
did not
come
to Gilgal,
and the troops
began to desert
Saul.
So he
said,
“Bring
me the burnt offering
and the peace offerings.”
And he offered up
the burnt offering.
“What
have you done?”
Samuel
asked.
And Saul
replied,
“When
I saw
that
the troops
were deserting
me,
and that you
did not
come
at the appointed
time
and the Philistines
were gathering
at Michmash,
I thought,
‘Now
the Philistines
will descend
upon me
at Gilgal,
and I have not
sought
the favor
of the LORD.’
So I felt compelled
to offer
the burnt offering.”
“You have acted foolishly,”
Samuel
declared.
“You have not
kept
the command
the LORD
your God
gave you;
if you had,
the LORD
would have established
your kingdom
over
Israel
for
all time.
But now
your kingdom
will not
endure;
the LORD
has sought
a man
after His own heart
and appointed him
ruler
over
His people,
because
you have not
kept
the command
of the LORD.”
Then Samuel
set out
from
Gilgal
and went
up to Gibeah
in Benjamin.
And Saul
numbered
the troops
who were with him,
about six
hundred
men.
Now Saul
and Jonathan
his son
and the troops
with them
were staying
in Geba
of Benjamin,
while the Philistines
camped
at Michmash.
And raiders
went out
of the Philistine
camp
in three
divisions.
One
headed
toward
Ophrah
in the land
of Shual,
another
toward Beth-horon,
and the third
down the border
road
overlooking
the Valley of Zeboim
facing the wilderness.
And no
blacksmith
could be found
in all
the land
of Israel,
because
the Philistines
had said,
“The Hebrews
must not be allowed
to make
swords
or
spears.”
Instead, all
the Israelites
would go down
to the Philistines
to sharpen
their plowshares,
mattocks,
axes,
and sickles.
The charge
was
a pim
for the plowshares
and mattocks,
and a third of a pim
for the pitchforks
and axes
and for repointing
an oxgoad.
So
on the day
of battle
not
a sword
or spear
could be found
in the hands
of the troops
with
Saul
and Jonathan;
only Saul
and his son
Jonathan had weapons.