War with the Philistines

A son thirty years,† Saul reigned, and forty-two years† he had reigned over Israel, 2and Saul chose for himself three thousand of Israel: And two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.

3And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew upon a shofar throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”

4And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel—three thousand† chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

6And the men of Israel saw that it was narrow to them, for the people were distressed. And the people hid in the caves, and in the thickets, and in the cliffs, and in the holes, and in the pits. 7And Hebrews passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people trembled after him.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

8And he waited seven days, for the time appointed by Samuel, and Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings,” and he offered the burnt offering.

10And it came to pass, as he finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him to bless him.

11And Samuel said, “What have you done?”

And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come within the appointed days, and the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12then I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and to YHWH I have not made supplication.’ And I forced myself and I offered the burnt offering.”

13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the commandment of YHWH your God, which He commanded you. For now YHWH would have established your kingdom over Israel even to forever. 14And your kingdom shall not continue, for YHWH Himself has sought a man after His own heart, and YHWH has commanded him to be ruler over His people, because you have not kept what YHWH commanded you.”

15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.† And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.

Israel without Weapons

16And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people present with them remained in Geba of Benjamin. And the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines—three companies. One company turned to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual. 18And one company turned to the way of Beth-Horon. And one company turned to the way of the border which is looking on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19And there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20And all Israel would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his plowshare, and his mattock, and his ax, and his sickle.† 21And the charge was a pim† for the plowshares and the mattocks, and for a third of a shekel† the forks and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.

22And it came to pass on the day of battle that there was found not a sword or spear in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. And one was found for Saul and for Jonathan his son.

23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Footnotes:

1 A few late LXX manuscripts; MT A son of a year
1 Or forty years (see Acts 13:21); MT two years
5 Some LXX manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand
15 LXX Then Samuel set out, and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
20 LXX; Hebrew plowshare; (so plowshare appears twice in the Hebrew).
21 A pim possibly refers to a polished stone weighing approximately 0.25 ounces or 7 grams found in excavations. This is equivalent to about two-thirds of a shekel and likely refers to the price charged by the Philistines for the services listed.
21 Hebrew does not include the currency unit of a shekel charged for sharpening a pitchfork, an axe, or an oxgoad; alternatively, possibly a third of a pim for each.