1Saul was [—] years old when he became king, and he reigned [—] and two years over Israel.
2Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel; two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, each man to his tents.
3And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has made itself odious to the Philistines.” And the people were called out after Saul to Gilgal.
5And the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight spot—for the people were hard pressed—the people hid themselves in the caves, in the thickets, among the rocks, in the cellars, and in the cisterns.
7And some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people trembled as they followed after him.
8He waited seven days, for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to scatter from him.
9So Saul said, “Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.
10And it happened that as soon as he had finished offering up the burnt offering, behold, 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 scattering from me, and that you did not come at the appointed days, and that the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,
12I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered up the burnt offering.”
13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14But now your kingdom will not stand. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him ruler over his people, because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”
15And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were found with him, about six hundred men.
16And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were found with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines encamped at Michmash.
17And the raiding party went out from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
18another company turned toward the road to Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the road of the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness.
19Now no smith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”
20So all Israel would go down to the Philistines to sharpen, each man, his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle;
21and the charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks and for the axes, and for setting the goad.
22So it came about that on the day of battle, neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and with Jonathan his son.
23And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
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