1   Saul was...years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years over Israel. 2   And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3   Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." 4   All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal. 5   The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, and brought up against Israel three thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and camped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven. 6   When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits. 7   Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8   And he stayed seven days, according to the time that Samuel had said. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to abandon him. 9   Saul said, "Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings." He offered the burnt offering. 10   It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, look, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11   Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash; 12   therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of the LORD.' I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering." 13   Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you; for now the LORD would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. 14   But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you." 15   And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal, and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet him after the men of war, when they had come up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16   Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines camped in Michmash. 17   The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18   and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19   Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines had said, "Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears." 20   But all Israel would go down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle; 21   and the charge was one payim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and three shekels for picks and axes and to set the goads. 22   So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23   The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

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