¹Saul was ²thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ³forty-two years over Israel.

2 And Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in ^aMichmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at ^bGibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 And Jonathan struck ^athe garrison of the Philistines that was in ^bGeba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul ^cblew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 Then all Israel heard ¹the news that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ^ahad become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned ²to Saul at Gilgal.

5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and ^apeople like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^bBeth-aven. 6 Now the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed). Then ^athe people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7 Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of ^aGad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 So ^ahe waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring near to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And ^ahe offered the burnt offering. 10 And as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^aSaul went out to meet him and to ¹greet him. 11 But 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 within the appointed days, and that ^athe Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 therefore I 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 the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “^aYou have acted foolishly; ^byou have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom ¹over Israel ^cforever. 14 But ^anow your kingdom shall not endure. ^bYahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”

15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to ^aGibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ¹numbered the people who were present with him, ^babout six hundred men. 16 Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in ^aGeba of Benjamin, and the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17 And ^athe ¹raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ²companies: one ³company turned ⁴toward ^bOphrah, to the land of Shual, 18 and another ¹company turned to the way of ^aBeth-horon, and another ²company turned to the way of the border which overlooks the valley of ^bZeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now ^ano blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make ^1bswords or spears.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his ¹goad. 21 And the charge was ¹two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the goad. 22 So it happened on the day of battle that ^aneither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan. 23 And ^athe garrison of the Philistines went out to ^bthe pass of Michmash.