1Sa 13 | NASB1995 | STEP | Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign , and he reigned forty two years over Israel .

‏ 1 Samuel 13

War with the Philistines

1 Saul was ^{▼▼ As in some mss of the LXX; Heb omits thirty} thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ^{▼▼ See Act.13.21; Heb omits forty} forty two years over Israel.

2 Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in ^cMichmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at ^dGibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 Jonathan smote ^ethe garrison of the Philistines that was in ^fGeba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul ^gblew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 All Israel heard ^{▼▼ Lit saying}the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel ⁱhad become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned ^{▼▼ Lit after}to Saul at Gilgal.

5 Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and ^kpeople like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of ^lBeth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then ^mthe 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 ⁿGad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 Now ^ohe 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 to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And ^phe offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and ^qSaul went out to meet him and to ^{▼▼ Lit bless}greet 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 ^sthe Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13 Samuel said to Saul, ^t“You have acted foolishly; ^uyou have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom ^{▼▼ Lit to}over Israel ^wforever. 14 “But ^xnow your kingdom shall not endure. ^yThe Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to ^zGibeah of Benjamin. And Saul ^{▼▼ Lit mustered}numbered the people who were present with him, ^ababout six hundred men. 16 Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in ^acGeba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17 And ^adthe ^{▼▼ Lit destroyers}raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three ^{▼▼ Lit heads}companies: one ^{▼▼ Lit head}company turned ^{▼▼ Lit toward the direction of}toward ^aiOphrah, to the land of Shual, 18 and another ^{▼▼ Lit head}company turned ^{▼▼ Lit the direction of}toward ^alBeth-horon, and another ^{▼▼ Lit head}company turned ^{▼▼ Lit the direction of}toward the border which overlooks the valley of ^aoZeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now ^apno blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make ^{▼▼ Lit sword or spear
,} ^arswords or spears.” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe. 21 The charge was ^{▼▼ Heb pim}two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the hoes. 22 So it came about on the day of battle that ^atneither 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 ^authe garrison of the Philistines went out to ^avthe pass of Michmash.