Dual Panel1Saul <07586> was [thirty] years <08141> old <01121> when he began to reign <04427>; he ruled <04427> over <05921> Israel <03478> for [forty <08147>] years <08141>.
2Saul <07586> selected <0977> for himself three <07969> thousand <0505> men from Israel <03478>. Two thousand <0505> of these were <01961> with <05973> Saul <07586> at Micmash <04363> and in the hill country <02022> of Bethel <01008>; the remaining thousand <0505> were <01961> with <05973> Jonathan <03129> at Gibeah <01390> in the territory of Benjamin <01144>. He sent <07971> all the rest <03499> of the people <05971> back home <0168>.
3Jonathan <03129> attacked <05221> the Philistine <06430> outpost <05333> that <0834> was at Geba <01387> and the Philistines <06430> heard <08085> about it. Then Saul <07586> alerted <07782> <08628> all <03605> the land <0776> saying <0559>, “Let the Hebrews <05680> pay attention <08085>!”
4All <03605> Israel <03478> heard <08085> this message <0559>, “Saul <07586> has attacked <05221> the Philistine <06430> outpost <05333>, and now Israel <03478> is repulsive <0887> to the Philistines <06430>!” So the people <05971> were summoned <06817> to join <0310> Saul <07586> at Gilgal <01537>.
5For the battle <03898> with <05973> Israel <03478> the Philistines <06430> had amassed <0622> 3,000 <0505> <07970> chariots <07393>, 6,000 <0505> <08337> horsemen <06571>, and an army <05971> as numerous <07230> as the sand <02344> on <05921> the seashore <03220> <08193>. They went up <05927> and camped <02583> at Micmash <04363>, east <06926> of Beth Aven <01007>.
6The men <0376> of Israel <03478> realized <07200> they had a problem <06862> because <03588> their army <05971> was hard pressed <05065>. So the army <05971> hid <02244> in caves <04631>, thickets <02336>, cliffs <05553>, strongholds <06877>, and cisterns <0953>.
7Some of the Hebrews <05680> crossed over <05674> the Jordan River <03383> to the land <0776> of Gad <01410> and Gilead <01568>. But Saul <07586> stayed <05750> at Gilgal <01537>; the entire <03605> army <05971> that was with <0310> him was terrified <02729>.
8He waited <03176> for seven <07651> days <03117>, the time period indicated <04150> by Samuel <08050>. But Samuel <08050> did not <03808> come <0935> to Gilgal <01537>, and the army <05971> began to abandon <06327> Saul.
9So Saul <07586> said <0559>, “Bring <05066> me the burnt offering <05930> and the peace offerings <08002>.” Then he offered <05927> a burnt offering <05930>.
10Just when <01961> he had finished <03615> offering <05927> the burnt offering <05930>, Samuel <08050> appeared <0935> on the scene. Saul <07586> went out <03318> to meet <07122> him and to greet <01288> him.
11But Samuel <08050> said <0559>, “What <04100> have you done <06213>?” Saul <07586> replied <0559>, “When I saw <07200> that <03588> the army <05971> had started <05310> to abandon me and that you <0859> didn’t <03808> come <0935> at the appointed <04150> time <03117> and that the Philistines <06430> had assembled <0622> at Micmash <04363>,
12I thought <0559>, ‘Now <06258> the Philistines <06430> will come down <03381> on <0413> me at Gilgal <01537> and I have not <03808> sought <06440> the Lord’s <03068> favor <02470>.’ So I felt obligated <0662> to offer <05927> the burnt offering <05930>.”
13Then Samuel <08050> said <0559> to <0413> Saul <07586>, “You have made a foolish <05528> choice! You have not <03808> obeyed <08104> the commandment <04687> that <0834> the Lord <03068> your God <0430> gave <06680> you. Had you done that <03588>, the Lord <03068> would have established <03559> your kingdom <04467> over <0413> Israel <03478> forever <05769> <05704>!
14But now <06258> your kingdom <04467> will not <03808> continue <06965>! The Lord <03069> has sought out <01245> for himself a man <0376> who is loyal <03824> to him and the Lord <03069> has appointed <06680> him to be leader <05057> over <05921> his people <05971>, for <03588> you have not <03808> obeyed <08104> what <0834> the Lord <03069> commanded <06680> you.”
15Then Samuel <08050> set out <06965> and went up <05927> from <04480> Gilgal <01537> to Gibeah <01390> in the territory of Benjamin <01144>. Saul <07586> mustered <06485> the army <05971> that remained <04672> with <05973> him; there were about six <08337> hundred <03967> men <0376>.
16Saul <07586>, his son <01121> Jonathan <03129>, and the army <05971> that remained <04672> with <05973> them stayed <03427> in Gibeah <01387> in the territory of Benjamin <01144>, while the Philistines <06430> camped <02583> in Micmash <04363>.
17Raiding bands <07843> went out <03318> from the camp <04264> of the Philistines <06430> in three <07969> groups <07218>. One <0259> band <07218> turned <06437> toward <0413> the road <01870> leading to Ophrah <06084> by <0413> the land <0776> of Shual <07777>;
18another <0259> band <07218> turned <06437> toward <01870> the road leading to Beth Horon <01032>; and yet another <0259> band <07218> turned <06437> toward <01870> the road leading to the border <01366> that overlooks <05921> <08259> the valley <01516> of Zeboim <06650> in the direction of the desert <04057>.
19A blacksmith <02796> could not <03808> be found <04672> in all <03605> the land <0776> of Israel <03478>, for <03588> the Philistines <06430> had <06213> said <0559>, “This will prevent <06435> the Hebrews <05680> from making swords <02719> and <0176> spears <02595>.”
20So all <03605> Israel <03478> had to go down <03381> to the Philistines <06430> in order to get their plowshares <0855>, cutting instruments <04282>, axes <07134>, and sickles <04281> sharpened <03913>.
21They charged two-thirds of a shekel <06477> to sharpen <06310> plowshares <0855> and cutting instruments <04281>, and a third <07969> of a shekel to sharpen picks <07053> and axes <07134>, and to set <05324> ox goads <01861>.
22So on the day <03117> of the battle <04421> no <03808> sword <02719> or spear <02595> was <01961> to be found <04672> in the hand <03027> of anyone <03605> in the army <05971> that <0834> was with <0854> Saul <07586> and Jonathan <03129>. No one but Saul <07586> and his son <01121> Jonathan <03129> had <04672> them.
23A garrison <04673> of the Philistines <06430> had gone out to <0413> the pass <04569> at Micmash <04363>.