Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousandmenof Israel. Two thousand were with Saul inMichmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were withJonathan inGibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan attackedthe garrison of the Philistines thatwasinGeba, and the Philistines heardofit.Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 Now all Israel heard it saidthatSaul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, andthatIsrael had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.
5 Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and peopleas the sand whichison the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east ofBeth Aven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the peoplehid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits.
7 Andsomeofthe Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to theland of Gad and Gilead.
As for Saul, hewasstill in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, andthatyou did not come within the days appointed, andthatthe Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to theLord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul,“You have done foolishly.You have not kept the commandment of theLordyour God, which He commanded you. For now theLordwould have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom shall not continue.TheLordhas sought for Himself a manafter His own heart, and theLordhas commanded himtobecommander over His people, because you havenot kept what theLordcommanded you.”
15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him,about six hundred men.
No Weapons for the Army
16 Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned onto the road toOphrah, to the land of Shual,
18 another company turned to the roadtoBeth Horon, and another company turnedtothe road of the border that overlooks the Valley ofZeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Nowthere was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”
20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;
21 and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.
22 So it came about, on the day of battle, thatthere was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people whowerewith Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.