*Saul †reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in aMichmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in bGibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote the cgarrison of the Philistines that was in ||Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul dblew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a cgarrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also †was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people ewere called together after Saul to Gilgal. 5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people fas the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from gBeth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people hwere distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in icaves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in jhigh places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people †followed him trembling.

8 And khe tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might †salute him. 11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not †made supplication unto the Lord: I lforced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, mThou hast done foolishly: nthou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 oBut now thy kingdom shall not continue: pthe Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto qGibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were †present with him, rabout six hundred men. 16 And Saul, and sJonathan his son, and the people that were †present with them, abode in †Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And tthe spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to uOphrah, unto the land of vShual: 18 And another company turned the way to wBeth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of xZeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now ythere was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his zcoulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had †a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and †to sharpen the agoads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that bthere was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 23 And the ||garrison of the Philistines went out to cthe passage of Michmash.