War with the Philistines 1 ULT Saul{ was} a son of a year in his becoming king, and he reigned over Israel two years. BSB BSB: Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
2 ULT And Saul chose for himself 3, 000 from Israel. And 2, 000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and 1, 000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people, he sent away, a man to his tent. BSB BSB: He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.
3 ULT And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that{ was} at Geba, and the Philistines heard. And Saul blew upon a shofar in all of the land, saying,“Let the Hebrews hear!” BSB BSB: Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 ULT And all of Israel heard, saying,“Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines, and now Israel has made itself stink among the Philistines.” And the people were summoned after Saul{ to} Gilgal. BSB BSB: And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 ULT And the Philistines gathered themselves to fight with Israel: 30, 000 chariots and 6, 000 horsemen and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea for abundance. And they went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. BSB BSB: Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6 ULT And a man of Israel saw that it was narrow to him, for the people were distressed. And the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in cliffs and in pits and in cisterns. BSB BSB: Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
7 ULT And Hebrews crossed the Jordan{ to} the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul, he{ was} still at Gilgal, and all of the people trembled after him. BSB BSB: Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice 8 ULT And he waited seven days to the appointed time that Samuel. But Samuel did not come{ to} Gilgal, and the people were scattering from beside him. BSB BSB: And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.
9 ULT So Saul said,“Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. BSB BSB: So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.
10 ULT And it happened, as he finished offering the burnt offering that, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him to bless him. BSB BSB: Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11 ULT And Samuel said,“What have you done?” And Saul said,“When I saw that the people had scattered from beside me, and you, you had not come by the appointed time of days, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, BSB BSB: “What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,
12 ULT then I said,‘Now the Philistines will come down against me{ at} Gilgal, but I have not entreated the face of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself, and I offered the burnt offering.” BSB BSB: I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13 ULT And Samuel said to Saul,“You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God that he commanded you. For now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. BSB BSB: “You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
14 ULT But now your kingdom will not stand. Yahweh has sought for himself a man according to his heart, and Yahweh has commanded him to{ be} ruler over his people, for you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.” BSB BSB: But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”
15 ULT And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people being found with him, about 600 men. BSB BSB: Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.
Israel without Weapons 16 ULT Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the people being found with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines had camped at Michmash. BSB BSB: Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17 ULT And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines, three companies. One company turned to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual, BSB BSB: And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,
18 ULT and one company turned the way of Beth Horon, and one company turned the way of the border looking down upon the Valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness. BSB BSB: another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.
19 ULT Now a blacksmith was not found in all of the land of Israel. For the Philistines had said,“Lest the Hebrews make a sword or a spear.” BSB BSB: And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”
20 ULT And all of Israel went down{ to} the Philistines, a man to sharpen his plow blade and his pick and his axe and his sickle. BSB BSB: Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.
21 ULT And the charge was a pim for plowshares and for picks and for a three- fork and for axes and for straightening the goad. BSB BSB: The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.
22 ULT So it was on the day of battle that a sword or spear{ was} not found in the hand of any of the people who{ were} with Saul and with Jonathan, but one was found for Saul and for his son Jonathan. BSB BSB: So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
23 ULT Now a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. BSB BSB: And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.