1 Samuel 13
13
Samuel Judges Saul’s Sin
1Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years.
2Saul chose 3,000 of Israel’s men. Two thousand of them were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel. One thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul sent the rest back to their homes.
3Some Philistine soldiers were stationed at Geba. Jonathan attacked them. The other Philistines heard about it. Saul announced, “Let the Hebrew people hear about what has happened!” He had trumpets blown all through the land. 4So all the Israelites heard the news. They were told, “Saul has attacked the Philistine army camp at Geba. Now the Philistines can’t stand the Israelites.” The Israelites were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel. They had 3,000 chariots and 6,000 chariot drivers. Their soldiers were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash. It was east of Beth Aven. 6The Israelites saw that their army was in deep trouble. So they hid in caves. They hid among bushes and rocks. They also hid in pits and empty wells. 7Some of them even went across the Jordan River. They went to the lands of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal. All the troops with him were shaking with fear. 8He waited seven days, just as Samuel had told him to. But Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal. And Saul’s men began to scatter. 9So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the friendship offerings.” Then he offered up the burnt offering. 10Just as Saul finished offering the sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to greet him.
11“What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “I saw that the men were scattering. I saw that the Philistines were gathering together at Mikmash. You didn’t come when you said you would. 12So I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down to attack me at Gilgal. And I haven’t asked the Lord for his blessing.’ So I felt I had to sacrifice the burnt offering.”
13“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You haven’t obeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had, he would have made your kingdom secure over Israel for all time to come. 14But now your kingdom won’t last. The Lord has already looked for a man who is dear to his heart. He has appointed him king of his people. That’s because you haven’t obeyed the Lord’s command.”
15Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were with him. The total number was about 600.
Israel Doesn’t Have Weapons
16Saul and his son Jonathan were staying in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The men who remained in the army were there with them. At the same time, the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17Three groups of soldiers went out from the Philistine camp to attack Israel. One group turned and went toward Ophrah in the area of Shual. 18Another went toward Beth Horon. The third went toward the border that looked out over the Valley of Zeboim. That valley faces the desert.
19There weren’t any blacksmiths in the whole land of Israel. That’s because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews might hire them to make swords or spears!” 20So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines. They had to go to them to get their plows, hoes, axes and sickles sharpened. 21It cost a fourth of an ounce of silver to sharpen a plow or a hoe. It cost an eighth of an ounce to sharpen a pitchfork or an axe. That’s also what it cost to put new tips on the large sticks used to drive oxen.
22So the Israelite soldiers went out to battle without swords or spears in their hands. That was true for all of Saul’s and Jonathan’s soldiers. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had those weapons.
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
23A group of Philistine soldiers had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.
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1 Samuel 13: NIrV
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1 Samuel 13
13
Saul Disobeys the Lord
1Saul was a young man#13.1 a young man: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text; several manuscripts of one ancient translation have “thirty years old.” when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years. 2Then#13.1,2 for … Then: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. he chose 3,000 men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else#13.2 everyone else: People who were not full-time soldiers, but fought together with the army when the nation was in danger. home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan#13.2 Jonathan: Saul's son (see verse 16). at Gibeah#13.2 Michmash … Bethel … Gibeah: These three towns form a triangle, with Bethel to the north. in the territory of Benjamin.
3Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba.#13.3 Geba: Geba was between Gibeah and Michmash. The Philistine camp was destroyed, but#13.3 led an attack … destroyed, but: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba, and.” the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, “Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened.”
4The messengers then said to the people of Israel, “Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba.#13.4 destroyed … Geba: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba.” Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal.”
5The Philistines called their army together to fight Israel. They had 3,000#13.5 3,000: Some ancient translations; Hebrew “30,000.” chariots, 6,000 cavalry, and as many foot soldiers as there are grains of sand on the beach. They went to Michmash and set up camp there east of Beth-Aven.#13.5 Beth-Aven: This Beth-Aven was probably located about one and a half kilometers southwest of Michmash, between Michmash and Geba.
6The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves or in clumps of bushes,#13.6 in … bushes: Or “in cracks in the rocks.” and some ran to places where they could hide among large rocks. Others hid in tombs#13.6 tombs: The Hebrew word may mean a room cut into solid rock and used as a burial place, or it may mean a cellar. or in deep dry pits. 7Still others#13.7 Still others: This translates a Hebrew word which may be used of wandering groups of people who sometimes became outlaws or hired soldiers (see also 14.21). went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River.
Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear, 8#1 S 10.8. and they were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do,#13.8 Samuel … to do: See 10.8. but Samuel did not come. 9Finally, Saul commanded, “Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the Lord and ask for his help.”
Saul killed one of the animals, 10and just as he placed it on the altar, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to welcome him.
11“What have you done?” Samuel asked.
Saul answered, “My soldiers were leaving in all directions, and you didn't come when you were supposed to. The Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the Lord's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire.”
13“That was stupid!” Samuel said. “You didn't obey the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel. 14#Ac 13.22. But no, you disobeyed, and so the Lord won't choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, he has already chosen the one he wants to be the next leader of his people.” 15Then Samuel left Gilgal.
Part of Saul's army had not deserted him, and he led them to Gibeah in Benjamin to join his other troops. Then he counted them#13.15 Then Samuel … counted them: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted his army.” and found that he still had 600 men. 16Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin.
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
The Philistine army was camped at Michmash. 17Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual. 18Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.
19The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. “If we allowed that,” they said, “those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears.”
20-21Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod,#13.20,21 cattle prod: A pole used to poke cattle and make them move. they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles,#13.20,21 sickles: One ancient translation; Hebrew “plow-blades.” and pitchforks#13.20,21 pitchforks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices. 22So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.
23The Philistines moved their camp to the pass at Michmash,
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