1 Samuel 13
13
Saul disobeys the Lord, and the Lord rejects him as king
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 three thousand 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 thousand 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 three thousand#13.5 three thousand: Some ancient translations; Hebrew “thirty thousand”. chariots, six thousand 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 about one and a half kilometres south-west 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 River Jordan.
Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear, 8and 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.#1 S 10.8. 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 was placing 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. 14But 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.”#Ac 13.22. 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 six hundred 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 towards 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 plough-blades, picks, axes, sickles,#13.20,21 sickles: One ancient translation; Hebrew “plough-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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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
1 Samuel 13
13
1 When he began to reign, Saul was the son of one year, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and at mount Bethel. Then one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the remainder of the people, he sent back, each one to his own tent.
3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines, which was in Gibeah. And when the Philistines had heard about it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews listen."
4 And all of Israel heard this report, that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines. And Israel raised himself up against the Philistines. Then the people cried out to Saul at Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered to do battle against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and the remainder of the common people, who were very many, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. And ascending, they encamped at Michmash, toward the east of Bethaven.
6 And when the men of Israel had seen themselves to be in a narrowed position, they hid themselves in caves, and in out of the way places, and in rocks, and in hollows, and in pits (for the people were distressed).
7 Then some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan, into the land of Gad and Gilead. And while Saul was still at Gilgal, the entire people who followed him were terrified.
8 But he waited for seven days, in accord with what was agreed with Samuel. But Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, for the people were scattering away from him.
9 Therefore, Saul said, "Bring me the holocaust and the peace offerings." And he offered the holocaust.
10 And when he had completed the offering of the holocaust, behold, Samuel arrived. And Saul went out to meet him, so that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said to him, "What have you done?" Saul responded: "Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and you had not arrived after the agreed upon days, and yet the Philistines had gathered together at Michmash,
12 I said: 'Now the Philistines will descend to me at Gilgal. And I have not appeased the face of the Lord.' Compelled by necessity, I offered the holocaust.
13 And Samuel said to Saul: "You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandments of the Lord your God, which he instructed to you. And if you had not acted in this way, the Lord would, here and now, have prepared your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But by no means shall your kingdom rise up any more. The Lord has sought for himself a man according to his own heart. And him the Lord has instructed to be the leader over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord has instructed."
15 Then Samuel rose up and ascended from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And the remainder of the people ascended after Saul, to meet the people who were fighting against them, going from Gilgal into Gibeah, to the hill of Benjamin. And Saul took a census of the people, who had been found to be with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who had been found to be with them, were at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had settled in at Michmash.
17 And three companies went out from the camp of the Philistines, in order to plunder. One company was traveling toward the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
18 Then another entered along the way of Beth-horon. But the third turned itself to the way of the border, overhanging the valley of Zeboim, opposite the desert.
19 Now there was no worker of iron to be found in all the land of Israel. For the Philistines had been cautious, lest perhaps the Hebrews might make swords or spears.
20 Therefore, all of Israel descended to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, or pick axe, or hatchet, or hoe.
21 For their plow blades, and pick axes, and pitch forks, and axes had become blunt, and even the handles needed to be repaired.
22 And when the day of battle had arrived, there was found neither sword nor spear in the hand of the entire people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 Then the army of the Philistines went out in order to go across Michmash.
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