1 Kings 13
13
1Saul was a child of one year when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel.
2And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul in Machmas, and in mount Bethel: and a thousand with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent back every man to their dwellings.
3And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines which was in Gabaa. And when the Philistines had heard of it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying: Let the Hebrews hear.
4And all Israel heard this report: Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines. And Israel took courage against the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Galgal.
5The Philistines also were assembled to fight against Israel: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea-shore for number. And going up they camped in Machmas at the east of Bethaven.
6And when the men of Israel saw that they were straitened (for the people were distressed), they hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in dens, and in pits.
7And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Galaad. And when Saul was yet in Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly afraid.
8And he waited seven days according to the appointment of Samuel; and Samuel came not to Galgal. And the people slipt away from him.
9Then Saul said: Bring me the holocaust, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the holocaust.
10And when he had made an end of offering the holocaust, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went forth to meet him and salute him.
11And Samuel said to him: What hast thou done? Saul answered: Because I saw that the people slipt from me, and thou wast not come according to the days appointed, and the Philistines were gathered together in Machmas,
12I said: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Galgal; and I have not appeased the face of the Lord. Forced by necessity, I offered the holocaust.
13And Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee. And if thou hadst not done thus, the Lord would now have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever.
14But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought him a man according to his own heart: and him hath the Lord commanded to be prince over his people, because thou hast not observed that which the Lord commanded.
15And Samuel arose and went up from Galgal to Gabaa of Benjamin. And the rest of the people went up after Saul, to meet the people who fought against them, going from Galgal to Gabaa in the hill of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people, that were found with him, about six hundred men.
16And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, were in Gabaa of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Machmas.
17And there went out of the camp of the Philistines three companies to plunder. One company went towards the way of Ephra to the land of Sual,
18And another went by the way of Beth-horon; and the third turned to the way of the border, above the valley of Seboim towards the desert.
19Now there was no smith to be found in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines had taken this precaution, lest the Hebrews should make them swords or spears.
20So all Israel went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his ploughshare, and his spade, and his axe, and his rake.
21So that their shares, and their spades, and their forks, and their axes were blunt, even to the goad, which was to be mended.
22And when the day of battle was come, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul and Jonathan his son.
23And the army of the Philistines went out in order to advance further in Machmas.
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1 Kings 13: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
1 Samuel 13
13
Saul’s Failure
1Saul was 30 years # Some LXX mss; MT reads was one year old when he became king, and he reigned 42 years # Text emended; MT reads two years over Israel. # Some LXX mss omit v. 1 2He chose 3,000 men from Israel for himself: 2,000 were with Saul at Michmash # 1Sm 14:31 and in Bethel’s hill country, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah # 1Sm 10:26 of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison # Or governor # 1Sm 10:5 that was in Geba, # 1Sm 13:16; 14:5 and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land # Jdg 3:27; 6:34 saying, “Let the Hebrews hear! ” # LXX reads The slaves have revolted # Nm 10:9; Jdg 3:27; 6:34 4And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, # Or governor and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: 3,000 # One LXX ms, Syr; MT reads 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. # Jos 11:4 They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. # LXX reads Michmash, opposite Beth-horon to the south # 1Sm 14:23
6The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. # Jdg 6:2 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, # 1Sm 10:8 but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.
10Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11and Samuel asked, “What have you done? ”
Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”
13Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. # 2Ch 16:9 You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you. # 1Sm 15:22,28 It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, # 1Sm 1:22 14but now your reign will not endure. # 1Sm 15:28 The Lord has found a man loyal to Him, # Lit man according to His heart # 1Sm 16:7; Ac 13:22 and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” 15Then Samuel went # LXX reads Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way, and the rest of the people followed Saul to join the people in his army. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about 600 men.
16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba # 1Sm 13:2-3 of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17Raiding parties # 1Sm 14:15 went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah # Jos 18:23 road leading to the land of Shual. 18The next division headed toward the Beth-horon # Jos 18:13-14 road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Valley of Zeboim # Neh 11:34 toward the wilderness.
19No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, # Jdg 5:8; 2Kg 24:14 because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” 20So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles. # LXX; MT reads plowshares 21The price was two-thirds of a shekel # Lit of a pim ; about 1/4 ounce of silver for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on an oxgoad. 22So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul # Jdg 5:8 and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines
23Now a Philistine garrison # 1Sm 14:1; 2Sm 23:14 took control of the pass at Michmash.
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