1 Samuel 13
13
The LORD Rejects Saul as King
1Saul was ⌞thirty⌟ years old when he became king, and he was king of Israel ⌞forty-two⌟ years.#13:1 The text of 1 Samuel 13:1 is problematic in all traditions. Some late Greek manuscripts state Saul was 30 years old when he became king. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus and Acts 13:21 state that Saul ruled for 40 years.
2Saul chose 3,000 men from Israel; 2,000 of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. But the rest of the people he sent home.
3Jonathan defeated the Philistine troops at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. With the sounding of the ram’s horn throughout the land, Saul announced, “Listen, Hebrews!” 4(So all Israel listened.) “I, Saul, have defeated the Philistine troops, and now Israel has become offensive to the Philistines!” All the troops rallied behind Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel. They had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. 6When the Israelites saw they were in trouble because the army was hard-pressed, they hid in caves, in thorny thickets, among rocks, in pits, and in cisterns. 7Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan River into the territory of Gad and Gilead. But Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people who followed him trembled ⌞in fear⌟.
8He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to scatter. 9Then Saul said, “Bring me the animals for the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” So he sacrificed the burnt offering. 10As he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, Samuel came, and Saul went to greet him.
11Samuel asked, “What have you done?”
Saul replied, “I saw the troops were scattering. You didn’t come when you said you would, and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. 12So I thought, ‘Now, the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, but I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering.”
13“You did a foolish thing,” Samuel told Saul. “You didn’t follow the command of the Lord your God. ⌞If you had,⌟ the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently. 14But now your kingdom will not last. The Lord has searched for a man after his own heart. The Lord has appointed him as ruler of his people, because you didn’t follow the command of the Lord.”
15Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to meet the soldiers. They went from Gilgal #13:15 “Samuel … from Gilgal” Greek; Masoretic Text omits these words. to Gibeah in Benjamin, where Saul counted the troops who were still with him—about 600 men. 16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them stayed at Geba in Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17Raiding parties left the Philistine camp in three columns. One column turned onto the road to Ophrah to the region of Shual. 18Another column turned onto the road to Beth Horon. And one turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert.
19No blacksmith could be found in the entire land of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making swords and spears. 20Everyone in Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen the blade of his plow, his mattock, ax, or sickle. 21The price was a pim #13:21 A pim was a measure of weight. for plow blades and mattocks, and one-tenth of an ounce of silver to sharpen a mattock or set a metal point on a cattle-prod. 22So on the day of battle, not one sword or spear could be found among all the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan. But Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23Now, Philistine troops had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 13: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Shmuel Alef 13
13
1It was in the first year of Sha'ulʼs reign, and when he had reigned#13:1 his first two shanim over Yisroel,
2Sha'ul chose him shloshet alafim of Yisroel; whereof two elef were with Sha'ul at Michmas and in har Beit-El, and an elef were with Yonatan in Giv'at Binyamin; and the rest of HaAm he sent back every ish to his ohel.
3And Yonatan struck the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines) that was in Geva, and the Pelishtim heard of it. Then Sha'ul blew the shofar throughout kol HaAretz, saying, Let the Ivrim (Hebrews) hear.
4And kol Yisroel heard the news that Sha'ul had struck the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and that Yisroel also had become odious to the Pelishtim. And HaAm were called together after Sha'ul at Gilgal.
5And the Pelishtim (Philistines) gathered themselves together to fight against Yisroel, sheloshim elef merkavot and sheshet alafim parashim, and soldiers like the chol (sand) which is on the seashore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped at Michmas, east of Beit-Aven.
6When the Ish Yisroel saw that they were in danger (for the army was hard-pressed), then the people did hide themselves in me'arot (caves), and in thickets, and among rocks, and in towers, and in borot (pits).
7And some of the Ivrim (Hebrews) went over Yarden to Eretz Gad and Gil'ad. As for Sha'ul, he was yet in Gilgal, and kol HaAm followed him fearfully trembling.
8And he tarried shivat yamim, according to the mo'ed (set time) that Shmuel had appointed; but Shmuel came not to Gilgal; and HaAm started slipping away from him.
9And Sha'ul said, Bring to me the olah (burnt offering), and shelamim (peace offerings). And he offered the olah (burnt offering).
10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had finished offering the olah (burnt offering), hinei, Shmuel came; and Sha'ul went out to meet him, that he might make a brocha greeting on him.
11And Shmuel said, What hast thou done? And Sha'ul said, Because I saw that HaAm were slipping away from me, and that thou camest not at the mo'ed hayamim, and that the Pelishtim were assembling themselves together at Michmas;
12Therefore, said I, the Pelishtim (Philistines) will come down now upon me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto Hashem; I felt compelled therefore, and offered the olah (burnt offering).
13And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not been shomer over the mitzvat Hashem Eloheicha, which He commanded thee; for now would Hashem have established thy mamlachah over Yisroel ad olam.
14But now thy mamlachah shall not endure; Hashem hath sought for Him an ish after His own levav, and Hashem hath commanded him to be Nagid over His people, because thou hast not been shomer over that which Hashem commanded thee.
15And Shmuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Giv'at Binyamin. And Sha'ul numbered HaAm that were being found with him, about shesh me'ot ish (six hundred men).
16And Sha'ul, and Yonatan bno, and HaAm that were being found with them, abode in Geva of Binyamin; but the Pelishtim encamped in Michmas.
17And the raiders came out of the machaneh of the Pelishtim in three companies; one company turned toward the derech Ophrah, unto Eretz Shu'al;
18And another company turned toward derech Beit-Choron; and another company turned toward derech (the road) of the border that overlooks Gey HaTzevo'im toward the midbar.
19Now there was no charash (blacksmith) found throughout kol Eretz Yisroel; for the Pelishtim (Philistines) said, Lest the Ivrim (Hebrews) make them cherev (sword) or khanit (spear);
20But kol Yisroel went down to the Pelishtim, to sharpen every ish his plowshare, and his spade, and his axe, and his hoe.
21And a dullness of the edges occurred in the plowshares, hoes, three pronged pitchforks, axes, and for repointing the darvon (goad).
22So it came to pass in the yom milchemet (day of battle), that there was neither cherev nor khanit found in the yad kol HaAm that were with Sha'ul and Yonatan; but with Sha'ul and with Yonatan bno was there found.
23And the detachment of the Pelishtim (Philistines) went out toward Ma'avar Michmas (Michmas Pass).
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.