1 Samuel 13
13
1A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel,
2and Saul chooseth for himself three thousand [men] out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and a thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the remnant of the people he hath sent each to his tents.
3And Jonathan smiteth the garrison of the Philistines which [is] in Geba, and the Philistines hear, and Saul hath blown with a trumpet through all the land, saying, ‘Let the Hebrews hear.’
4And all Israel have heard, saying, ‘Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines,’ and also, ‘Israel hath been abhorred by the Philistines;’ and the people are called after Saul to Gilgal.
5And the Philistines have been gathered to fight with Israel; thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a people as the sand which [is] on the sea-shore for multitude; and they come up and encamp in Michmash, east of Beth-Aven.
6And the men of Israel have seen that they are distressed, that the people hath been oppressed, and the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
7And Hebrews have passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; and Saul [is] yet in Gilgal, and all the people have trembled after him.
8And he waiteth seven days, according to the appointment with Samuel, and Samuel hath not come to Gilgal, and the people are scattered from off him.
9And Saul saith, ‘Bring nigh unto me the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings;’ and he causeth the burnt-offering to ascend.
10And it cometh to pass at his completing to cause the burnt-offering to ascend, that lo, Samuel hath come, and Saul goeth out to meet him, to bless him;
11and Samuel saith, ‘What hast thou done?’ And Saul saith, ‘Because I saw that the people were scattered from off me, and thou hadst not come at the appointment of the days, and the Philistines are gathered to Michmash,
12and I say, Now do the Philistines come down unto me to Gilgal, and the face of Jehovah I have not appeased; and I force myself, and cause the burnt-offering to ascend.’
13And Samuel saith unto Saul, ‘Thou hast been foolish; thou hast not kept the command of Jehovah thy God, which He commanded thee, for now had Jehovah established thy kingdom over Israel unto the age;
14and, now, thy kingdom doth not stand, Jehovah hath sought for Himself a man according to His own heart, and Jehovah chargeth him for leader over His people, for thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee.’
15And Samuel riseth, and goeth up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin; and Saul inspecteth the people who are found with him, about six hundred men,
16and Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who are found with them, are abiding in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the Philistines have encamped in Michmash.
17And the destroyer goeth out from the camp of the Philistines — three detachments; the one detachment turneth unto the way of Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;
18and the one detachment turneth the way of Beth-Horon, and the one detachment turneth the way of the border which is looking on the valley of the Zeboim, toward the wilderness.
19And an artificer is not found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear;’
20and all Israel go down to the Philistines, to sharpen each his ploughshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock;
21and there hath been the file for mattocks, and for coulters, and for three-pronged rakes, and for the axes, and to set up the goads.
22And it hath been, in the day of battle, that there hath not been found sword and spear in the hand of any of the people who [are] with Saul and with Jonathan — and there is found to Saul and to Jonathan his son.
23And the station of the Philistines goeth out unto the passage of Michmash.
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1 Samuel 13: YLT98
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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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