1 Samuel 13

Modern

Literal

War with the Philistines

¹Saul was thirty years old^a when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.^b

¹A son thirty years, Saul reigned, and forty-two years he had reigned over Israel,

²He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.

²and Saul chose for himself three thousand of Israel: And two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent.

³Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

³And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew upon a shofar throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”

⁴And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁴And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal.

⁵Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand^a chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

⁵And the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel—three thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

⁶Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

⁶And the men of Israel saw that it was narrow to them, for the people were distressed. And the people hid in the caves, and in the thickets, and in the cliffs, and in the holes, and in the pits.

⁷Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.

⁷And Hebrews passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people trembled after him.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

⁸And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.

⁸And he waited seven days, for the time appointed by Samuel, and Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him.

⁹So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.

⁹And Saul said, “Bring here to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings,” and he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

¹⁰And it came to pass, as he finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him to bless him.

¹¹“What have you done?” Samuel asked.

And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

¹¹And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come within the appointed days, and the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,

¹²I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

¹²then I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and to YHWH I have not made supplication.’ And I forced myself and I offered the burnt offering.”

¹³“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

¹³And Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the commandment of YHWH your God, which He commanded you. For now YHWH would have established your kingdom over Israel even to forever.

¹⁴But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”

¹⁴And your kingdom shall not continue, for YHWH Himself has sought a man after His own heart, and YHWH has commanded him to be ruler over His people, because you have not kept what YHWH commanded you.”

¹⁵Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin.^a And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁵And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.

Israel without Weapons

¹⁶Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

¹⁶And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people present with them remained in Geba of Benjamin. And the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

¹⁷And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,

¹⁷And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines—three companies. One company turned to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual.

¹⁸another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.

¹⁸And one company turned to the way of Beth-Horon. And one company turned to the way of the border which is looking on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”

¹⁹And there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

²⁰Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.^a

²⁰And all Israel would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his plowshare, and his mattock, and his ax, and his sickle.

²¹The charge was a pim^a for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.^b

²¹And the charge was a pim for the plowshares and the mattocks, and for a third of a shekel the forks and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.

²²So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

²²And it came to pass on the day of battle that there was found not a sword or spear in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. And one was found for Saul and for Jonathan his son.

²³And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.

²³And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.