War with the Philistines

1Saul the son of a year in his reigning; and two years he reigned over Israel,

2And Saul will choose to him three thousand from Israel; and two thousand will be with Saul in Michmash, and in the mount of the house of God, and a thousand were with Jonathan in the hill of Benjamin: and the remainder of the people he sent a man to his tent. 3And Jonathan will strike a garrison of Philisteim which is in the hill, and Philisteim will hear, and Saul will clang upon the trumpet in all the land, saying, The Hebrews shall hear. 4And all Israel heard, saying, Saul struck a garrison of rovers, and Israel became loathsome with the rovers; and the people will be convoked together after Saul to Gilgal.

5And the rovers were gathered together to war with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is upon the lip of the sea for multitude: and they will come up and encamp in Michmash, east of the House of Nothing. 6And the men of Israel saw that a strait to him, for the people were pressed; and the people will hide in caves, and in thorn-bushes, and in rocks, and in towers, and in pits. 7And the Hebrews passed over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul he yet in Gilgal, and all the people trembled after him.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

8And he will wait some days according to the appointment which was of Samuel: and Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul will say, Bring near to me the burnt-offering and the peace, and he will bring up the burnt-offering.

10And it will be when he finished to bring up the burnt-offering, and behold, Samuel came; and Saul went forth to his meeting, and to bless him. 11And Samuel will say, What didst thou? and Saul will say, Because I saw, that the people were scattered from me, and thou camest not at the appointment of days, and the rovers were gathered together to Michmash; 12And saying, Now the rovers will come down to me to Gilgal, and I entreated not the face of Jehovah: and I will contain myself, and will bring up a burnt-offering. 13And Samuel will say to Saul, Thou didst foolishly: thou didst not watch the commands of Jehovah thy God which he commanded thee; for now Jehovah prepared thy kingdom for Israel, even for ever. 14And now thy kingdom shall not be set up: Jehovah sought to him a man according to his heart, and Jehovah will command him for leader over his people, because thou didst not watch what Jehovah commanded thee.

15And Samuel will rise and will go up from Gilgal to the hill of Benjamin. And Saul will review the people being found with him about six hundred men.

Israel without Weapons

16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people found with them, dwelt in the hill of Benjamin: and the rovers encamped in Michmash. 17And he destroying will come forth from the camp of the rovers, three heads: one head will turn to the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual: 18And one head will turn the way of the House of the Hollow; and one head will turn the way of the bound projecting over the valley of the hyenas of the desert.

19And an artificer will not be found in all the land of Israel: (for the rovers said, Lest the Hebrews shall make a sword or spear:) 20And all Israel went down to the rovers, to hammer each his plough-shares, and his coulter, and his axe, and his plough-shares. 21And there was a notching of mouths for the plough-shares, and for the coulters, and for the three-pronged, and for the axes, and for setting the goads. 22And it was in the day of battle, and a sword and spear were not found in the hand of all the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: and they will be found to Saul and to Jonathan his son. 23And a station of the rovers will come forth to the passage of Michmash.