1 Saul had reigned a year, and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul picked out 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 at Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the troops he sent home, each to his tent.
3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul had the horn sounded throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"
4 All Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel has now become a stench to the Philistines." The troops were summoned to Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines gathered to fight Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as many as the sand on the seashore. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6 The men of Israel saw that they were in a tight spot, for the troops were hard pressed, and the troops hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, in underground vaults and in cisterns.
7 Some Hebrews went across the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the troops followed him trembling.
8 He waited seven days, the time Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began slipping away from him.
9 So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings," and he offered up the burnt offering.
10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.
11 Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul answered, "I saw that the troops were slipping away from me, and you had not come by the set time, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash.
12 So I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' I felt compelled, and I offered the burnt offering."
13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have been foolish. You did not keep the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you done so, the LORD would now have made your kingship over Israel firm for ever.
14 But now your kingship will not last. The LORD has searched out for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him leader over his people, because you did not keep what the LORD commanded you."
15 Samuel got up and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the troops still with him: about six hundred men.
16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops with them were staying at Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were encamped at Michmash.
17 Raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three units: one unit headed along the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
18 one unit headed along the road to Beth-horon; and one unit headed along the road to the border overlooking the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 No blacksmith could be found anywhere in the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews must not make themselves swords or spears."
20 So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines, each man to have his plowshare, mattock, axe or sickle sharpened.
21 The price was a pim for plowshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for forks and axes and for setting the goads.
22 So on the day of battle not a sword or spear was in the hands of any of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23 The Philistine garrison moved out to the pass of Michmash.