1Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he ruled Israel for forty-two years.
2Saul chose three thousand men from Israel for himself. Two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash and in the hills of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people home to their tents.
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul then blew the trumpet throughout the entire land, announcing, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4All Israel heard that Saul had attacked the Philistine outpost and that Israel was now hated by the Philistines. The people gathered with Saul in Gilgal.
5The Philistines gathered to fight Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came and set up camp in Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble and distressed, they hid themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, tombs, and pits.
7Some of the Hebrews had crossed the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling with fear.
8He waited seven days, as Samuel had instructed. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to scatter from Saul.
9Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering and the peace offerings to me here.” Then he offered the burnt offering.
10As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and greet him.
11Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “I saw that the people were scattering from me, and you didn't arrive by the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering in Michmash.
12So I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t asked for Yahweh’s favor.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”
13Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly. You have not obeyed the command of Yahweh your God, which he gave you. If you had, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14But now your kingdom will not last. Yahweh has found a man who is after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be a leader over his people, because you have not obeyed what Yahweh commanded you.”
15Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul then counted the men who were with him, about six hundred of them.
16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the men with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin. But the Philistines made their camp in Michmash.
17Raiding parties came out of the Philistine camp in three groups. One group turned toward the road leading to Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
18another group went toward Beth Horon; and the third group went along the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19There were no blacksmiths in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, "Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears."
20So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle.
21The price was one payim to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads.
22So, on the day of battle, no one with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in their hand, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.
23The Philistine outpost advanced to the pass of Michmash.