1When Saul had reigned one year,—and two years he reigned over Israel,—

2Saul chose for himself three thousand men out of Israel; and there were with Saul two thousand in Michmash and on the mountain of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib'ah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent away every man to his tents.

3And Jonathan smote the outpost of the Philistines that was at Geba', and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the cornet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear it.

4And all Israel heard it, saying, Saul hath smitten the outpost of the Philistines, and the Israelites also have put themselves in ill-favor with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

6And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, [for the people were oppressed,] then did the people hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in strongholds, and in pits.

7And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil'ad. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him hastily.

8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattering themselves from him.

9And Saul said, Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.

10And it came to pass, that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

11And Samuel said, What hast thou done: And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering themselves from me, whereas thou camest not at the appointed day, and the Philistines are gathering themselves together at Michmash;

12And I said, The Philistines will now come down unto me to Gilgal, and I have not yet made supplication unto the Lord: wherefore I forced myself, and offered the burnt-offering.

13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he had commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy government over Israel for ever.

14But now thy government shall not endure: the Lord hath sought out for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath ordained him to be chief over his people; because thou hast not kept what the Lord had commanded thee.

15And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gib'ah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were to be found with him, about six hundred men.

16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were to be found with them, were lying in Geba' of Benjamin; but the Philistines were encamped in Michmash.

17And the troop of freebooters went out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned into the way to 'Ophrah, unto the land of Shu'al;

18And another company turned into the way to Beth-choron; and the other company turned into the way to the frontier that looketh over the valley of Zebo'im toward the wilderness.

19Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, So that the Hebrews shall not make themselves swords or spears.

20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plough-share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

21And they used a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

22So it came to pass on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and with Jonathan his son.

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