1Saul reigned one year, and when he had reigned two more years over Israel,

2Then Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul in Michmash and in Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And of the rest of the people he sent each man to his tent. 3And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the ram's horn throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." 4And all Israel heard, saying, "Saul has struck a garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has made himself an abomination to the Philistines." And the people were called to Saul at Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth Aven. 6And the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place (for the people were distressed). And the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7And the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

8And he waited seven days, according to the set time with Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering here to me and peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering.

10And it came to pass as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and to kneel to him. 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 in the days appointed, and the Philistines gathered themselves at Michmash, 12And I said, 'The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD. ' And I forced myself and offered a burnt offering." 13And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God which He commanded you; for now the LORD would have established your kingdom upon Israel forever. 14But now your kingdom shall not stand. The LORD has sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him to be prince over His people because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

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

16And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people present with them, stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines camped in Michmash. 17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way to Ophrah, to the land of Shual. 18And another company turned the way to Beth Horon. And one company turned the way of the border that looks toward the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." 20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his coulter. 21And there was the charge of twothirds of a shekel for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the threepronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares. 22And it came to pass in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear. 23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.