War with the Philistines

1Saul nowe had beene King one yeere, and he reigned two yeeres ouer Israel.

2Then Saul chose him three thousand of Israel: and two thousande were with Saul in Michmash, & in mount Beth-el, and a thousande were with Ionathan in Gibeah of Beniamin: and the rest of the people he sent euery one to his tent. 3And Ionathan smote the garison of the Philistims, that was in the hill: and it came to the Philistims eares: and Saul blewe the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Heare, O yee Ebrewes. 4And al Israel heard say, Saul hath destroied a garison of the Philistims: wherefore Israel was had in abomination with the Philistims: and the people gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

5The Philistims also gathered themselues together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand charets, and sixe thousande horsemen: for the people was like the sand which is by the seas side in multitude, and came vp, and pitched in Michmash Eastward from Beth-auen. 6And when the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were in distresse ) the people hid themselues in caues, and in holdes, and in rockes, and in towres, and in pittes. 7And some of the Ebrewes went ouer Iorden vnto the lande of Gad and Gilead: and Saul was yet in Gilgal, and al the people for feare followed him.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

8And he taried seuen daies, according vnto the time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal, therefore the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul sayde, Bring a burnt offering to me and peace offrings: and he offered a burnt offering.

10And assoone as hee had made an ende of offering the burnt offering, beholde, Samuel came: and Saul went foorth to meete him, to salute him. 11And Samuel saide, What hast thou done? Then Saul saide, Because I sawe that the people was scattred from me, and that thou camest not within the daies appoynted, and that the Philistims gathered themselues together to Michmash, 12Therefore said I, The Philistims will come downe nowe vpon me to Gilgal, and I haue not made supplication vnto the Lorde. I was bolde therefore and offred a burnt offring. 13And Samuel saide to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lorde thy God, which he commaunded thee: for the Lord had nowe stablished thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer. 14But nowe thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his owne heart, and the Lorde hath commanded him to be gouernour ouer his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lorde had commanded thee.

15And Samuel arose, and gate him vp from Gilgal in Gibeah of Beniamin: and Saul nombred the people that were found with him, about sixe hundreth men.

Israel without Weapons

16And Saul and Ionathan his sonne, and the people that were found with them, had their abiding in Gibeah of Beniamin: but the Philistims pitched in Michmash. 17And there came out of the hoste of the Philistims three bandes to destroie, one bande turned vnto the way of Ophrah vnto the lande of Shual, 18And another bad turned toward the way to Beth-horon, and the third band turned toward the way of the coast that loketh toward the valley of Zeboim, towarde the wildernesse.

19Then there was no smith founde throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistims sayde, Lest the Ebrewes make them swordes or speares. 20Wherefore all ye Israelites went downe to the Philistims, to sharpen euery man his share, his mattocke, and his axe, and his weeding hooke. 21Yet they had a file for the shares, and for the mattockes, and for the picke forkes, and for the axes, and for to sharpen the goades. 22So whe the day of battell was come, there was neither sworde nor speare founde in the handes of any of the people that were with Saul and with Ionathan: but onely with Saul and Ionathan his sonne was there founde. 23And the garison of the Philistims came out to the passage of Michmash.