King James Version

1 Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men from Israel, and two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tents. 3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Gibeah, and the Philistines heard, and Saul sounded the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear." 4 And all Israel heard it said, "Saul has struck down the garrison of the Philistines," and also Israel was distressed with the Philistines, and the people cried out after Saul at Gilgal. 5 And the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand on the seashore in multitude; and they ascended and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven. 6 And the man of Israel saw that he was in distress because the people pressed against him, and the people hid in the caves and in the thickets and in the rocks and in the strongholds and in the pits. 7 And the Hebrews crossed the Jordan, the land of Gad and Gilead, and Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people were trembling after him. 8 And he waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had said, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 And Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it happened as he finished to offer the burnt offering, and behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him to bless him. 11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me and you did not come to the appointed days, and the Philistines were gathered at Michmash." 12 And I said, "Now the Philistines will come down to me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication before the Lord." So I took courage and offered the burnt offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have been foolish; you have not kept the command of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD has prepared a kingdom for you over Israel forever." 14 And now your kingdom shall not stand; the Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be leader over His people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. 15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin, and Saul counted the people who were with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were with them were sitting in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the Philistines camped in Michmash. 17 And the destroyer went out from the camp of the Philistines; three heads—one head turned toward the path of Ophrah to the land of Shuahl. 18 And one head shall turn towards the way of Beth-Horon, and one head shall turn towards the way of the border that is seen over the valley of the jackals in the wilderness. 19 And a blacksmith will not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." 20 And all Israel went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his plowshare and his axe and his hoe and his sickle. 21 And it shall be the bringing forth of thorns for the plowmen and for the plucked ones and for three prong and for the axes and for the setting of the hedgehog. 22 And it will be on the day of battle, and a sword and spear were not found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and with Jonathan; and they were found for Saul and for Jonathan his son. 23 And the Philistine position went out to the passing of Michmash.