1 Saul|strong="H7586" was|strong="H3478" 30 years|strong="H8141" old|strong="H1121" when|strong="H1121" he|strong="H5921" became|strong="H4427" king|strong="H4427". He|strong="H5921" ruled|strong="H4427" over|strong="H5921" Israel|strong="H3478" 42 years|strong="H8141".
2 Saul|strong="H7586" chose|strong="H0977" 3000 men|strong="H0376" from|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478". There|strong="H1961" were|strong="H1961" 2000 men|strong="H0376" who|strong="H0376" stayed with|strong="H5973" him|strong="H7971" at|strong="H3478" Micmash|strong="H4363" in|strong="H3478" the|strong="H1961" hill|strong="H2022" country|strong="H2022" of|strong="H0376" Bethel|strong="H1008". There|strong="H1961" were|strong="H1961" 1000 men|strong="H0376" who|strong="H0376" stayed with|strong="H5973" Jonathan|strong="H3129" at|strong="H3478" Gibeah|strong="H1390" in|strong="H3478" Benjamin|strong="H1144". Saul|strong="H7586" sent|strong="H7971" the|strong="H1961" other|strong="H0376" men|strong="H0376" in|strong="H3478" the|strong="H1961" army|strong="H5971" back home|strong="H0168".
3 Jonathan|strong="H3129" defeated|strong="H5221" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" at|strong="H7586" their|strong="H3605" camp in|strong="H0776" Geba|strong="H1387". The|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" heard|strong="H8085" about|strong="H8085" this|strong="H0834". They|strong="H0834" said|strong="H0559", “The|strong="H3605" Hebrews|strong="H5680" have|strong="H0834" rebelled.”
4 All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" heard|strong="H8085" this|strong="H3605" news|strong="H0559": “Saul|strong="H7586" has|strong="H3478" killed|strong="H5221" the|strong="H3605" Philistine|strong="H6430" leader. Now|strong="H1571" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" will|strong="H3478" really|strong="H0559" hate the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478"!”
5 The|strong="H0834" Philistines|strong="H6430" gathered|strong="H0622" to|strong="H5921" fight|strong="H3898" Israel|strong="H3478". The|strong="H0834" Philistines|strong="H6430" camped|strong="H2583" at|strong="H2583" Micmash|strong="H4363", east|strong="H6926" of|strong="H5921" Beth Aven. They|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" 3000 chariots|strong="H7393" and|strong="H3478" 6000 horse soldiers|strong="H5971". There|strong="H5927" were|strong="H0834" so|strong="H5927" many|strong="H7230" Philistines|strong="H6430" that|strong="H0834" they|strong="H0834" were|strong="H0834" like|strong="H0834" sand|strong="H2344" on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0834" seashore|strong="H3220".
6 The|strong="H3588" Israelites|strong="H3478" saw|strong="H7200" that|strong="H3588" they|strong="H3588" were|strong="H3478" in|strong="H3478" trouble|strong="H6862". They|strong="H3588" felt trapped. They|strong="H3588" ran away to|strong="H3478" hide|strong="H2244" in|strong="H3478" caves|strong="H4631" and|strong="H3478" cracks in|strong="H3478" the|strong="H3588" rock|strong="H5553". They|strong="H3588" hid|strong="H2244" among|strong="H0376" the|strong="H3588" rocks|strong="H5553", in|strong="H3478" wells, and|strong="H3478" in|strong="H3478" other|strong="H0376" holes in|strong="H3478" the|strong="H3588" ground.
7 Some|strong="H3605" Hebrews|strong="H5680" even|strong="H5750" went across|strong="H5674" the|strong="H3605" Jordan|strong="H3383" River|strong="H0776" to|strong="H0776" the|strong="H3605" land|strong="H0776" of|strong="H0776" Gad|strong="H1410" and|strong="H0776" Gilead|strong="H1568". Saul|strong="H7586" was|strong="H0776" still|strong="H5750" at|strong="H3383" Gilgal|strong="H1537". All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" men|strong="H5971" in|strong="H0776" his|strong="H3605" army|strong="H5971" were|strong="H0776" shaking with|strong="H0776" fear|strong="H2729".
8 Samuel|strong="H8050" said he|strong="H0834" would|strong="H0834" meet Saul at|strong="H5921" Gilgal|strong="H1537". Saul waited|strong="H3176" there|strong="H0834" seven|strong="H7651" days|strong="H3117". But|strong="H3808" Samuel|strong="H8050" had|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3808" yet|strong="H5921" come|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0935" Gilgal|strong="H1537", and|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0834" soldiers|strong="H5971" began|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0935" leave Saul.
9 So|strong="H5927" Saul|strong="H7586" said|strong="H0559", “Bring|strong="H5927" me|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" burnt|strong="H5930" offerings|strong="H8002" and|strong="H7586" the|strong="H0559" fellowship offerings|strong="H8002".” Then|strong="H0559" Saul|strong="H7586" offered|strong="H5927" the|strong="H0559" burnt|strong="H5930" offering|strong="H5927".
10 As|strong="H1961" soon as|strong="H1961" Saul|strong="H7586" finished|strong="H3615" offering|strong="H5927" that|strong="H1961" sacrifice, Samuel|strong="H8050" arrived|strong="H0935". Saul|strong="H7586" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" to|strong="H0935" meet|strong="H7122" him|strong="H0935".
11 Samuel|strong="H8050" asked|strong="H0559", “What|strong="H4100" have|strong="H0859" you|strong="H0859" done|strong="H6213"?”
12 I|strong="H6258" thought|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" myself, ‘The|strong="H0559" Philistines|strong="H6430" will|strong="H3068" come|strong="H5927" here|strong="H6258" and|strong="H3068" attack|strong="H5927" me|strong="H0413" at|strong="H0413" Gilgal|strong="H1537", and|strong="H3068" I|strong="H6258" haven’t|strong="H3808" asked|strong="H0559" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" to|strong="H0413" help us|strong="H0413" yet|strong="H6258". So|strong="H3808" I|strong="H6258" forced|strong="H0662" myself to|strong="H0413" offer|strong="H5927" the|strong="H0559" burnt|strong="H5930" offering|strong="H5927".’”
13 Samuel|strong="H8050" said|strong="H0559", “You|strong="H0834" did|strong="H0834" a|strong="H3588" foolish|strong="H5528" thing|strong="H3588". You|strong="H0834" did|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3808" obey|strong="H8104" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" your|strong="H3068" God|strong="H0430". If|strong="H3588" you|strong="H0834" had|strong="H3068" done|strong="H3559" what|strong="H0834" he|strong="H0834" commanded|strong="H6680", the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" would|strong="H3478" have|strong="H0834" let|strong="H6258" your|strong="H3068" family rule|strong="H4467" Israel|strong="H3478" forever|strong="H5769".
14 But|strong="H3588" now|strong="H6258" your|strong="H3068" kingdom|strong="H4467" won’t|strong="H3808" continue|strong="H6965". The|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" was|strong="H0834" looking|strong="H1245" for|strong="H3588" a|strong="H3588" man|strong="H0376" who|strong="H0834" wants to|strong="H5921" obey|strong="H8104" him|strong="H5921". He|strong="H0834" has|strong="H3068" found that|strong="H0834" man|strong="H0376"—and|strong="H6965" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" has|strong="H3068" chosen him|strong="H5921" to|strong="H5921" be|strong="H3808" the|strong="H0853" new leader|strong="H5057" of|strong="H0376" his|strong="H8104" people|strong="H5971", because|strong="H3588" you|strong="H0834" didn’t|strong="H3808" obey|strong="H8104" his|strong="H8104" command|strong="H6680".”
15 Then|strong="H6965" Samuel|strong="H8050" got|strong="H6965" up|strong="H5927" and|strong="H6965" left|strong="H4672" Gilgal|strong="H1537".
16 Saul|strong="H7586", his|strong="H4672" son|strong="H1121" Jonathan|strong="H3129", and|strong="H1121" the|strong="H5973" soldiers|strong="H5971" went to|strong="H1121" Geba|strong="H1387" in|strong="H3427" Benjamin|strong="H1144".
17 So|strong="H3318" their|strong="H0413" best|strong="H7218" soldiers began the|strong="H0413" attack. The|strong="H0413" Philistine|strong="H6430" army|strong="H4264" split into|strong="H0413" three|strong="H7969" groups|strong="H7218". One|strong="H0259" group went|strong="H3318" north on|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0413" road|strong="H1870" to|strong="H0413" Ophrah|strong="H6084", near Shual|strong="H7777".
18 The|strong="H5921" second group went southeast on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" road|strong="H1870" to|strong="H5921" Beth Horon, and|strong="H7218" the|strong="H5921" third group went east on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" road|strong="H1870" to|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" border|strong="H1366". That|strong="H6437" road|strong="H1870" looks|strong="H8259" over|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" Valley|strong="H1516" of|strong="H7218" Zeboim|strong="H6650" toward|strong="H1870" the|strong="H5921" desert|strong="H4057".
19 There|strong="H4672" were|strong="H3478" no|strong="H3808" blacksmiths|strong="H2796" in|strong="H3478" Israel|strong="H3478". The|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" would|strong="H3478" not|strong="H3808" allow them|strong="H4672" because|strong="H3588" they|strong="H3588" were|strong="H3478" afraid the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" would|strong="H3478" make|strong="H6213" iron swords|strong="H2719" and|strong="H3478" spears|strong="H2595".
20 Only|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" could|strong="H0376" sharpen|strong="H3913" iron tools. So|strong="H3381" if|strong="H0376" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" needed to|strong="H3381" sharpen|strong="H3913" their|strong="H3605" plows, hoes, axes|strong="H7134", or|strong="H0376" sickles, they|strong="H0376" had|strong="H3478" to|strong="H3381" go|strong="H3381" to|strong="H3381" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430".
21 The|strong="H1961" Philistine blacksmiths charged 1/3 ounce of|strong="H6310" silver for|strong="H1961" sharpening plows and|strong="H6310" hoes and|strong="H6310" 1/6 ounce of|strong="H6310" silver for|strong="H1961" sharpening picks, axes|strong="H7134", and|strong="H6310" the|strong="H1961" iron tip on|strong="H1961" ox goads.
22 So|strong="H1961" on|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" day|strong="H3117" of|strong="H1121" battle|strong="H4421", none|strong="H3808" of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H3605" Israelite|strong="H3808" soldiers|strong="H4421" with|strong="H0854" Saul|strong="H7586" had|strong="H0834" iron swords|strong="H2719" or|strong="H3808" spears|strong="H2595". Only|strong="H3605" Saul|strong="H7586" and|strong="H1121" his|strong="H3605" son|strong="H1121" Jonathan|strong="H3129" had|strong="H0834" such|strong="H0834" weapons|strong="H4421".
23 A|strong="H3318" group of|strong="H0413" Philistine|strong="H6430" soldiers guarded the|strong="H0413" mountain pass at|strong="H0413" Micmash|strong="H4363".