1Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-two years.
2Saul chose three thousand men of Israel: two thousand were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the troops were sent home.
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines got word of it. Then Saul had the ram's horn sounded throughout the land, saying, 'Let the Hebrews hear!'
4All Israel heard the report that Saul had struck down the Philistine garrison and that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. The people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines mustered to fight Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand cavalry, and infantry as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They moved up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
6When the Israelites saw that they were in desperate straits, they hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, cellars, and pits.
7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all who followed him were trembling with fear.
8Saul waited seven days, the time period Samuel had set. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.
9So Saul ordered, 'Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.' And he presented the burnt offering himself.
10Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and greet him.
11'What have you done?' Samuel asked. Saul replied, 'I saw that the men were deserting me, and you didn't come at the time you had set, and the Philistines were massing at Michmash.'
12'I thought, The Philistines will attack me at Gilgal and I haven't sought the LORD's favor. So I felt forced to offer the burnt offering myself.'
13'You have acted foolishly,' Samuel said. 'You have not kept the commandment the LORD your God gave you. If you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently.'
14'But now your kingdom will not endure. The LORD has searched for a man after his own heart and appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command.'
15Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the troops still with him — about six hundred men.
16Saul and his son Jonathan and the troops with them stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three groups: one headed toward Ophrah in the region of Shual,
18another went toward Beth Horon, and the third turned toward the border overlooking the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.
19There was not a single blacksmith in all of Israel, because the Philistines had said, 'We can't allow the Hebrews to make swords or spears.'
20So whenever any Israelite needed to sharpen a plow, mattock, axe, or sickle, they had to go down to the Philistines for it.
21The price was a fixed rate for sharpening plowshares, mattocks, pitchforks, axes, and goads.
22So when the day of battle came, none of the troops with Saul and Jonathan had swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23Meanwhile the Philistines had a detachment guarding the mountain pass at Michmash.