1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13:1  Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel.

1 Samuel 13:2  He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

1 Samuel 13:3  Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

1 Samuel 13:4  And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

1 Samuel 13:5  The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

1 Samuel 13:6  The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.

1 Samuel 13:7  Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

1 Samuel 13:8  He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him.

1 Samuel 13:9  So Saul said, “Bring me the ascending offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the ascending offering.

1 Samuel 13:10  Just as he finished offering the ascending offering, notice Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him,

1 Samuel 13:11  and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

1 Samuel 13:12  I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought Yahveh’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the ascending offering.”

1 Samuel 13:13  Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command Yahveh your God gave you. It was at this time that Yahveh would have permanently established your reign over Israel,

1 Samuel 13:14  but now your reign will not endure. Yahveh has found a man after his own heart, and Yahveh has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what Yahveh commanded.”

1 Samuel 13:15  Then Samuel went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

1 Samuel 13:16  Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

1 Samuel 13:17  Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah road leading to the land of Shual.

1 Samuel 13:18  The next division headed toward the Beth-horon road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley toward the wilderness.

1 Samuel 13:19  No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

1 Samuel 13:20  So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.

1 Samuel 13:21  The price was two-thirds of a shekel for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod.

1 Samuel 13:22  So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

1 Samuel 13:23  Now a Philistine garrison took control of the pass at Michmash.

links:

he would have
hiding at Gilgal
Is Death a Better Place ?
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, September 12, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, September 14, 2021
test completed — test failed
waiting for Jesus

The 1 SAMUEL shelf in Jeff’s library