1Saul was forty years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4And all Israel heard it said that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal. 5And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in cellars, and in pits. 7Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8And he waited seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Saul said, Bring the burnt-offering here to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering. 10And it happened that, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash; 12therefore I said, Now the Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Yehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. 13And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Yehovah your God, which he commanded you: for now Yehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14But now your kingdom shall not continue: Yehovah has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yehovah has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yehovah commanded you. 15And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17And the raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears: 20but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock; 21yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads. 22So it happened in the day of battle, that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son they were found. 23And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.