CAB(i)
1 (TEXT OMITTED)
2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of the men of Israel. And there were with Saul two thousand who were in Michmash, and in Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And he sent the rest of the people away, every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan attacked Nasib the Philistine that dwelt in the hill; and the Philistines heard of it, and Saul sounded the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, The servants have despised us.
4 And all Israel heard it said, Saul has smitten Nasib the Philistine; now Israel had been put to shame before the Philistines, and the children of Israel went up after Saul in Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered together to war with Israel; and they came up against Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand by the seashore in multitude. And they came up, and encamped in Michmash, opposite Beth Aven southward.
6 And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw near, and the people hid themselves in caves, sheepfolds, rocks, ditches, and pits.
7 And they that went over crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. And Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed after him in amazement.
8 And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him, and Samuel came not to Gilgal, and his people were dispersed from him.
9 And Saul said, Bring some victims here, that I may offer whole burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he offered the whole burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass when he had finished offering the whole burnt offering, that Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him, and to bless him.
11 And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and that you were not present as you purposed, according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered to Michmash.
12 Then I said, Now will the Philistines come down to me to Gilgal, and I have not sought the face of the Lord. So I forced myself and offered the whole burnt offering.
13 And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly, for you have not kept my command, which the Lord commanded you, as now the Lord would have confirmed your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 But now your kingdom shall not stand, and the Lord shall seek for Himself a man after His own heart; and the Lord shall appoint him to be a ruler over His people, because you have not kept all that the Lord has commanded you.
15 And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal, and the remnant of the people went after Saul to meet him after the men of war, when they had come out of Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gibeah of Benjamin, and they wept. And the Philistines had encamped in Michmash.
17 And men came forth in three companies to destroy out of the land of the Philistines; one company turning by the way of Ophrah toward the land of Shual,
18 and another company turning the way of Beth Horon, and another company turning to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 And there was not found a blacksmith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.
20 And all Israel went down to the land of the Philistines to forge everyone his reaping hook and his tool, and everyone his ax and his sickle.
21 And it was near the time of vintage. And their tools were valued at three shekels for a plow share, and there was the same rate for the ax and the sickle.
22 And it came to pass in the days of the war of Michmash, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
23 And there went out some from the camp of the Philistines to the place beyond Micmash.