I Samuel 13 · שמואל א

Sha᾽ul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Yisra᾽el,

Sha᾽ul chose him three thousand men of Yisra᾽el, of whom two thousand were with Sha᾽ul in Mikhmash and in mount Bet-el, and a thousand were with Yonatan in Giv῾a of Binyamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

And Yonatan smote the garrison of the Pelishtim that was in Geva, and the Pelishtim heard of it. And Sha᾽ul blew the shofar throughout all the land saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

And all Yisra᾽el heard say that Sha᾽ul had smitten the garrison of the Pelishtim, and that Yisra᾽el also had become odious to the Pelishtim. And the people mustered after Sha᾽ul at Gilgal.

And the Pelishtim gathered themselves together to fight with Yisra᾽el, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand on the sea shore for multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Mikhmash, eastward from Bet-aven.

When the men of Yisra᾽el saw that they were in straits, (for the people were hardpressed,) then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in strongholds, and in pits.

And some of the Hebrews went over the Yarden to the land of Gad and Gil῾ad. As for Sha᾽ul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Shemu᾽el had appointed: but Shemu᾽el came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

And Sha᾽ul said, Bring me here the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Shemu᾽el came; and Sha᾽ul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

And Shemu᾽el said, What hast thou done? And Sha᾽ul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Pelishtim gathered themselves together at Mikhmash;

therefore said I, The Pelishtim will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.

And Shemu᾽el said to Sha᾽ul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now the Lord would have established thy kingdom upon Yisra᾽el for ever.

But now thy kingdom shall not endure: the Lord has sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be a prince over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

And Shemu᾽el arose, and went up from Gilgal to Giv῾a of Binyamin. And Sha᾽ul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

And Sha᾽ul, and Yonatan his son, and the people that were present with them, dwelt in Giv῾a of Binyamin: but the Pelishtim encamped in Mikhmash.

And the raiding parties came out of the camp of the Pelishtim in three groups: one group turned to the way of ῾Ofra to the land of Shu῾al:

and another group turned the way to Bet-ĥoron: and another group turned to the way of the border that looked over the valley of Żevo῾im towards the wilderness.

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Yisra᾽el: for the Pelishtim said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

but all Yisra᾽el went down to the Pelishtim, to sharpen every man his share, and his spade, and his ax, and his mattock.

And there was a charge for filing the mattocks, and the spades, and the three-pronged forks, and the axes, and for setting the goads.

So it came to pass on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear to be found in the hand of any of the people that were with Sha᾽ul and Yonatan: but with Sha᾽ul and with Yonatan his son was there found.

And the garrison of the Pelishtim went out to the passage of Mikhmash.