The Lantern

I Samuel13

War with the Philistines

Saul was thirty years old when he became king; and forty-two years he reigned over Israel.

And Saul chose for himself three thousand from Israel: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each to his tents.

And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet through all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

And all Israel heard it said, “Saul has struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also Israel has made itself a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were called out after Saul to Gilgal.

And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people like the sand that is on the shore of the sea in multitude; and they came up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

And the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight place — for the people were hard pressed — and the people hid themselves in the caves, and in the thickets, and in the rocks, and in the cellars, and in the pits.

And Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people trembled behind him.

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice

And he waited seven days, for the appointed time that Samuel had set; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.

And Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.

And it was, as he finished offering up the burnt offering — look, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, to bless him.

And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said: “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and you had not come at the appointed time of days, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the face of the LORD.’ So I forced myself, and offered up the burnt offering.”

And Samuel said to Saul: “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you — for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

But now your kingdom will not stand. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as leader over his people — because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

And Samuel rose and went up from Gilgal and went his way; and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the people of war, and they came from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul mustered the people who were found with him — about six hundred men.

Israel without Weapons

And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people found with them, were staying in Geba of Benjamin; and the Philistines camped at Michmash.

And the raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual;

and one company turned toward the way of Beth-horon; and one company turned toward the way of the border that looks down over the Valley of Zeboim, toward the wilderness.

Now no smith was to be found in all the land of Israel — for the Philistines had said, “Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear.”

And all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle.

And the charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks and for the axes, and for setting the goads.

And it was, on the day of battle, that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and with Jonathan his son.

And a garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.