1 Saul was one year old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel for himself. Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent. 3 Jonathan struck the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul sounded the horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 All Israel heard it said, “Saul has struck the Philistine garrison, and Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” The people were summoned to follow Saul to Gilgal. 5 The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger, for the people were hard pressed, they hid in caves, thickets, rocks, underground chambers, and cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 He waited seven days, until the time Samuel had appointed. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people scattered from him. 9 Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “I saw that the people were scattering from me, that you had not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were gathering at Michmash. 12 So I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

15 Samuel rose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul mustered the people who were with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people with them were staying at Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were camped at Michmash. 17 Raiders went out from the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned toward the road to Ophrah, toward the land of Shual. 18 Another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another turned toward the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 No blacksmith could be found throughout the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not make swords or spears.” 20 All Israel would go down to the Philistines to have each man’s plowshare, hoe, ax, and plow blade sharpened. 21 The charge was about a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening the plow blades, hoes, three-pronged forks, and axes, and for setting the points of the goads. 22 So on the day of battle no sword or spear was found in the hands of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23 The Philistine garrison went out to the pass at Michmash.