1 Samuel 13:10-23 ▼

10 And as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.

11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which He commanded you, for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

14 But now your kingdom shall not endure. Yahweh has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what Yahweh commanded you.”

15 Then 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.

16 Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines camped at Michmash.

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

18 and another company turned to the way of Beth-horon, and another company turned to the way of the border which overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his goad.

21 And the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the goad.

22 So it happened on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.

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