1 Sha’ul was … years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Yisra’ĕl,
2 Sha’ul chose for himself three thousand men of Yisra’ĕl. And two thousand were with Sha’ul in Miḵmash and in the mountains of Bĕyth Ĕl, and a thousand were with Yahonathan in Giḇ’ah of Binyamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each to his tent.
3 And Yahonathan smote the watch-post of the Pelishtites that was in Geḇa, and the Pelishtites heard of it. And Sha’ul blew the ram’s horn throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Iḇrim hear!”
4 And all Yisra’ĕl heard the news that Sha’ul had smitten a watch-post of the Pelishtites, and also that Yisra’ĕl had become a stench to the Pelishtites. And the people were summoned to Sha’ul at Gilgal.
5 And the Pelishtites gathered to fight Yisra’ĕl, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they came up and camped in Miḵmash, east of Bĕyth Awen.
6 And the men of Yisra’ĕl saw that they were in trouble, for the people were distressed, and the people hid in caves, and in thorny bushes, and in rocks, and in holes, and in pits.
7 And Iḇrim passed over the Yardĕn to the land of Gaḏ and Gil’aḏ. But Sha’ul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.
8 And he waited for seven days, according to the appointment with Shemu’ĕl. But Shemu’ĕl did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Sha’ul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to be, as he had finished offering the burnt offering, look, Shemu’ĕl came. And Sha’ul went out to meet him, to baraḵ him.
11 Then Shemu’ĕl said, “What have you done?” And Sha’ul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Pelishtites gathered at Miḵmash,
12 so I said, ‘The Pelishtites are going to come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not appeased the face of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.’ So I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “You have been foolish. You have not guarded the Command of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, which He commanded you. For now 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 would have established your reign over Yisra’ĕl forever.
14 “But now, your reign is not going to stand. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shall seek for Himself a man after His own heart, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shall command him to be leader over His people, because you have not guarded what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commanded you.”
15 And Shemu’ĕl arose and went up from Gilgal to Giḇ’ah of Binyamin. And Sha’ul mustered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Sha’ul, and Yahonathan his son, and the people who were present with them remained in Giḇ’ah of Binyamin, while the Pelishtites camped at Miḵmash.
17 And from the camp of the Pelishtites raiders went out in three companies. The one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shu’al,
18 and another company turned toward the way of Bĕyth Ḥoron, and another company turned toward the way of the border that overlooks the Valley of Tseḇo’im toward the wilderness.
19 Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Yisra’ĕl, for the Pelishtites said, “Lest the Iḇrim make swords or spears.”
20 And all Yisra’ĕl went down to the Pelishtites, each one to sharpen his ploughshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle.
21 And the charge was a pim for the ploughshares, and the mattocks, and the forks, and the axes, and to appoint the goads.
22 And it came to be, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Sha’ul and Yahonathan. But they were found with Sha’ul and Yahonathan his son.
23 And the outpost of the Pelishtites went out to the pass of Miḵmash.