1 Samuel

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

1Saul had been king for a short time. These things happened early in his rule over Israel.

NoteThe old Hebrew copies of this verse are missing some numbers, so the King James wording is hard to follow. Other Bibles fill in ages and years that the oldest copies do not have.

2Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

2Saul picked three thousand men of Israel to be his soldiers. Two thousand stayed with him at Michmash and in the hills of Bethel. One thousand stayed with his son Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul sent all the other men home.

3And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

3Jonathan attacked the camp of Philistine soldiers at Geba. The Philistines were a people who often fought Israel. They soon heard what Jonathan had done. Saul blew a ram's horn all across the land. He said, "Let the Hebrews hear this!"

4And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

4All Israel heard the news. Saul had attacked a Philistine camp. Now the Philistines hated Israel more than ever. So the people came together to join Saul at Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

5The Philistines gathered to fight Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots, which are carts pulled by horses in war. They had six thousand men riding horses. Their soldiers were like sand on the beach, too many to count. They came and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

NoteSome old copies say three thousand chariots here instead of thirty thousand.

6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

6The men of Israel saw they were in great danger. They were badly frightened. So they hid in caves, in bushes, among rocks, and down in pits.

7And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan River into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal. All the men with him were shaking with fear.

8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

8Saul waited seven days. That was the time Samuel had set. Samuel was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal. Saul's men began to slip away.

9And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

9So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." These were gifts to God, animals burned on an altar. Then Saul gave the burnt offering himself.

10And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

10Just as Saul finished the offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to say hello to him.

11And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;

11Samuel asked, "What have you done?" Saul said, "I saw my men leaving me. You did not come when you said you would. And the Philistines were gathering at Michmash."

12Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

12"I thought, the Philistines will come down and attack me here at Gilgal. And I have not yet asked the LORD for help. So I made myself do it. I gave the burnt offering."

13And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

13Samuel said to Saul, "That was a foolish thing to do. You did not obey what the LORD your God told you. If you had obeyed, God would have kept your family as kings forever."

14But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

14"But now your rule will not last. The LORD has looked for a man who pleases his own heart. He has chosen that man to lead his people. This is because you did not obey the LORD."

15And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

15Then Samuel got up and left Gilgal. He went to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him. There were about six hundred.

16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

16Saul, his son Jonathan, and their men stayed in Gibeah of Benjamin. The Philistines stayed camped at Michmash.

17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual:

17Raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three groups. Raiders are fighters who attack and take things. One group went toward Ophrah, in the land of Shual.

18And another company turned the way to Bethhoron: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

18Another group went toward Beth-horon. The third group went along the edge of the land. That road looks down on the Valley of Zeboim, near the desert.

19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

19There was no blacksmith anywhere in Israel. A blacksmith is someone who makes things out of metal. The Philistines had said, "The Hebrews must not make swords or spears."

20But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

20So all the Israelites went down to the Philistines instead. They went to get their farm tools made sharp again. They took plow blades, digging tools, and axes.

21Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

21They had to pay for each tool that was sharpened. The price was a small weight of silver. Even the long pointed sticks for driving oxen cost money to fix.

NoteThe King James Version says the people "had a file," a tool for sharpening. The Hebrew here is about the price they paid, named after a small weight of silver.

22So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

22So on the day of the battle, no soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

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

23A group of Philistine soldiers went out to the narrow pass at Michmash.