1 Samuel 13
War with the
Philistines |
1 |
Saul reigned one year; and when he had
reigned two years over Israel,
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2 |
Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash
and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib'e-ah
of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his
tent.
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3 |
And 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.
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4 |
And 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.
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5 |
And 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
seashore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash,
eastward from Beth-a'ven.
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6 |
When 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.
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7 |
And some of the Hebrews went over
Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil'e-ad. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
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8 |
And he tarried seven days, according to
the set time that Samuel had appointed: 1 Sam. 10.8 but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered
from him.
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9 |
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt
offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt
offering.
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10 |
And 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.
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11 |
And 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;
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12 |
therefore 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.
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13 |
And 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.
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14 |
But now thy kingdom shall not continue:
the LORD hath sought him a man after his own
heart, Acts 13.22 and the LORD hath commanded him to
be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded
thee.
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15 |
And Samuel arose, and gat him up from
Gilgal unto Gib'e-ah of Benjamin.
And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.
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16 |
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the
people that were present with them, abode in Gib'e-ah of
Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
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17 |
And 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 Shu'al:
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18 |
and another company turned the way to Beth-ho'ron: and another company turned to the way
of the border that looketh to the valley of Zebo'im toward the
wilderness.
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19 |
Now there was no smith found throughout
all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews
make them swords or spears:
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20 |
but all the Israelites went down to the
Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and
his axe, and his mattock.
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21 |
Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and
for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to
sharpen the goads.
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22 |
So 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.
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23 |
And the garrison of the Philistines went
out to the passage of Michmash.
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