1 Samuel 13 - New International Version (NIV)

Samuel Rebukes Saul

13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years.

2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand(A) were with him at Mikmash(B) and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah(C) in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.

3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost(D) at Geba,(E) and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet(F) blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious(G) to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 The Philistines assembled(H) to fight Israel, with three thousand[c] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand(I) on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash,(J) east of Beth Aven.(K) 6 When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid(L) in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.(M) 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad(N) and Gilead.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking(O) with fear. 8 He waited seven(P) days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered(Q) up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel(R) arrived, and Saul went out to greet(S) him.

11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,(T) 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,(U) and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.(V)’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

13 “You have done a foolish thing,(W)” Samuel said. “You have not kept(X) the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.(Y) 14 But now your kingdom(Z) will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart(AA) and appointed(AB) him ruler(AC) of his people, because you have not kept(AD) the Lord’s command.”

15 Then Samuel left Gilgal[d] and went up to Gibeah(AE) in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.(AF)

Israel Without Weapons

16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah[e](AG) in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding(AH) parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah(AI) in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon,(AJ) and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim(AK) facing the wilderness.

19 Not a blacksmith(AL) could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!(AM)” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles[f] sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[g] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel[h] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan(AN) had a sword or spear(AO) in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

Jonathan Attacks the Philistines

23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass(AP) at Mikmash.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 A few late manuscripts of the Septuagint; Hebrew does not have thirty.
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Acts 13:21); Masoretic Text does not have forty-.
  3. 1 Samuel 13:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand
  4. 1 Samuel 13:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Gilgal and went his way; the rest of the people went after Saul to meet the army, and they went out of Gilgal
  5. 1 Samuel 13:16 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah
  6. 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points
  7. 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/4 ounce or about 8 grams
  8. 1 Samuel 13:21 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams

Cross references

  1. 1 Samuel 13:2 : ver 15
  2. 1 Samuel 13:2 : ver 5, 11, 23; Ne 11:31; Isa 10:28
  3. 1 Samuel 13:2 : S Jdg 19:14
  4. 1 Samuel 13:3 : S 1Sa 10:5
  5. 1 Samuel 13:3 : S Jos 18:24
  6. 1 Samuel 13:3 : S Lev 25:9; S Jdg 3:27
  7. 1 Samuel 13:4 : S Ge 34:30
  8. 1 Samuel 13:5 : 1Sa 17:1
  9. 1 Samuel 13:5 : S Jos 11:4; Rev 20:8
  10. 1 Samuel 13:5 : S ver 2
  11. 1 Samuel 13:5 : S Jos 7:2
  12. 1 Samuel 13:6 : 1Sa 14:11, 22
  13. 1 Samuel 13:6 : S Jdg 6:2; Eze 33:27
  14. 1 Samuel 13:7 : S Nu 32:33
  15. 1 Samuel 13:7 : S Ge 35:5; S Ex 19:16
  16. 1 Samuel 13:8 : 1Sa 10:8
  17. 1 Samuel 13:9 : Dt 12:5-14; 2Sa 24:25; 1Ki 3:4
  18. 1 Samuel 13:10 : 1Sa 15:13
  19. 1 Samuel 13:10 : 1Sa 25:14
  20. 1 Samuel 13:11 : S ver 2
  21. 1 Samuel 13:12 : S Jos 10:43
  22. 1 Samuel 13:12 : S Dt 4:29; Ps 119:58; Jer 26:19
  23. 1 Samuel 13:13 : 2Ch 16:9
  24. 1 Samuel 13:13 : ver 14; S Jos 22:16; 1Sa 15:23, 24; 2Sa 7:15; 1Ch 10:13
  25. 1 Samuel 13:13 : Ps 72:5
  26. 1 Samuel 13:14 : 1Sa 15:28; 18:8; 24:20; 1Ch 10:14
  27. 1 Samuel 13:14 : Ac 7:46; 13:22
  28. 1 Samuel 13:14 : 2Sa 6:21
  29. 1 Samuel 13:14 : 1Sa 25:30; 2Sa 5:2; Ps 18:43; Isa 16:5; 55:4; Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23-24; 37:24; Da 9:25; Hos 3:5; Mic 5:2
  30. 1 Samuel 13:14 : 1Sa 15:26; 16:1; 2Sa 12:9; 1Ki 13:21; Hos 13:11
  31. 1 Samuel 13:15 : 1Sa 14:2
  32. 1 Samuel 13:15 : ver 2
  33. 1 Samuel 13:16 : S Jos 18:24
  34. 1 Samuel 13:17 : 1Sa 14:15
  35. 1 Samuel 13:17 : S Jos 18:23
  36. 1 Samuel 13:18 : S Jos 10:10
  37. 1 Samuel 13:18 : Ne 11:34
  38. 1 Samuel 13:19 : S Ge 4:22
  39. 1 Samuel 13:19 : S Nu 25:7
  40. 1 Samuel 13:22 : 1Ch 9:39
  41. 1 Samuel 13:22 : S Nu 25:7; 1Sa 14:6; 17:47; Zec 4:6
  42. 1 Samuel 13:23 : 1Sa 14:4
  43. 1 Samuel 13:23 : S ver 2

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