1 Samuel 13

Saul tinha... anos quando se tornou rei. Ele reinou... dois anos sobre Israel.

Saul escolheu para si três mil israelitas: dois mil para ficar com ele em Macmas e no monte Betel, e mil com Jônatas em Gabaa de Benjamim. Quanto ao resto do povo, mandou que fosse cada um para a sua tenda.

Jônatas destruiu a guarnição dos filisteus de Guibea. E souberam-no os filisteus. Saul mandou por toda a terra tocar a trombeta, dizendo: Saibam-no os hebreus.

Todo o Israel ouviu esta notícia: Saul bateu a guarnição dos filisteus, e Israel atraiu sobre si o ódio deles. O povo foi convocado diante de Saul em Gálgala.

Juntaram-se os filisteus para combater contra Israel, com três mil carros, seis mil cavaleiros e uma multidão tão numerosa como a areia na praia do mar. Partiram e acamparam em Macmas, ao oriente de Bet-Aven.

Os israelitas, vendo o aperto em que se achavam, porque estavam cercados de perto, ocultaram-se nas cavernas, nos matos, nos rochedos, nos fortins e nas cisternas.

Vários deles atravessaram o Jordão e foram para a terra de Gad e de Galaad. Saul, entretanto, estava ainda em Gálgala, com todo o seu povo, que tremia de medo.

Esperou sete dias, prazo fixado por Samuel, mas este não chegava, e o povo começou a afastar-se.

Então Saul disse: Trazei-me o holocausto e os sacrifícios pacíficos. E ofereceu o holocausto.

Apenas acabava de o oferecer, chegou Samuel, e Saul saiu-lhe ao encontro para o saudar.

Que fizeste?, disse Samuel. Vendo que o povo se dispersava e que tu não chegavas no tempo fixado, e que os filisteus se tinham juntado em Macmas,

pensei comigo: Agora eles vão cair sobre mim em Gálgala, sem que eu tenha aplacado o Senhor. Por isso ofereci eu mesmo o holocausto.

Samuel replicou-lhe: Procedeste insensatamente, não observando o mandamento que te deu o Senhor, teu Deus, que estava pronto a confirmar para sempre o teu trono sobre Israel.

Agora o teu reino não subsistirá. O Senhor escolheu para si um homem segundo o seu coração e o fará chefe de seu povo, porque não observaste as suas ordens.

E Samuel partiu, subindo de Gálgala a Gabaa de Benjamim. Quanto a Saul, passando em revista o povo que estava com ele, achou que havia cerca de seiscentos homens.

Saul, Jônatas, seu filho, e o povo que tinha ficado com eles, postaram-se em Gabaa de Benjamim, enquanto os filisteus acampavam em Macmas.

Três destacamentos saíram do acampamento dos filisteus com o intuito de saquear: um tomou o caminho de Efra, para a terra de Saul;

o outro avançou pelo caminho de Bet-Horon; e o terceiro foi pelo caminho da fronteira que domina o vale de Seboim, do lado do deserto.

Ora, não se encontrava um ferreiro em toda a terra de Israel, porque os filisteus diziam: Não deixemos que os hebreus fabriquem espadas ou lanças.

E por isso todos os israelitas tinham que descer aos filisteus para afiar cada um a sua relha, o enxadão, o machado ou a foice,

quando o fio das relhas, dos enxadões, dos forcados ou das cunhas se embotava, e para aguçar os aguilhões.

E chegando o dia do combate, não se encontrou nem espada, nem lança nas mãos do povo que acompanhava Saul e Jônatas. Somente Saul e seu filho Jônatas estavam munidos dessas armas.

Um grupo de filisteus tinha-se postado no desfiladeiro de Macmas.

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, {reigned one...: Heb. the son of one year in his reigning}

Saul 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.

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. {Geba: or, the hill}

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. {was...: Heb. did stink}

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 sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

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.

And {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. {followed...: Heb. trembled after him}

And 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.

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

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. {salute: Heb. bless}

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;

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. {made...: Heb. intreated the face}

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.

But 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.

And 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. {present: Heb. found}

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

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 Shual:

And 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.

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

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

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. {a file: Heb. a file with mouths, or Heb. a pim, a third of a shekel} {sharpen: Heb. set}

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.

And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. {garrison: or, standing camp}