1 Saul was thirty "years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- "two years.2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet 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 to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand "chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven.6 When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.8 He waited seven 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 up the burnt offering.10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet 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,12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."13 "You have done a foolish thing," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."15 Then Samuel left Gilgal "and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah "in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash.17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!"20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles "sharpened.21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel "for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel "for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.

1 Filius unius anni erat Saul cum regnare cpisset : duobus autem annis regnavit super Isral. 2 Et elegit sibi Saul tria millia de Isral : et erant cum Saul duo millia in Machmas, et in monte Bethel : mille autem cum Jonatha in Gabaa Benjamin : porro ceterum populum remisit unumquemque in tabernacula sua. 3 Et percussit Jonathas stationem Philisthinorum qu erat in Gabaa. Quod cum audissent Philisthiim, Saul cecinit buccina in omni terra, dicens : Audiant Hebri. 4 Et universus Isral audivit hujuscemodi famam : Percussit Saul stationem Philisthinorum, et erexit se Isral adversus Philisthiim. Clamavit ergo populus post Saul in Galgala. 5 Et Philisthiim congregati sunt ad prliandum contra Isral, triginta millia curruum, et sex millia equitum, et reliquum vulgus, sicut arena qu est in littore maris plurima. Et ascendentes castrametati sunt in Machmas ad orientem Bethaven. 6 Quod cum vidissent viri Isral se in arcto positos (afflictus enim erat populus), absconderunt se in speluncis, et in abditis, in petris quoque, et in antris, et in cisternis. 7 Hebri autem transierunt Jordanem in terram Gad et Galaad.Cumque adhuc esset Saul in Galgala, universus populus perterritus est qui sequebatur eum. 8 Et expectavit septem diebus juxta placitum Samuelis, et non venit Samuel in Galgala, dilapsusque est populus ab eo. 9 Ait ergo Saul : Afferte mihi holocaustum et pacifica. Et obtulit holocaustum. 10 Cumque complesset offerens holocaustum, ecce Samuel veniebat : et egressus est Saul obviam ei ut salutaret eum. 11 Locutusque est ad eum Samuel : Quid fecisti ? Respondit Saul : Quia vidi quod populus dilaberetur a me, et tu non veneras juxta placitos dies, porro Philisthiim congregati fuerant in Machmas, 12 dixi : Nunc descendent Philisthiim ad me in Galgala, et faciem Domini non placavi. Necessitate compulsus, obtuli holocaustum. 13 Dixitque Samuel ad Saul : Stulte egisti, nec custodisti mandata Domini Dei tui qu prcepit tibi. Quod si non fecisses, jam nunc prparasset Dominus regnum tuum super Isral in sempiternum : 14 sed nequaquam regnum tuum ultra consurget. Qusivit Dominus sibi virum juxta cor suum : et prcepit ei Dominus ut esset dux super populum suum, eo quod non servaveris qu prcepit Dominus.15 Surrexit autem Samuel, et ascendit de Galgalis in Gabaa Benjamin. Et reliqui populi ascenderunt post Saul obviam populo, qui expugnabant eos venientes de Galgala in Gabaa, in colle Benjamin. Et recensuit Saul populum qui inventi fuerant cum eo, quasi sexcentos viros. 16 Et Saul et Jonathas filius ejus, populusque qui inventus fuerat cum eis, erat in Gabaa Benjamin : porro Philisthiim consederant in Machmas. 17 Et egressi sunt ad prdandum de castris Philisthinorum tres cunei. Unus cuneus pergebat contra viam Ephra ad terram Sual : 18 porro alius ingrediebatur per viam Beth-horon : tertius autem verterat se ad iter termini imminentis valli Seboim contra desertum. 19 Porro faber ferrarius non inveniebatur in omni terra Isral : caverant enim Philisthiim, ne forte facerent Hebri gladium aut lanceam. 20 Descendebat ergo omnis Isral ad Philisthiim, ut exacueret unusquisque vomerem suum, et ligonem, et securim, et sarculum. 21 Retus itaque erant acies vomerum, et ligonum, et tridentum, et securium, usque ad stimulum corrigendum. 22 Cumque venisset dies prlii, non est inventus ensis et lancea in manu totius populi qui erat cum Saule et Jonatha, excepto Saul et Jonatha filio ejus. 23 Egressa est autem statio Philisthiim, ut transcenderet in Machmas.