1 Saul tinha trinta anos de idade quando começou a reinar, e reinou dois anos sobre Israel.2 Saul escolheu para si três mil homens de Israel: estavam com ele dois mil em Micmás e no monte de Betel, e mil estavam com Jônatas em Gibeá de Benjamim. Ao resto do povo mandou que fosse cada um para a sua tenda.3 Jônatas bateu a guarnição dos filisteus, que estava em Geba; o que ouviram os filisteus. Saul fez tocar a trombeta por toda a terra, dizendo: Ouçam os hebreus.4 Todo o Israel ouviu dizer que Saul tinha batido a guarnição dos filisteus, e que Israel se havia tornado abominável aos filisteus. O povo foi convocado após Saul em Gilgal.5 Os filisteus ajuntaram-se para pelejar contra Israel, trinta mil carros e seis mil cavaleiros e povo em multidão como a areia que está à beira do mar; subiram, e acamparam-se em Micmás ao oriente de Bete-Áven.6 Vendo os homens de Israel o aperto em que estavam (pois o povo se achava angustiado), esconderam-se em covas, e em buracos, e em rochedos, e em túmulos, e em cisternas.7 Ora alguns dos hebreus tinham passado o Jordão para a terra de Gade e Gileade; porém Saul ficou ainda em Gilgal, e todo o povo o seguia tremendo.8 Esperou sete dias segundo o tempo aprazado por Samuel. Mas Samuel não veio a Gilgal e o povo, deixando a Saul, se dispersava.9 Disse Saul: Trazei-me cá o holocausto e as ofertas pacíficas. Ele ofereceu o holocausto.10 Apenas ele tinha acabado de oferecer o holocausto, eis que chegou Samuel; Saul saiu-lhe ao encontro, para o saudar.11 Samuel perguntou: Que fizeste? Respondeu Saul: Vendo que o povo, deixando-me, se dispersava, e que tu não vinhas nos dias aprazados, e que os filisteus se reuniam em Micmás,12 por isso disse eu: Agora os filisteus descerão contra mim a Gilgal, e eu não aplaquei a Jeová. Constrangi-me, pois, e ofereci o holocausto.13 Samuel disse a Saul: Procedeste nesciamente em não guardar o mandamento de Jeová teu Deus, que ele te ordenou. Jeová teria confirmado para sempre o teu reino sobre Israel,14 porém agora não subsistirá o teu reino. Jeová buscou para si um homem segundo o seu coração, e mandou-lhe que fosse príncipe sobre o seu povo, porque não guardaste o que te ordenou.15 Levantou-se Samuel, e subiu de Gilgal a Gibeá de Benjamim. Saul contou o povo que se achava com ele, cerca de seiscentos homens.16 Saul e seu filho Jônatas e o povo que se achava com eles, ficaram em Geba de Benjamim, mas os filisteus acamparam-se em Micmás.17 Os saqueadores saíram do arraial dos filisteus em três companhias: uma tomou o caminho de Ofra para a terra de Sual,18 outra tomou o caminho de Bete-Horom e a outra tomou o caminho do termo que pende para o vale de Zeboim na direção do deserto.19 Ora em toda a terra de Israel não se achava um ferreiro, pois os filisteus disseram: Para não suceder que os hebreus façam para si espadas ou lanças,20 mas todos os israelitas tinham que descer aos filisteus, para cada um afiar a sua relha, a sua enxada, o seu machado e a sua picareta.21 Tinham, porém, limas para as picaretas, para as enxadas, para os forcados e para os machados, e para consertar as aguilhadas.22 No dia da batalha não se achou nem espada nem lança na mão de nenhum do povo que estava com Saul e Jônatas; porém se acharam com Saul e com seu filho Jônatas.23 Saiu a guarnição dos filisteus ao desfiladeiro de Micmás.

1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king. He was king of Israel forty-two years.2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of them were stationed with Saul at Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel. One thousand were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people home.3 Jonathan defeated the Philistine troops at Geba. The Philistines heard about it. With the sounding of the trumpet throughout the land, Saul announced: »Let the Hebrews listen!«4 All Israel listened as Saul told that he had defeated the Philistine troops. Now Israel has gone on the offensive against the Philistines. All the troops rallied behind Saul at Gilgal.5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and as many soldiers as the sand on the seashore. They camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.6 The Israelite army realized that they were outnumbered and were going to lose the battle. Some of the Israelite men hid in caves, thickets and rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits.7 Some of them went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River. Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers trembled with fear.8 They were starting to run off and leave him. Saul waited there seven days, just as Samuel had ordered him to do. But Samuel did not come.9 Saul commanded: »Bring me some animals so we can offer sacrifices to please Jehovah. Then we can ask for his help.« Saul slaughtered one of the animals,10 and just as he was placing it on the altar, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to welcome him.11 Samuel asked: »What have you done?« Saul replied: »I saw the troops were scattering. You did not come when you said you would and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash.12 »So I thought the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal. I have not sought Jehovah’s favor. I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering.«13 »You did a foolish thing,« Samuel told Saul. »You did not follow the command of Jehovah your God. If you had, Jehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel from generation to generation for a very long time.14 »Your kingdom will not last. Jehovah searched for a man after his own heart. Jehovah appointed him as ruler of his people. This is because you did not follow the command of Jehovah.«15 Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the people followed Saul to meet the soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the troops who were still with him. There were about six hundred men.16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the troops with them stayed at Geba Gebeah in Benjamin. The Philistines camped at Michmash.17 Raiding parties left the Philistine camp in three companies. One company turned on the road to Ophrah to the region of Shual.18 Another company turned to the road to Beth Horon. Another turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert.19 No blacksmith could be found in all of Israel. In this way the Philistines kept the Hebrews from making swords and spears.20 Everyone in Israel had to go to the Philistines to sharpen the blade of his plow, his mattock, ax, or sickle.21 The charge for sharpening plowshares and for the mattocks, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes was a pim.22 So in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear.23 The garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.