1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.

2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents. 3 Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" 4 All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal. 5 The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits. 7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering to me here, and the peace offerings." He offered the burnt offering.

10 It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11 Samuel said, "What have you done?"

Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash, 12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering."

13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom will not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you."

15 Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 The raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19 Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears"; 20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle. 21 The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

23 The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

1 Saul het 'n jaar geregeer. En toe hy twee jaar oor Israel geregeer het,

2 het Saul vir hom drie duisend man uit Israel uitgesoek; en by Saul was twee duisend in Migmas en op die gebergte van Bet-el, en duisend was by Jonatan in G¡bea in Benjamin; maar die orige manskappe het hy laat gaan, elkeen na sy tente toe.

3 En Jonatan het die wagpos van die Filistyne verslaan wat in Geba was, en die Filistyne het dit gehoor. Daarop het Saul op die ramshoring laat blaas in die hele land om te sê: Laat die Hebreërs dit hoor!

4 En die hele Israel het hoor sê: Saul het die wagpos van die Filistyne verslaan, en ook het Israel homself gehaat gemaak by die Filistyne. So is dan die manskappe opgeroep agter Saul aan na Gilgal toe.

5 En die Filistyne het bymekaargekom om teen Israel te veg: drie duisend strydwaens en ses duisend perderuiters en voetgangers soos die sand wat op die seestrand is in menigte; en hulle het opgetrek en laer opgeslaan by Migmas, oos van Bet-Awen.

6 Toe die manne van Israel sien dat hulle in die nood is -- want die volk was in die noute gedruk -- het die volk weggekruip in die spelonke en in die doringbosse en in die rotse en in die grotte en in die kuile.

7 En die Hebreërs het die Jordaan deurgetrek na die land Gad en G¡lead; maar Saul was nog in Gilgal met al die manskappe wat bewende agter hom aan gegaan het.

8 En hy het sewe dae lank gewag, tot die tyd wat Samuel bepaal het; maar toe Samuel nie na Gilgal kom nie en die manskappe van hom af verstrooid raak,

9 het Saul gesê: Bring na my die brandoffer en die dankoffers; en hy het die brandoffer geoffer.

10 En toe hy net gereed was om die brandoffer te bring, kom Samuel meteens daar aan; en Saul het uitgegaan hom tegemoet om hom te groet.

11 Daarop vra Samuel: Wat het jy gedoen? En Saul sê: Ek het gesien dat die manskappe verstrooid raak van my af; en toe u nie kom op die afgesproke tyd nie, terwyl die Filistyne in Migmas bymekaarkom,

12 het ek gesê: Nou sal die Filistyne na my toe aftrek in Gilgal, en ek het die aangesig van die HERE nie om genade gesmeek nie; daarom het ek myself sterk gehou en die brandoffer gebring.

13 Toe sê Samuel vir Saul: Jy het dwaas gehandel, jy het die gebod van die HERE jou God wat Hy jou beveel het, nie gehou nie; want anders sou die HERE jou koningskap oor Israel vir goed bevestig het.

14 Maar nou sal jou koningskap nie bestaan nie. Die HERE het vir Hom 'n man na sy hart gesoek; en die HERE het hom as vors oor sy volk aangestel, omdat jy nie gehou het wat die HERE jou beveel het nie.

15 Toe het Samuel klaargemaak en opgegaan van Gilgal na G¡bea in Benjamin, en Saul het die manskappe gemonster wat by hom aanwesig was, omtrent ses honderd man.

16 Terwyl Saul en sy seun Jonatan en die manskappe wat by hulle aanwesig was, in Geba in Benjamin bly en die Filistyne by Migmas laer opslaan,

17 het die roofkommando uitgetrek uit die laer van die Filistyne in drie afdelings: een deel het weggedraai op pad na Ofra, na die land Sual toe;

18 en een deel het weggedraai op pad na Bet-Horon, en een deel het weggedraai op pad na die grens wat oor die dal Seboim na die woestyn uitkyk.

19 En daar was geen smid te vinde in die hele land van Israel nie, want die Filistyne het gesê: Anders kan die Hebreërs swaarde of spiese maak.

20 Daarom moes al die Israeliete na die Filistyne afgaan om elkeen sy kluitbreker of sy pik of sy byl of sy ploegskaar skerp te maak --

21 so dikwels as die snykant stomp was aan ploegskare en pikke en drietandvurke en byle; en om die osprikkels reg te maak.

22 So het dit gekom dat daar in oorlogstyd geen swaard of spies te vinde was in die hand van al die manskappe wat by Saul en Jonatan was nie; maar by Saul en sy seun Jonatan was dit wel te vinde.

23 En 'n wagpos van die Filistyne het uitgetrek na die pas van Migmas.