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The First
Book of Samuel 13
Saul was a child of one year when he began to reign,
and he reigned two years over Israel.
And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel: and
two thousand were with Saul in Machmas, and in mount
Bethel: and a thousand with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin,
and the rest of the people he sent back every man to
their dwellings.
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines which
was in Gabaa. And when the Philistines had heard of
it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying:
Let the Hebrews hear.
And all Israel heard this report: Saul hath smitten
the garrison of the Philistines: and Israel took courage
against the Philistines. And the people were called
together after Saul to Galgal.
The Philistines also were assembled to fight against
Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen,
and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on
the sea shore for number. And going up they camped in
Machmas at the east of Bethaven.
And when the men of Israel saw that they were straitened,
(for the people were distressed,) they hid themselves
in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in dens,
and in pits.
And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan into
the land of Gad and Galaad. And when Saul was yet in
Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly
afraid.
And he waited seven days according to the appointment
of Samuel, I and Samuel came not to Galgal, and the
people slipt away from him.
Then Saul said: Bring me the holocaust, and the peace
offerings. And he offered the holocaust.
And when he had made an end of offering the holocaust,
behold Samuel came: and Saul went forth to meet him
and salute him.
And Samuel said to him: What hast thou done? Saul answered:
Because I saw that the people slipt from me, and thou
wast not come according to the days appointed, and the
Philistines were gathered together in Machmas,
I said: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to
Galgal, and I have not appeased the face of the Lord.
Forced by necessity, I offered the holocaust.
And Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and
hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God,
which he commanded thee. And if thou hadst not done
thus, the Lord would now have established thy kingdom
over Israel for ever.
But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought
him a man according to his own heart: and him hath the
Lord commanded to be prince over his people, because
thou hast not observed that which the Lord commanded.
And Samuel arose and went up from Galgal to Gabaa of
Benjamin. And the rest of the people went up after Saul,
to meet the people who fought against them, going from
Galgal to Gabaa in the hill of Benjamin. And Saul numbered
the people, that were found with him, about six hundred
men.
And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were
present with them, were in Gabaa of Benjamin: but the
Philistines encamped in Machmas.
And there went out of the camp of the Philistines three
companies to plunder. One company went towards the way
of Ephra to the land of Sual;
And another went by the way of Beth-horon, and the third
turned to the way of the border, above the valley of
Seboim towards the desert.
Now there was no smith to be found in all the land of
Israel, for the Philistines had taken this precaution,
lest the Hebrews should make them swords or spears.
So all Israel went down to the Philistines, to sharpen
every man his ploughshare, and his spade, and his axe,
and his rake.
So that their shares, and their spades, and their forks,
and their axes were blunt, even to the goad, which was
to be mended.
And when the day of battle was come, there was neither
sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people
that were with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul and Jonathan
his son.
And the army of the Philistines went out in order to
advance further in Machmas.
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