13 Sha’ul was thirty[fn] years old when he began to reign over Israel, and when he’d reigned for two years, 2 he chose three thousand Israeli warriors for himself: two thousand were stationed with him in Mikmas, and one thousand were with his son Yonatan in Benyamite Gibeah. All the others, he sent back to their homes.

3 Then Yonatan attacked and defeated the Philistine unit that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Sha’ul had a trumpet blown throughout the country, with the message, “Listen all you Hebrews.” 4 All of Israel heard the news that Sha’ul had wiped out a Philistine outpost, and realised that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines. So the people were summoned to join Sha’ul at Gilgal.

5 The Philistines assembled themselves to fight Israel with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand mounted cavalry, and warriors as numerous as the sand on the beach. They went to Mikmas and camped there, east of Beyt-Aven. 6 But the Israeli warriors were very anxious because their troops were so outnumbered, so they hid in caves and thickets, among rocks, and in tombs and wells. 7 Some of them crossed the Yordan River to the Gad and Gilead regions.

Sha’ul stayed at Gilgal, but the people with him were trembling. 8 He waited seven days until the time when Shemuel had said that he’d get there, but he didn’t appear so Sha’ul’s men began to desert him.[ref] 9 “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings,” Sha’ul commanded, then he offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he’d finished, wow, Shemuel arrived at last, and Sha’ul went over to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” Shemuel asked.

“When I saw the people leaving me,” Sha’ul replied “and you, you didn’t get here when you said you would, and the Philistines were gathering at Mikmas, 12 then I thought, ‘The Philistines are about to attack us at Gilgal, and I haven’t offered any gift to Yahweh.’ So I forced myself, and offered up the burnt up offering.”

13 “That was stupid of you,” Shemuel responded. “You haven’t obeyed what your God Yahweh instructed, because if you had, then Yahweh would have established your reign over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom won’t survive. Yahweh has found a man who’s loyal to him and he’s commanded that man to lead his people, because you haven’t obeyed him.[ref]

15 Then Shemuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benyamite territory. Meanwhile, Sha’ul counted up the warriors with him—around six hundred of them. 16 Sha’ul and his son Yonatan and the people with them, were staying in Geba, whereas the Philistines were camped at Mikmas, 17 and they sent out three raiding parties—one went north to Ofrah in the Shu’al region, 18 one went west to Beyt-Horon, and one went towards the wilderness where the border overlooks the Zeboim valley.

19 At that time, there were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines didn’t want the Israelis to be able to make swords or spears, 20 so all the Israelis had to go to the Philistines to get their axes and plough blades, etc., sharpened. 21 (They were charged two-thirds of a shekel for larger things like plough blades, and one-third for picks and axes, and for straightening ox goads.) 22 So on the day of battle, Sha’ul and his son Yonatan had a sword and spear each, but none of the warriors with them had any.

23 Now one Philistine unit had been sent out to guard the pass at Mikmas.