1 Sauls bija gadus vecs, kad viņš k uva ķēniņš un valdīja divus gadus pār Israēlu.
2 Un Sauls sev izmeklēja no Israēla trīs tūkstošus vīru, un divi tūkstoši bija pie viņa Mikmašas un Bētcles kalnos, bet tūkstoš vīri bija pie Jonatāna Gibeā Benjamīna ciltī; visu pārējo karavīru daudzumu viņš atlaida, ikvienu uz savu telti.
3 Bet Jonatāns sagrāva filistiešu sardžu nometni, kupa atradās Gibeā, un filistieši to dzirdēja; bet Sauls lika pūst taures visā zemē, paziņodams: „Lai ebrēji to dzird!“
4 Kad viss Israēls dzirdēja sakām, ka Sauls ir sagrāvis filistiešu sardžu nometni un Israēls k uvis filistiešiem nepanesams, tad tika sasaukta visa tauta uz Gilgalu, lai sekotu Saulam.
5 Arī filistieši sapulcējās kopā, lai uzbruktu Israēlam, pavisam trīsdesmit tūkstoši ratu un seši tūkstoši jātnieku, bet kājnieku tik daudz kā smiltis jūrmalā; tie devās kapa gājienā un uzcēla savu telšu nometni austrumos no Bet-Avenas pie Mikmašas.
6 Un kad nu Israēla vīrieši izprata, ka tiem ir beigas un ka visa tauta ir smagās sprugās, tad ļaudis meklēja paslēptuves—ir alās, ir aizās un klintīs, ir klintīs iekaltās kapenēs, ir ūdens tvertnēs.
7 Daži devās pat pāri Jardānai uz Gada un Gileāda zemi, bet Sauls vēl kavējās Gilgalā, un visa aiz viņa stāvošā tauta bija lielās izbailēs.
8 Tā viņš gaidīja septiņas dienas līdz Samuēla noliktajam laikam, bet kad Samuēls nenāca uz Gilgalu un ļaudis, kas bija pie viņa, sāka jau izklīst,
9 Tad Sauls sacīja „Atnesiet šurp pie manis dedzināmo upuri un kaujamo pateicības upuri!“ Un viņš upurēja dedzināmo upuri.
10 Un notika, ka tikko kā viņš bija pabeidzis upurēt dedzināmo upuri, redzi, tad atnāca Samuēls. Un Sauls izgāja viņam pretī, lai viņu apsveiktu.
11 Tad Samuēls sacīja: „Ko tu esi darījis?“ Un Sauls atbildēja: „Kad es redzēju, ka tauta klīst projām no manis, un tu noliktā laikā nenāci, un filistieši ir sapulcējušies Mikmašā,
12 Tad es domāju: Tagad filistieši dosies pret mani uz Gilgalu uzbrukumā, —bet es vēl neesmu paspējis tā Kunga priekšā izlūgties žēlastību—tā es iedro-šinājos un nesu dedzināmo upuri.“
13 Tad Samuēls atbildēja Saulam: „Tu esi aplami darījis; tu neesi izpildījis tā Kunga, sava Dieva, bausli, ko Viņš tev bija pavēlējis; patlaban tas Kungs būtu tavu ķēniņa varu pār Israēlu apstiprinājis uz mūžīgiem laikiem,
14 Bet nu tagad tava ķēniņa valsts nepastāvēs. Tas Kungs jau ir izmeklējis sev vīru, kas ir pēc Viņa sirds prāta, un tas Kungs tam ir nolicis būt savai tautai par valdnieku, jo tu neesi izpildījis, ko tas Kungs bija tev pavēlējis.“
15 Tad Samuēls cēlās, devās projām no Gilgalas un gāja savu ceļu; bet atlikušie karavīri sekoja Saulam no Gilgalas uz Gibeu Benjamīna ciltī; tur Sauls pārskaitīja savu kara pulku, kas bija vēl pie viņa palicis, ap seši simti vīru.
16 Un Sauls līdz ar savu dēlu Jonatānu un tiem ļaudīm, kas bija pie viņa palikuši, apmetās Gibeā Benjamīna ciltī, bet filistieši bija uzcēluši savas teltis Mikmašā.
17 Tad no filistiešu nometnes izgāja sirotāju pulks, kas sadalījās trijās nodaļās; viena nodaļa nogriezās pa ceļu uz Ofru, uz Suala zemi,
18 Bet otra nodaļa nogriezās uz Bet-Horonas pusi, un trešā nodaļa pagriezās uz ceļu, kas sniedzas līdz Ceboima lejai uz tuksneša pusi.
19 Tolaik neviena kalēj a nevarēj a atrast pa visu Israēla zemi, jo filistieši bija teikuši: „Lai tikai ebrēji sev neizgatavo zobenu vai šķēpu!“
20 Tādēļ ikvienam israēlietim bija jānoiet lejā pie filistiešiem, lai asinātu ir sava arkla lemesi, ir kapli, ir cirvi, ir sirpi,
21 Arī zobus izkaptīm, kapļiem un cirvjiem, zarus trijžuburu dakšām, vai lai sametinātu vēršu dzenamos.
22 Tā nu notika, ka kaujas dienā tieši to karotāju rokās, kuri atradās pie Saula un Jonatāna, nebija neviena zobena un neviena šķēpa; vienīgi Saulam un viņa dēlam Jonatānam bija ieroči.
23 Bet viena filistiešu sardze bija izvirzījusies uz kalnu pāreju pie Mikmašas.
Saul Disobeys the Lord
1 Saul was a young man when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years. 2 Then he chose 3,000 men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.
3 Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba. The Philistine camp was destroyed, but the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, “Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened.”
4 The messengers then said to the people of Israel, “Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba. Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal.”
5 The Philistines called their army together to fight Israel. They had 3,000 chariots, 6,000 cavalry, and as many foot soldiers as there are grains of sand on the beach. They went to Michmash and set up camp there 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 or in clumps of bushes, and some ran to places where they could hide among large rocks. Others hid in tombs or in deep dry pits. 7 Still others went to Gad and Gilead on the other side of the Jordan River.
Saul stayed at Gilgal. His soldiers were shaking with fear, 8 and 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 Finally, Saul commanded, “Bring me some animals, so we can offer sacrifices to please the Lord and ask for his help.”
Saul killed one of the animals, 10 and just as he placed it on the altar, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to welcome him.
11 “What have you done?” Samuel asked.
Saul answered, “My soldiers were leaving in all directions, and you didn't come when you were supposed to. The Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 and I was worried that they would attack me here at Gilgal. I hadn't offered a sacrifice to ask for the Lord's help, so I forced myself to offer a sacrifice on the altar fire.”
13 “That was stupid!” Samuel said. “You didn't obey the Lord your God. If you had obeyed him, someone from your family would always have been king of Israel. 14 But no, you disobeyed, and so the Lord won't choose anyone else from your family to be king. In fact, he has already chosen the one he wants to be the next leader of his people.” 15 Then Samuel left Gilgal.
Part of Saul's army had not deserted him, and he led them to Gibeah in Benjamin to join his other troops. Then he counted them and found that he still had 600 men. 16 Saul, Jonathan, and their army set up camp at Geba in Benjamin.
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
The Philistine army was camped at Michmash. 17 Each day they sent out patrols to attack and rob villages and then destroy them. One patrol would go north along the road to Ophrah in the region of Shual. 18 Another patrol would go west along the road to Beth-Horon. A third patrol would go east toward the desert on the road to the ridge that overlooks Zeboim Valley.
19 The Philistines would not allow any Israelites to learn how to make iron tools. “If we allowed that,” they said, “those worthless Israelites would make swords and spears.”
20-21 Whenever the Israelites wanted to get an iron point put on a cattle prod, they had to go to the Philistines. Even if they wanted to sharpen plow-blades, picks, axes, sickles, and pitchforks they still had to go to them. And the Philistines charged high prices. 22 So, whenever the Israelite soldiers had to go into battle, none of them had a sword or a spear except Saul and his son Jonathan.
23 The Philistines moved their camp to the pass at Michmash,
