1 Sauls bija gadus vecs, kad viņš kļuva ķēniņš, un viņš valdīja divus gadus pār Israēlu. 2 Un Sauls sev izmeklēja no Israēla trīs tūkstošus vīru, un divi tūkstoši bija pie viņa Mikmašas un Bēteles kalnos, bet tūkstoš vīru bija pie Jonatāna Gibeā Benjamīna ciltī; visus pārējos vīrus viņš atlaida, ikvienu uz savu telti. 3 Bet Jonatāns sagrāva filistiešu sardžu nometni, kura atradās Gibeā, un filistieši to dzirdēja; bet Sauls lika pūst taures visā zemē, paziņodams: "Lai ebreji to dzird." 4 Kad viss Israēls dzirdēja sakām, ka Sauls ir sagrāvis filistiešu sardžu nometni un Israēls kļuvis filistiešiem nepanesams, tad tika sasaukta visa tauta uz Gilgalu, lai sekotu Saulam. 5 Arī filistieši sapulcējās, lai uzbruktu Israēlam, pavisam kopā trīsdesmit tūkstoši ratu un seši tūkstoši jātnieku, bet kājnieku tik daudz kā smiltis jūrmalā; tie devās karagājienā un uzcēla savu telšu nometni austrumos no Bet-Avenas pie Mikmašas. 6 Un, kad nu Israēla vīri redzēja, ka viņi ir briesmās, jo ļaudis bija apspiesti, tad ļaudis paslēpās gan alās, gan aizās un klintīs, gan klintīs iekaltās kapenēs, gan ūdens tvertnēs. 7 Daži devās pat pāri Jordānai uz Gada un Gileāda zemi, bet Sauls vēl kavējās Gilgalā, un visi aiz viņa stāvošie ļaudis 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, 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 ļaudis 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 iedrošinājos un nesu dedzināmo upuri." 13 Tad Samuēls atbildēja Saulam: "Tu esi aplam 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 tava ķēniņa valsts nepastāvēs. Tas Kungs jau ir izmeklējis Sev vīru, kas ir pēc Viņa sirdsprāta, 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 uz Gibeu Benjamīna ciltī; bet Sauls pārskaitīja savu karapulku, 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 trīs sirotāju pulki - viens pulks nogriezās pa ceļu uz Ofru, uz Šuala zemi, 18 bet otrs pulks nogriezās uz Bet-Horonas pusi, un trešais pulks pagriezās uz ceļu, kas sniedzas līdz Ceboima ielejai uz tuksneša pusi. 19 Tolaik neviena kalēja nevarēja atrast pa visu Israēla zemi, jo filistieši bija teikuši: "Lai tikai ebreji sev neizgatavo zobenu vai šķēpu." 20 Tādēļ ikvienam israēlietim bija jānoiet lejā pie filistiešiem, lai asinātu sava arkla lemesi, kapli, cirvi, sirpi, 21 arī zobus izkaptīm, kapļiem un cirvjiem, zarus trijžuburu dakšām vai lai sametinātu vēršu dzenamos. 22 Tā notika, ka kaujas dienā 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.
War against the Philistines
2 Saul picked three thousand men, keeping two thousand of them with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel and sending one thousand with his son Jonathan to Gibeah, in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. The rest of the men Saul sent home.
3 Jonathan killed the Philistine commander in Geba, and all the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul sent messengers to call the Hebrews to war by blowing a trumpet throughout the whole country. 4 All the Israelites were told that Saul had killed the Philistine commander and that the Philistines hated them. So the people answered the call to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines assembled to fight the Israelites; they had thirty thousand war chariots, six thousand cavalry troops, and as many soldiers as there are grains of sand on the seashore. They went to Michmash, east of Bethaven, and camped there. 6 Then they launched a strong attack against the Israelites, putting them in a desperate situation. Some of the Israelites hid in caves and holes or among the rocks or in pits and wells; 7 others crossed the Jordan River into the territories of Gad and Gilead.
Saul was still at Gilgal, and the people with him were trembling with fear. 8 He waited seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him to do, but Samuel still had not come to Gilgal. The people began to desert Saul, 9 so he said to them, “Bring me the burnt sacrifices and the fellowship sacrifices.” He offered a burnt sacrifice, 10 and just as he was finishing, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What have you done?”
Saul answered, “The people were deserting me, and you had not come when you said you would; besides that, the Philistines are gathering at Michmash. 12 So I thought, ‘The Philistines are going to attack me here in Gilgal, and I have not tried to win the Lord's favor.’ So I felt I had to offer a sacrifice.”
13 “That was a foolish thing to do,” Samuel answered. “You have not obeyed the command the Lord your God gave you. If you had obeyed, he would have let you and your descendants rule over Israel forever. 14 But now your rule will not continue. Because you have disobeyed him, the Lord will find the kind of man he wants and make him ruler of his people.”
15 Samuel left Gilgal and went on his way. The rest of the people followed Saul as he went to join his soldiers. They went from Gilgal to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. Saul inspected his troops, about six hundred men. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and their men camped in Geba in the territory of Benjamin; the Philistine camp was at Michmash. 17 The Philistine soldiers went out on raids from their camp in three groups: one group went toward Ophrah in the territory of Shual, 18 another went toward Beth Horon, and the other one went to the border overlooking Zeboim Valley and the wilderness.
19 There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears. ( 20 The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened; 21 the charge was one small coin for sharpening axes and for fixing goads, and two coins for sharpening plows or hoes.) 22 And so on the day of battle none of the Israelite soldiers except Saul and his son Jonathan had swords or spears.
23 The Philistines sent a group of soldiers to defend Michmash Pass.
