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1 Samuel 13 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

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Saul Makes His First Mistake

13 Saul was 30[a] years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel 42 years.[b] 2 Saul chose 3000 men from Israel. There were 2000 men who stayed with him at Micmash in the hill country of Bethel. There were 1000 men who stayed with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul sent the other men in the army back home.

3 Jonathan defeated the Philistines at their camp in Geba. The Philistines heard about this. They said, “The Hebrews have rebelled.”[c]

Saul said, “Let the Hebrew people hear what happened.” So Saul told the men to blow trumpets through all the land of Israel. 4 All the Israelites heard this news: “Saul has killed the Philistine leader. Now the Philistines will really hate the Israelites!”

The Israelites were called to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines gathered to fight Israel. The Philistines camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. They had 3000[d] chariots and 6000 horse soldiers. There were so many Philistines that they were like sand on the seashore.

6 The Israelites saw that they were in trouble. They felt trapped. They ran away to hide in caves and cracks in the rock. They hid among the rocks, in wells, and in other holes in the ground. 7 Some Hebrews even went across the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal. All the men in his army were shaking with fear.

8 Samuel said he would meet Saul at Gilgal. Saul waited there seven days. But Samuel had not yet come to Gilgal, and the soldiers began to leave Saul. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings.” Then Saul offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as Saul finished offering that sacrifice, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him.

11 Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Saul answered, “I saw the soldiers leaving me. You were not here on time, and the Philistines were gathering at Micmash. 12 I thought to myself, ‘The Philistines will come here and attack me at Gilgal, and I haven’t asked the Lord to help us yet.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

13 Samuel said, “You did a foolish thing. You did not obey the Lord your God. If you had done what he commanded, the Lord would have let your family rule Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom won’t continue. The Lord was looking for a man who wants to obey him.[e] He has found that man—and the Lord has chosen him to be the new leader of his people, because you didn’t obey his command.” 15 Then Samuel got up and left Gilgal.

The Battle at Micmash

Saul and the rest of his army left Gilgal[f] and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him. There were about 600. 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers went to Geba in Benjamin.

The Philistines were camped at Micmash. 17 So their best soldiers began the attack. The Philistine army split into three groups. One group went north on the road to Ophrah, near Shual. 18 The second group went southeast on the road to Beth Horon, and the third group went east on the road to the border. That road looks over the Valley of Zeboim toward the desert.

19 There were no blacksmiths in Israel. The Philistines would not allow them because they were afraid the Israelites would make iron swords and spears. 20 Only the Philistines could sharpen iron tools. So if the Israelites needed to sharpen their plows, hoes, axes, or sickles, they had to go to the Philistines. 21 The Philistine blacksmiths charged 1/3 ounce[g] of silver for sharpening plows and hoes and 1/6 ounce[h] of silver for sharpening picks, axes, and the iron tip on ox goads. 22 So on the day of battle, none of the Israelite soldiers with Saul had iron swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had such weapons.

23 A group of Philistine soldiers guarded the mountain pass at Micmash.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:1 30 This first number and part of the second number in this verse are missing in the Hebrew text. The whole verse is missing from most copies of the ancient Greek version, but a few late Greek copies have the numbers 30 and 42. Acts 13:21 says that Saul was king for 40 years.
  2. 1 Samuel 13:1 He ruled … 42 years Or “After he had ruled over Israel for 2 years, ….”
  3. 1 Samuel 13:3 They said … rebelled This is from the ancient Greek version.
  4. 1 Samuel 13:5 3000 This is found in some copies of the ancient Greek version and the Syriac version. The standard Hebrew text has “30,000.”
  5. 1 Samuel 13:14 a man who wants to obey him Literally, “a man according to his heart.” This could also mean “a man of his own choosing.”
  6. 1 Samuel 13:15 Saul and the rest of his army left Gilgal This is found in the ancient Greek version but not in the standard Hebrew text.
  7. 1 Samuel 13:21 1/3 ounce Literally, “1 pim” (7.8 g).
  8. 1 Samuel 13:21 1/6 ounce Literally, “1/3 shekel” (3.8 g).

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1 Samuel 13 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

13 A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel, 2 and Saul chooseth for himself three thousand [men] out of Israel; and two thousand are with Saul in Michmash, and in the hill-country of Beth-El; and a thousand have been with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; ...
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1 Samuel 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 Saul was a son of one year, that is, as innocent and clean of sin as a child of one year, when he began to reign; and he reigned upon Israel two (and twenty) years. (Saul was fifty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.) 2 And Saul chose to him three th...
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1 Samuel 13 - World English Bible (WEB)

13 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.[a] 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 ...
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1 Samuel 13 - The Voice (VOICE)

13 Saul was about 30[a] years old when he became king, and after he ruled for at least two years, 2 Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel: 2,000 stayed with him in the hill country of Bethel at a place called Michmash, and the other 1,000 joined Saul’s son Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent all the r...
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1 Samuel 13 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Saul’s Misguided Sacrifice13 Saul was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 42 years over Israel. 2 Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmas and in the hill country of Beth-el, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The ...
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1 Samuel 13 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two[b][c] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib′e-ah of Be...
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1 Samuel 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two[b] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib′e-ah of Benja...
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1 Samuel 13 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign; and he reigned for . . . and two[b] years over Israel. 2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Ben...
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1 Samuel 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul was . . .[a] years old when he began to reign, and he reigned . . . and two[b] years over Israel.2 Saul chose three thousand out of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin...
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1 Samuel 13 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Continued War with Philistia13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.[b] 2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. ...
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1 Samuel 13 - New Life Version (NLV)

War with the Philistines13 Saul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. There were 2,000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away ...
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Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice13 Saul [a]reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in (A)Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with (B)Jonathan in (C)Gibeah of Benjamin. The r...
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1 Samuel 13 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

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1 Samuel 13 - New International Version (NIV)

Samuel Rebukes Saul13 Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand(A) were with him at Mikmash(B) and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah(C) in Benjam...
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1 Samuel 13 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Samuel Judges Saul’s Sin13 Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 of Israel’s men. Two thousand of them were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel. One thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. Saul sent t...
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1 Samuel 13 - New English Translation (NET)

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