One year was Shaul in his reign, and he reigned over Yisroel for two years.

Shaul chose for himself three thousand [men] from Yisroel. Two thousand were with Shaul at Michmos and at Mount Beis Eil, and one thousand were with Yonoson at Givas Binyomin; and the rest of the people he sent off, each man to his tent.

Yonoson slew the Philistine governor in Geva, and the Philistines heard about it. Shaul blew the shofar throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."

All Yisroel heard, saying, "Shaul had killed the Philistine governor, and that Yisroel has become hateful to the Philistines." The people were called up to follow Shaul to Gilgol.

The Philistines gathered to wage war against Yisroel; thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand of the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmos, to the east of Beis Oven.

The men of Yisroel saw that they were in distress, for the people were in dire straits, so the people hid in caves, in thorn bushes, among rocks, in towers and in pits.

Some Hebrews crossed the Yardein to the land of Gad and Gilad. Shaul was still in Gilgol, and all the people hurried after him.

He waited seven days, till the time set by Shmuel; but Shmuel did not come to Gilgol, so the people disbanded from him.

Shaul said, "Bring me the burnt-offering and the peace-offering." And he sacrificed the burnt-offering.

Just as he finished sacrificing the burnt-offering, behold, Shmuel came, and Shaul went out to meet and greet him.

Shmuel said, "What have you done?" And Shaul said, "Because I saw that the people were disbanding from me, and you had not come at the appointed day, and that the Philistines were gathering at Michmos.

And I said [to myself], 'Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgol, and I have not supplicated before Adonoy, so I forced myself and sacrificed the burnt-offering.'"

Shmuel said to Shaul, "You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Adonoy, your God, that He commanded you. For now Adonoy would have established your kingship over Yisroel forever.

But now your kingship shall not endure. Adonoy has sought for Himself a man after His own heart and He appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not observed that which Adonoy commanded you.

Shmuel rose and went up from Gilgol to Givas Binyomin. Shaul counted the people who were [still] with him: about six hundred men.

Shaul and his son Yonoson, and the people who were with them, were staying in Givas Binyomin, while the Philistines were camped at Michmos.

The raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three forces. One force turned toward the road to Ophroh, to the land of Shual;

And one force turned toward the road to Beis Choron; and one force turned toward the road of the border which overlooks the Valley of the Tzevo'im, toward the desert.

A blacksmith was not to be found anywhere in the entire land of Yisroel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews produce a sword or spear."

And all of Yisroel would go down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe and his tools.

There was a multi-edged file that was used for the tools, mattocks, three-pronged pitchforks, and axes, and for setting the yoke.

Thus it was on that day of war, that there was neither a sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the people who were with Shaul and Yonoson; but they could be found with Shaul and his son Yonoson.

A Philistine garrison went out towards the Pass of Michmos.