12. So I thought, ‘The Philistines are going to attack me here in Gilgal, and I have not tried to win the Lord's favour.’ 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 for ever.
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 600 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 towards Ophrah in the territory of Shual,
18. another went towards Beth Horon, and the other one went to the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim 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 ploughs, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened;
21. the charge was one small coin for sharpening axes and for repairing ox goads, and two coins for sharpening ploughs 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 the pass of Michmash.