10. Just as he finished, Samuel arrived. Saul went to meet him.
11. Samuel asked, “What have you done?”Saul answered, “I saw the soldiers leaving me, and you were not here. The Philistines were gathering at Micmash.
12. Then I thought, ‘The Philistines will come against me at Gilgal. And I haven’t asked for the Lord’s approval.’ So I forced myself to offer the whole burnt offering.”
13. Samuel said, “You acted foolishly! You haven’t obeyed God’s command. If you had obeyed him, God would make your kingdom continue in Israel forever.
14. But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has looked for the kind of man he wants. The Lord has appointed him to become ruler of his people. He is doing this because you haven’t obeyed his command.”
15. Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the army followed Saul into battle. Saul counted the men still with him, and there were about 600.
16. Saul and his son Jonathan stayed in Geba in the land of Benjamin. The soldiers with them also stayed there. The Philistines made their camp at Micmash.
17. Three groups went out from their camp to attack. One group went on the Ophrah road in the land of Shual.
18. The second group went on the Beth Horon road. And the third group went on the border road. It overlooked the Valley of Zeboim toward the desert.
19. The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith. This is because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews might make swords and spears.”
20. So all the Israelites went down to the Philistines. They went to have their plows, hoes, axes and sickles sharpened.