1. It was in the first year of Sha'ul's reign, and when he had reigned [his first] two shanim over Yisroel,
2. Sha'ul chose him shloshet alafim of Yisroel; whereof two elef were with Sha'ul at Michmash and in har Beit-El, and an elef were with Yonatan in Giveat Binyamin; and the rest of HaAm he sent back every ish to his ohel.
3. And Yonatan struck the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines) that was in Geva, and the Pelishtim heard of it. Then Sha'ul blew the shofar throughout kol HaAretz, saying, Let the Ivrim (Hebrews) hear.
4. And kol Yisroel heard the news that Sha'ul had struck the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and that Yisroel also had become odious to the Pelishtim. And HaAm were called together after Sha'ul at Gilgal.
5. And the Pelishtim (Philistines) gathered themselves together to fight against Yisroel, sheloshim elef merkavot and sheshet alafim parashim, and soldiers like the chol (sand) which is on the seashore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped at Michmash, east of Beit-Aven.
6. When the Ish Yisroel saw that they were in danger (for the army was hard-pressed), then the people did hide themselves in me'arot (caves), and in thickets, and among rocks, and in towers, and in borot (pits).
7. And some of the Ivrim (Hebrews) went over Yarden to Eretz Gad and Gil`ad. As for Sha'ul, he was yet in Gilgal, and kol HaAm followed him fearfully trembling.
8. And he tarried shivat yamim, according to the mo'ed (set time) that Shmuel had appointed; but Shmuel came not to Gilgal; and HaAm started slipping away from him.
9. And Sha'ul said, Bring to me the olah (burnt offering), and shelamim (peace offerings). And he offered the olah (burnt offering).
10. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had finished offering the olah (burnt offering), hinei, Shmuel came; and Sha'ul went out to meet him, that he might make a berakhah greeting on him.
11. And Shmuel said, What hast thou done? And Sha'ul said, Because I saw that HaAm were slipping away from me, and that thou camest not at the mo'ed hayamim, and that the Pelishtim were assembling themselves together at Michmash;