1Sha’ul was some years old when he began to reign; and two years he reigned over Yisra’el. 2And Sha’ul chose him three thousand men of Yisra’el; whereof two thousand were with Sha’ul in Mikhmas and in the mount of Beit El, and a thousand were with Yonatan in Givat Binyamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3And Yonatan smote the garrison of the P’lishtim that was in Geva, and the P’lishtim heard of it. And Sha’ul blew the shofar throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Ivrim hear!” 4And all Yisra’el heard it said that Sha’ul had smitten the garrison of the P’lishtim, and that Yisra’el also had made himself odious with the P’lishtim. And the people were gathered together after Sha’ul to Gilgal. 5And the P’lishtim assembled themselves together to fight with Yisra’el, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Mikhmas, eastward of Beit Aven. 6When the men of Yisra’el saw that they were in a strait–for the people were distressed–then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in holds, and in pits. 7Now some of the Ivrim had gone over the Yarden to the land of Gad and Gilad; but as for Sha’ul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Shmu’el had appointed; but Shmu’el came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9And Sha’ul said, “Bring here to me the Olot and the Sh’lamim.” And he offered the Olah. 10And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the Olah, behold, Shmu’el came; and Sha’ul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11And Shmu’el said, “What have you done?’ And Sha’ul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the P’lishtim assembled themselves together against Mikhmas, 12therefore said I, ‘Now will the P’lishtim come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of יהוה ; ‘ I forced myself therefore, and offered the Olah.” 13And Shmu’el said to Sha’ul, “You have done foolishly; you have not kept the mitzvah of יהוה your Elohim, which He commanded you; for now would יהוה have established your kingdom upon Yisra’el forever. 14But now your kingdom shall not continue; יהוה has sought him a man after His own heart, and יהוה has appointed him to be prince over His people, because you have not kept that which יהוה commanded you.” 15And Shmu’el arose, and got him up from Gilgal unto Givat Binyamin. And Sha’ul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men. 16And Sha’ul, and Yonatan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Givat Binyamin; but the P’lishtim encamped in Mikhmas.
17And the spoilers came out of the camp of the P’lishtim in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leads to Ofrah, unto the land of Shual; 18and another company turned the way to Beit Khoron; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down upon the valley of Tzevo’im toward the wilderness. 19Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Yisra’el; for the P’lishtim said, “Lest the Ivrim make them swords or spears;” 20but all the Yisra’elites went down to the P’lishtim, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21And the price of the filing was a pim for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks with three teeth, and for the axes; and to set the goads. 22So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Sha’ul and Yonatan; but with Sha’ul and with Yonatan his son was there found. 23And the garrison of the P’lishtim went out unto the pass of Mikhmas.
אבֶּן שָׁנָה שָׁאוּל בְּמָלְכוֹ; וּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים מָלַךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. בוַיִּבְחַר לוֹ שָׁאוּל שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ עִם שָׁאוּל אַלְפַּיִם בְּמִכְמָשׂ וּבְהַר בֵּית אֵל וְאֶלֶף הָיוּ עִם יוֹנָתָן בְּגִבְעַת בִּנְיָמִין; וְיֶתֶר הָעָם שִׁלַּח אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו. גוַיַּךְ יוֹנָתָן אֵת נְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּגֶבַע וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וְשָׁאוּל תָּקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר יִשְׁמְעוּ הָעִבְרִים. דוְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמְעוּ לֵאמֹר הִכָּה שָׁאוּל אֶת נְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְגַם נִבְאַשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים; וַיִּצָּעֲקוּ הָעָם אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל הַגִּלְגָּל. הוּפְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֶסְפוּ לְהִלָּחֵם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רֶכֶב וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים פָּרָשִׁים וְעָם כַּחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם לָרֹב; וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְמִכְמָשׂ קִדְמַת בֵּית אָוֶן. ווְאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאוּ כִּי צַר לוֹ כִּי נִגַּשׂ הָעָם; וַיִּתְחַבְּאוּ הָעָם בַּמְּעָרוֹת וּבַחֲוָחִים וּבַסְּלָעִים וּבַצְּרִחִים וּבַבֹּרוֹת. זוְעִבְרִים עָבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶרֶץ גָּד וְגִלְעָד; וְשָׁאוּל עוֹדֶנּוּ בַגִּלְגָּל וְכָל הָעָם חָרְדוּ אַחֲרָיו. חוייחל (וַיּוֹחֶל) שִׁבְעַת יָמִים לַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר שְׁמוּאֵל וְלֹא בָא שְׁמוּאֵל הַגִּלְגָּל; וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם מֵעָלָיו. טוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל הַגִּשׁוּ אֵלַי הָעֹלָה וְהַשְּׁלָמִים; וַיַּעַל הָעֹלָה. יוַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעֹלָה וְהִנֵּה שְׁמוּאֵל בָּא; וַיֵּצֵא שָׁאוּל לִקְרָאתוֹ לְבָרְכוֹ. יאוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל מֶה עָשִׂיתָ; וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל כִּי רָאִיתִי כִי נָפַץ הָעָם מֵעָלַי וְאַתָּה לֹא בָאתָ לְמוֹעֵד הַיָּמִים וּפְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֱסָפִים מִכְמָשׂ. יבוָאֹמַר עַתָּה יֵרְדוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֵלַי הַגִּלְגָּל וּפְנֵי יהוה לֹא חִלִּיתִי; וָאֶתְאַפַּק וָאַעֲלֶה הָעֹלָה. יגוַיַּעַל יוֹנָתָן עַל יָדָיו וְעַל רַגְלָיו וְנֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו אַחֲרָיו; וַיִּפְּלוּ לִפְנֵי יוֹנָתָן וְנֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו מְמוֹתֵת אַחֲרָיו. ידוַתְּהִי הַמַּכָּה הָרִאשֹׁנָה אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה יוֹנָתָן וְנֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו כְּעֶשְׂרִים אִישׁ: כְּבַחֲצִי מַעֲנָה צֶמֶד שָׂדֶה. טווַתְּהִי חֲרָדָה בַמַּחֲנֶה בַשָּׂדֶה וּבְכָל הָעָם הַמַּצָּב וְהַמַּשְׁחִית חָרְדוּ גַּם הֵמָּה; וַתִּרְגַּז הָאָרֶץ וַתְּהִי לְחֶרְדַּת אֱלֹהִים. טזוַיִּרְאוּ הַצֹּפִים לְשָׁאוּל בְּגִבְעַת בִּנְיָמִן; וְהִנֵּה הֶהָמוֹן נָמוֹג וַיֵּלֶךְ וַהֲלֹם.
יזוַיֵּצֵא הַמַּשְׁחִית מִמַּחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים: הָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה אֶל דֶּרֶךְ עָפְרָה אֶל אֶרֶץ שׁוּעָל. יחוְהָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית חֹרוֹן; וְהָרֹאשׁ אֶחָד יִפְנֶה דֶּרֶךְ הַגְּבוּל הַנִּשְׁקָף עַל גֵּי הַצְּבֹעִים הַמִּדְבָּרָה. יטוְחָרָשׁ לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּכֹל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי אמר (אָמְרוּ) פְלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן יַעֲשׂוּ הָעִבְרִים חֶרֶב אוֹ חֲנִית. כוַיֵּרְדוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים לִלְטוֹשׁ אִישׁ אֶת מַחֲרַשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת אֵתוֹ וְאֶת קַרְדֻּמּוֹ וְאֵת מַחֲרֵשָׁתוֹ. כאוְהָיְתָה הַפְּצִירָה פִים לַמַּחֲרֵשֹׁת וְלָאֵתִים וְלִשְׁלֹשׁ קִלְּשׁוֹן וּלְהַקַּרְדֻּמִּים; וּלְהַצִּיב הַדָּרְבָן. כבוְהָיָה בְּיוֹם מִלְחֶמֶת וְלֹא נִמְצָא חֶרֶב וַחֲנִית בְּיַד כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אֶת שָׁאוּל וְאֶת יוֹנָתָן; וַתִּמָּצֵא לְשָׁאוּל וּלְיוֹנָתָן בְּנוֹ. כגוַיֵּצֵא מַצַּב פְּלִשְׁתִּים אֶל מַעֲבַר מִכְמָשׂ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 