Saulשָׁאוּלwas a year oldבֶּן שָׁנָהwhen he began to reign,בְּמָלְכוֹand he reignedמָלַךְtwoוּשְׁתֵּיyearsשָׁנִיםoverעַלIsrael.יִשְׂרָאֵל
Saulשָׁאוּלchoseוַיִּבְחַרfor himselfלוֹthreeשְׁלֹשֶׁתthousandאֲלָפִיםfrom Israel;מִיִּשְׂרָאֵלtwo thousandאַלְפַּיִםwereוַיִּהְיוּwithעִםSaulשָׁאוּלat Michmashבְּמִכְמָשׂand in the hill countryוּבְהַרof Bethel,בֵּית אֵלand a thousandוְאֶלֶףwereהָיוּwithעִםJonathanיוֹנָתָןat Gibeahבְּגִבְעַתof Benjamin;בִּנְיָמִיןand the restוְיֶתֶרof the peopleהָעָםhe sent away,שִׁלַּחeachאִישׁto his tents.לְאֹהָלָיו
Jonathanיוֹנָתָןstruckוַיַּךְthe garrisonאֵת נְצִיבof the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיםthat wasאֲשֶׁרat Geba,בְּגֶבַעand the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיםheard of it.וַיִּשְׁמְעוּAnd Saulוְשָׁאוּלblewתָּקַעthe hornבַּשּׁוֹפָרthroughout allבְּכָלthe land,הָאָרֶץsaying,לֵאמֹר“Let the Hebrewsהָעִבְרִיםhear.”יִשְׁמְעוּ
AllוְכָלIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלheardשָׁמְעוּit said,לֵאמֹר“Saulשָׁאוּלhas struckהִכָּהthe garrisonאֶת נְצִיבof the Philistines,פְּלִשְׁתִּיםand alsoוְגַםIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלhas become odiousנִבְאַשׁto the Philistines.”בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּיםAnd the peopleוַ הָעָםwere summonedיִּצָּעֲקוּafterאַחֲרֵיSaulשָׁאוּלat Gilgal.הַגִּלְגָּל
The Philistinesוּפְלִשְׁתִּיםgatheredנֶאֶסְפוּto fightלְהִלָּחֵםwithעִםIsrael:יִשְׂרָאֵלthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםthousandאֶלֶףchariotsרֶכֶבand sixוְשֵׁשֶׁתthousandאֲלָפִיםhorsemen,פָּרָשִׁיםand peopleוְעָםlike the sandכַּחוֹלthat isאֲשֶׁרonעַלthe shoreשְׂפַתof the seaהַיָּםin multitude.לָרֹבThey came upוַיַּעֲלוּand campedוַיַּחֲנוּat Michmash,בְמִכְמָשׂeastקִדְמַתof Beth-aven.בֵּית אָוֶן
The menוְאִישׁof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלsawרָאוּthatכִּיthey were in distress,צַר לוֹforכִּיthe peopleהָעָםwere hard pressed,נִגַּשׂand the peopleוַ הָעָםhidיִּתְחַבְּאוּin the caves,בַּמְּעָרוֹתin the thickets,וּבַחֲוָחִיםin the rocks,וּבַסְּלָעִיםin the strongholds,וּבַצְּרִחִיםand in the cisterns.וּבַבֹּרוֹת
And some Hebrewsוְעִבְרִיםcrossedעָבְרוּthe Jordanאֶת הַיַּרְדֵּןto the landאֶרֶץof Gadגָּדand Gilead.וְגִלְעָדSaulוְשָׁאוּלwas stillעוֹדֶנּוּat Gilgal,בַגִּלְגָּלand allוְכָלthe peopleהָעָםtrembledחָרְדוּafter him.אַחֲרָיו
He waitedוַיּוֹחֶלsevenשִׁבְעַתdays,יָמִיםuntil the appointed timeלַמּוֹעֵדthatאֲשֶׁרSamuel had set;שְׁמוּאֵלbut Samuelוְ שְׁמוּאֵלdid notלֹאcomeבָאto Gilgal,הַגִּלְגָּלand the peopleוַ הָעָםwere scatteringיָּפֶץfrom him.מֵעָלָיו
Saulשָׁאוּלsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Bringהַגִּשׁוּto meאֵלַיthe burnt offeringהָעֹלָהand the peace offerings.”וְהַשְּׁלָמִיםAnd he offered upוַיַּעַלthe burnt offering.הָעֹלָה
And it came about,וַיְהִיas he finishedכְּכַלֹּתוֹoffering upלְהַעֲלוֹתthe burnt offering,הָעֹלָהlook,וְהִנֵּהSamuelשְׁמוּאֵלwas coming;בָּאand Saulוַ שָׁאוּלwent outיֵּצֵאto meet him,לִקְרָאתוֹto bless him.לְבָרֲכוֹ
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Whatמֶהhave you done?”עָשִׂיתָAnd Saulוַ שָׁאוּלsaid,יֹּאמֶר“BecauseכִּיI sawרָאִיתִיthatכִיthe peopleהָעָםwere scatteringנָפַץfrom me,מֵעָלַיand youוְאַתָּהdid notלֹאcomeבָאתָwithin the appointed timeלְמוֹעֵדof the days,הַיָּמִיםand the Philistinesוּפְלִשְׁתִּיםwere gatheredנֶאֱסָפִיםat Michmash,מִכְמָשׂ
I said,וָאֹמַר‘Nowעַתָּהthe Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּיםwill come downיֵרְדוּagainst meאֵלַיat Gilgal,הַגִּלְגָּלand I have notוּ לֹאpleaded beforeפְנֵי חִלִּיתִיYHWH’;יְהוָהso I forced myselfוָאֶתְאַפַּקand offered upוָאַעֲלֶהthe burnt offering.”הָעֹלָה
SamuelשְׁמוּאֵלsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלSaul,שָׁאוּל“You have acted foolishly.נִסְכָּלְתָּYou have notלֹאkeptשָׁמַרְתָּthe commandmentאֶת מִצְוַתof YHWHיְהוָהyour Elohimאֱלֹהֶיךָthatאֲשֶׁרhe commanded you;צִוָּךְforכִּיnowעַתָּהYHWHיְהוָהwould have establishedהֵכִיןyour kingdomאֶת מַמְלַכְתְּךָoverאֶלIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלforever.עַד עוֹלָם
But nowוְעַתָּהyour kingdomמַמְלַכְתְּךָwill notלֹאstand firm.תָקוּםYHWHיְהוָהhas soughtבִּקֵּשׁfor himselfלוֹa manאִישׁafter his own heart,כִּלְבָבוֹand YHWHוַ יְהוָהhas commanded him to beיְצַוֵּהוּleaderלְנָגִידoverעַלhis people,עַמּוֹbecauseכִּיyou have notלֹאkeptשָׁמַרְתָּwhatאֵת אֲשֶׁרYHWHיְהוָהcommanded you.”צִוְּךָ
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלaroseוַיָּקָםand went upוַיַּעַלfromמִןGilgalהַגִּלְגָּלto Gibeahגִּבְעַתof Benjamin.בִּנְיָמִןAnd Saulוַ שָׁאוּלcountedיִּפְקֹדthe peopleאֶת הָעָםwho were foundהַנִּמְצְאִיםwith him,עִמּוֹabout sixכְּשֵׁשׁhundredמֵאוֹתmen.אִישׁ
Saulוְשָׁאוּלand Jonathanוְיוֹנָתָןhis sonבְּנוֹand the peopleוְהָעָםwho were foundהַנִּמְצָאwith themעִמָּםwere stayingיֹשְׁבִיםat Gebaבְּגֶבַעof Benjamin,בִּנְיָמִןand the Philistinesוּפְלִשְׁתִּיםwere campedחָנוּat Michmash.בְמִכְמָשׂ
The destroyersהַמַּשְׁחִיתcame outוַיֵּצֵאof the campמִמַּחֲנֵהof the Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּיםin threeשְׁלֹשָׁהgroups:רָאשִׁיםoneאֶחָדgroupהָרֹאשׁturnedיִפְנֶהtowardאֶלthe roadדֶּרֶךְto Ophrah,עָפְרָהtoאֶלthe landאֶרֶץof Shual;שׁוּעָל
anotherוְ אֶחָדgroupהָרֹאשׁturnedיִפְנֶהtoward the roadדֶּרֶךְto Beth-horon;בֵּית חֹרוֹןand anotherוְ אֶחָדgroupהָרֹאשׁturnedיִפְנֶהtoward the roadדֶּרֶךְof the borderהַגְּבוּלthat looks downהַנִּשְׁקָףonעַלthe valleyגֵּיof Zeboim,הַצְּבֹעִיםtoward the wilderness.הַמִּדְבָּרָה
Noלֹאsmithוְחָרָשׁwas foundיִמָּצֵאin allבְּכֹלthe landאֶרֶץof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלforכִּיthe Philistinesפְלִשְׁתִּיםhad said,אָמְרוּ“Otherwiseפֶּןthe Hebrewsהָעִבְרִיםwill makeיַעֲשׂוּswordחֶרֶבorאוֹspear.”חֲנִית
So allוַ כָלIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלwent downיֵּרְדוּto the Philistinesהַפְּלִשְׁתִּיםto sharpenלִלְטוֹשׁeachאִישׁhis plowshare,אֶת מַחֲרַשְׁתּוֹhis mattock,וְאֶת אֵתוֹhis ax,וְאֶת קַרְדֻּמּוֹand his hoe.וְאֵת מַחֲרֵשָׁתוֹ
And the priceוְ הַפְּצִירָהwasהָיְתָהa pimפִיםfor the plowsharesלַמַּחֲרֵשֹׁתand for the mattocks,וְלָאֵתִיםand for the three-prongedוְלִשְׁלֹשׁforksקִלְּשׁוֹןand for the axes,וּלְהַקַּרְדֻּמִּיםand for setting straightוּלְהַצִּיבthe goad.הַדָּרְבָן
And it came aboutוְהָיָהon the dayבְּיוֹםof warמִלְחֶמֶתthatnoוְלֹאswordחֶרֶבor spearוַחֲנִיתwas foundנִמְצָאin the handבְּיַדof anyכָּלof the peopleהָעָםwho wereאֲשֶׁרwithאֶתSaulשָׁאוּלand withוְאֶתJonathan,יוֹנָתָןbut one was foundוַתִּמָּצֵאfor Saulלְשָׁאוּלand for Jonathanוּלְיוֹנָתָןhis son.בְּנוֹ
The postמַצַּבof the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיםwent outוַיֵּצֵאtoאֶלthe passמַעֲבַרof Michmash.מִכְמָשׂ