18. The second group went on the Beth Horon road. The third group went on the border road that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the desert.
19. The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews might make swords and spears.”
20. So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to have their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened.
21. The Philistine blacksmiths charged about one-fourth of an ounce of silver for sharpening plows and hoes. And they charged one-eighth of an ounce of silver for sharpening picks, axes, and the sticks used to guide oxen.
22. So when the battle came, the soldiers with Saul and Jonathan had no swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23. A group from the Philistine army had gone out to the pass at Micmash.