14. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.’
15. Then Samuel left Gilgald and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
16. Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeahe of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned towards Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual,
18. another towards Beth Horon, and the third towards the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
19. Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, ‘Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!’
20. So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their ploughshares, mattocks, axes and sicklesf sharpened.
21. The price was two-thirds of a shekelg for sharpening ploughshares and mattocks, and a third of a shekelh for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
22. So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.