11 April - 1 Samuel 13-14

Jude Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:47 pm

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

1 SAMUEL 13

1Sha’ul was... years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Yisra’ĕl,

2Sha’ul chose for himself three thousand men of Yisra’ĕl. And two thousand were with Sha’ul in Miḵmash and in the mountains of Bĕyth Ěl, and a thousand were with Yonathan in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each to his tent.

3And Yonathan smote the watch-post of the Philistines that was in Geḇa, and the Philistines heard of it. And Sha’ul blew the ram’s horn throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Heḇrews hear!”

4And all Yisra’ĕl heard the news that Sha’ul had smitten a watch-post of the Philistines, and also that Yisra’ĕl had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were summoned to Sha’ul at Gilgal.

5And the Philistines gathered to fight Yisra’ĕl, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they came up and encamped in Miḵmash, east of Bĕyth Awen.

6And the men of Yisra’ĕl saw that they were in trouble, for the people were distressed, and the people hid in caves, and in thorny bushes, and in rocks, and in holes, and in pits.

7And some Heḇrews passed over the Yardĕn to the land of Gaḏ and Gil‛aḏ. But Sha’ul was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

8And he waited for seven days, according to the appointment with Shemu’ĕl. But Shemu’ĕl did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.

9And Sha’ul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.

10And it came to be, as he had finished offering the burnt offering, look, Shemu’ĕl came. And Sha’ul went out to meet him, to bless him.

11Then Shemu’ĕl 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 Philistines gathered at Miḵmash,

12so I said, ‘The Philistines are going to come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not appeased the face of יהוה.’ So I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”

13And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “You have been foolish. You have not guarded the command of יהוה your Elohim, which He commanded you. For now יהוה would have established your reign over Yisra’ĕl forever.

14“But now, your reign is not going to stand. יהוה shall seek for Himself a man after His own hearta, and יהוה shall command him to be leader over His people, because you have not guarded what יהוה commanded you.”

15And Shemu’ĕl arose and went up from Gilgal to Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin. And Sha’ul mustered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

16And Sha’ul, and Yonathan his son, and the people who were present with them remained in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin, while the Philistines camped at Miḵmash.

17And from the camp of the Philistines raiders went out in three companies. The one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shu‛al,

18and another company turned toward the way of Bĕyth Ḥoron, and another company turned toward the way of the border that overlooks the Valley of Tseḇo‛im toward the wilderness.

19Now no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Yisra’ĕl, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Heḇrews make swords or spears.”

20And all Yisra’ĕl went down to the Philistines, each one to sharpen his ploughshare, and his mattock, and his axe, and his sickle.

21And the charge was a pim for the ploughshares, and the mattocks, and the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads.

22And it came to be, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Sha’ul and Yonathan. But they were found with Sha’ul and Yonathan his son.

23And the outpost of the Philistines went out to the pass of Miḵmash.

1 SAMUEL 14

1And it came to be one day that Yonathan son of Sha’ul said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, and let us go over to the outpost of the Philistines which is on the other side.” But he did not inform his father.

2And Sha’ul remained at the outskirts of Giḇ‛ah under a pomegranate tree at Mig̅ron, and the people who were with him were about six hundred men.

3And Aḥiyah son of Aḥituḇ, Iḵaḇoḏ’s brother, son of Pineḥas, son of Ěli, the priest of יהוה in Shiloh, was wearing a shoulder garment. And the people did not know that Yonathan had gone.

4And between the passes, by which Yonathan sought to go over to the outpost of the Philistines, there was an edge of a rock on one side and an edge of a rock on the other side. And the name of one was Botsĕts, and the name of the other Seneh.

5The one edge was on the north opposite Miḵmash, and the other on the south opposite Giḇ‛ah.

6And Yehonathan said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, and let us go over to the outpost of these uncircumcised. If so be, יהוה does work for us. For there is no hindrance for יהוה to save by many or by few.”

7And his armour-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart, incline yourself. See, I am with you, according to your heart.”

8And Yehonathan said, “See, we are passing over to the men – and show ourselves to them.

9“If they say this to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we shall stand still in our place and not go up to them.

10“But if they say this, ‘Come up to us,’ then we shall go up. For יהוה has given them into our hand, and this is the sign to us.”

11And both of them disclosed themselves to the outpost of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, “See, the Heḇrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.”

12And the men of the outpost called to Yonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and let us teach you a lesson.” Then Yonathan said to his armour-bearer, “Come up after me, for יהוה has given them into the hand of Yisra’ĕl.”

13And Yonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armour-bearer after him. And they fell before Yonathan, and his armour-bearer was putting them to death behind him.

14And that first slaughter which Yonathan and his armour-bearer made was about twenty men, in about half an acre of land.

15And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The outpost and the raiders also trembled, and the ground shook. And it became a trembling of Elohim.

16And the watchmen of Sha’ul in Giḇ‛ah of Binyamin looked and saw the crowd melting away, and they went here and there.

17And Sha’ul said to the people who were with him, “Please inspect and see who has gone from us.” So they inspected and saw that Yonathan and his armour-bearer were missing.

18And Sha’ul said to Aḥiyah, “Bring the ark of Elohim here.” For the ark of Elohim was with the children of Yisra’ĕl on that day.

19And it came to be, while Sha’ul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on, and became great, so Sha’ul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

20And Sha’ul was called, and all the people who were with him, and they went to the battle. And see, every man’s sword was against his neighbour – a very great confusion.

21And the Heḇrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp, turned round, they too, to be with Yisra’ĕl, who were with Sha’ul and Yonathan.

22And all the men of Yisra’ĕl who had hidden in the mountains of Ephrayim, heard that the Philistines fled, and they also pursued them in the battle.

23Thus יהוה saved Yisra’ĕl that day, and the battle passed over to Bĕyth Awen.

24And the men of Yisra’ĕl were distressed that day, for Sha’ul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until evening, and I have taken revenge on my enemies.” Therefore none of the people tasted food.

25And all they of the land came into the woods, and there was honey on the ground.

26And the people came into the woods and saw the honey, dripping. But no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

27But Yonathan had not heard that his father had taken an oath of the people, and he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth. And his eyes lit up.

28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly took an oath of the people, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’ ” And the people were weary.

29And Yonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Now see how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey.

30“How much better if the people had well eaten today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For then, would not the slaughter among the Philistines have been greater?”

31And they smote the Philistines that day from Miḵmash to Ayalon. So the people were very weary,

32and the people pounced on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate with the blood.

33And they told Sha’ul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against יהוה by eating with the blood!” And he said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today.”

34And Sha’ul said, “Scatter among the people, and say to them, ‘Each one bring his ox near to me, and each one his sheep, and you shall slaughter them here, and eat. And do not sin against יהוה by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there.

35And Sha’ul built an altar to יהוה. It was the first altar he built to יהוה.

36And Sha’ul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to Elohim here.”

37And Sha’ul asked of Elohim, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Do You give them into the hand of Yisra’ĕl?” But He did not answer him that day.

38And Sha’ul said, “Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.

39“For as יהוה lives, who saves Yisra’ĕl, though it be in Yonathan my son, he shall certainly die.” But not one among all the people answered him.

40And he said to all Yisra’ĕl, “You be on one side, and my son Yonathan and I be on the other side.” And the people said to Sha’ul, “Do what seems good to you.”

41Then Sha’ul said to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Give a perfect lot.” And Sha’ul and Yonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

42And Sha’ul said, “Cast lots between my son Yonathan and me.” And Yonathan was taken.

43Sha’ul then said to Yonathan, “Explain to me what you have done.” And Yonathan explained to him, and said, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. See, let me die!”

44And Sha’ul answered, “Elohim do so and more also, for you shall certainly die, Yonathan.”

45But the people said to Sha’ul, “Should Yonathan die, who has wrought this great deliverance in Yisra’ĕl? Far be it! As יהוה lives, let not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with Elohim this day.” Thus the people delivered Yonathan, and he did not die.

46And Sha’ul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

47And Sha’ul took the reign over Yisra’ĕl, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Mo’aḇ, and against the children of Ammon, and against Eḏom, and against the sovereigns of Tsoḇah, and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.

48And he gathered an army and smote the Amalĕqites, and delivered Yisra’ĕl from the hands of those who plundered them.

49And the sons of Sha’ul were Yonathan and Yishwi and Malkishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Mĕraḇ, and the name of the younger Miḵal.

50And the name of Sha’ul’s wife was Aḥino‛am the daughter of Aḥima‛ats. And the name of the commander of his army was Aḇnĕr son of Nĕr, uncle of Sha’ul.’

51And Qish was the father of Sha’ul, and Nĕr the father of Aḇnĕr was the son of Aḇi’ĕl.

52And there was fierce fighting against the Philistines all the days of Sha’ul. And when Sha’ul saw any mighty man or any brave man, he took him for himself.