1 Samuel 13:1-3

Good News Translation

War against the Philistines

13 ^[a] ²Saul picked three thousand men, keeping two thousand of them with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel and sending one thousand with his son Jonathan to Gibeah, in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. The rest of the men Saul sent home.

³Jonathan killed the Philistine commander^[b] in Geba, and all the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul sent messengers to call the Hebrews to war by blowing a trumpet throughout the whole country.

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Footnotes

1 Samuel 13:1 One ancient translation does not have verse 1; Hebrew has as verse 1 Saul was … years old when he became king, and he was king of Israel for two years. The Hebrew text is defective at two points in this verse.
1 Samuel 13:3 killed the Philistine commander; or defeated the Philistines camping.