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1 Samuel 13:15-23

1 Samuel 13:15-23 NCV

Then Samuel left Gilgal and went to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted the men who were still with him, and there were about six hundred. Saul and his son Jonathan and the soldiers with him stayed in Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines made their camp at Micmash. Three groups went out from the Philistine camp to make raids. One group went on the Ophrah road in the land of Shual. 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. The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews might make swords and spears.” So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to have their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened. 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. So when the battle came, the soldiers with Saul and Jonathan had no swords or spears. Only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. A group from the Philistine army had gone out to the pass at Micmash.