1 Samuel 13:2-4
Contemporary English Version
2 Then[a] he chose 3,000 men from Israel to be full-time soldiers and sent everyone else[b] home. Two thousand of these troops stayed with him in the hills around Michmash and Bethel. The other 1,000 were stationed with Jonathan[c] at Gibeah[d] in the territory of Benjamin.
3 Jonathan led an attack on the Philistine army camp at Geba.[e] The Philistine camp was destroyed, but[f] the other Philistines heard what had happened. Then Saul told his messengers, “Go to every village in the country. Give a signal with the trumpet, and when the people come together, tell them what has happened.”
4 The messengers then said to the people of Israel, “Saul has destroyed the Philistine army camp at Geba.[g] Now the Philistines really hate Israel, so every town and village must send men to join Saul's army at Gilgal.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 13.1,2 for … Then: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 13.2 everyone else: People who were not full-time soldiers, but fought together with the army when the nation was in danger.
- 13.2 Jonathan: Saul's son (see verse 16).
- 13.2 Michmash … Bethel … Gibeah: These three towns form a triangle, with Bethel to the north.
- 13.3 Geba: Geba was between Gibeah and Michmash.
- 13.3 led an attack … destroyed, but: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba, and.”
- 13.4 destroyed … Geba: Or “killed the Philistine military governor who lived at Geba.”
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
