11 ‘What have you done?’ asked Samuel.Saul replied, ‘When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,
12 I thought, “Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favour.” So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.’
13 ‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
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,