Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another.

Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back home.

Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

Saul, his son Jonathan, and the army that remained with them stayed in Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped in Micmash.

The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites on another hill, with the valley between them.

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. The men of Israel fled from the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

Samuel revealed the word of the Lord to all Israel.Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.

So David and his men got up early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by Israel.

For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me and that you didn’t come at the appointed time and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash,

Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me – not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.”