t it, and, looking on this contempt as a terrible affront
offered them, they made war against the Jews, with three hundred
thousand footmen, and thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horses;
and they pitched their camp at the city Michmash. When Saul, the king of
the Hebrews, was informed of this, he went down to the city Gilgal, and
made proclamation over all the country, that they should try to regain
their liberty; and called them to the war against the Philistines,
diminishing their forces, and despising them as not very considerable,
and as not so great but they might hazard a battle with them. But when
the people about Saul observed how numerous the Philistines were, they
were under a great consternation; and some of them hid themselves in
caves and in dens under ground, but the greater part fled into the land
beyond Jordan, which belonged to Gad and Reuben.

2. But Saul sent to the prophet, and called him to consult with him
about the war and the public affairs; so he commanded him to stay there
for him, and to prepare sacrifices, for he would come to him within
seven days, that they might offer sacrifices on the seventh day, and
might then join battle with their enemies. So he waited [11] as the
prophet sent to him to do; yet did not he, however, observe the command
that was given him, but when he saw that the prophet tarried longer
than he expected, and that he was deserted by the soldiers, he took the
sacrifices and offered them; and when he heard that Samuel was come,
he went out to meet him. But the prophet said he had not done well in
disobeying the injunctions he had sent to him, and had not staid till
his coming, which being appointed according to the will of God, he had
prevented him in offering up those prayers and those sacrifices that he
should have made for the multitude, and that he therefore had performed
Divine offices in an ill manner, and had been rash in performing them.
Hereupon Saul made an apology for himself, and said that he had waited
as many days as Samuel had appointed him; that he had been so quick in
offering his sacrifices, upon account of the necessity he was in, and
because his soldiers were departing from him, out of their fear of the
enemy's camp at Michmash, the report being gone abroad that they
were coming down upon him of Gilgal. To which Samuel replied, "Nay,
certainly, if thou hadst been a righteous man, [12] and hadst not
disobeyed me, nor slighted the commands which G