1 Samueli 13
1 Sauli analowa ufumu ali ndi zaka makumi atatu, ndipo analamulira Israeli kwa zaka 42.
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 Nthawi ina Sauli anasankha Aisraeli 3,000. Mwa iwowa, 2,000 anali ndi Sauliyo ku Mikimasi ndi ku dziko la mapiri ku Beteli, ndipo 1,000 anali ndi Yonatani ku Gibeya ku Benjamini. Anthu ena onse otsala anawabweza kwawo.
[Several years after he became king], he chose three thousand men from the Israeli army to go with him [to fight the Philistines]. Then he sent the other soldiers back home. Of the men he chose, 2,000 stayed with Saul at Micmash and in the hilly area near Bethel, and 1,000 stayed with [Saul’s son] Jonathan at Gibeah, in the area where the descendants of Benjamin lived.
3 Yonatani anakantha mkulu wa ankhondo wa Afilisti ku Geba, ndipo Afilisti anamva kuti Aheberi awukira. Tsono Sauli anawuza amithenga kuti alize lipenga mʼdziko lonse la Israeli.
Jonathan [and the men who were with him] attacked the Philistine soldiers who were camped at Geba. The [other] Philistines heard about that. [So Saul realized that the army of Philistia would probably come to fight the Israelis again]. So Saul [sent messengers to] blow trumpets throughout Israel [to gather the people together and] proclaim to them, “All you Hebrews need to hear [that now the Philistines will start a war with us]!”
4 Choncho Aisraeli onse anamva kuti Sauli wakantha mkulu wa ankhondo Wachifilisiti ndi kuti Afilisti anayipidwa nawo Aisraeli. Ndiye anthu anayitanidwa kuti abwere kwa Sauli ku Giligala.
The messengers told the rest of the army to gather together with Saul at Gilgal. And all the people in Israel heard the news. People were saying, “Saul’s army has attacked the Philistine camp, with the result that now the Philistines hate us Israelis very much.”
5 Tsono Afilisti anasonkhana kuti amenyane ndi Aisraeli. Iwo anali ndi magaleta 3,000, okwera pa akavalo 2,000 ndiponso asilikali kuchuluka kwake ngati mchenga wa mʼmbali mwa nyanja. Iwo anapita ndi kukamanga misasa yawo ku Mikimasi, kummawa kwa Beti-Aveni.
The Philistines gathered together and were given equipment to fight the Israelis. The Philistines had 3,000 chariots, and 6,000 chariot-drivers. Their soldiers [seemed to be as many] as grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. They went up and set up their tents at Micmash, to the east of Beth-Aven ([which means ‘house of wickedness’, and really referred to Bethel town]).
6 Pamene Aisraeli anaona kuti anali pamavuto akulu, poti anali atapanikizidwa kwambiri, anabisala mʼmapanga, mʼmaenje, mʼmatanthwe, mʼmakwalala ndi mʼzitsime.
The Philistines attacked the Israelis very strongly, and the Israeli soldiers realized that they were in a very bad situation. So many of the Israeli soldiers hid in caves and holes in the ground, or among the rocks, or in pits, or in wells.
7 Ahebri ena anawoloka Yorodani mpaka kukafika ku dziko la Gadi ndi ku Giliyadi. Koma Sauli anakhalabe ku Giligala ndipo ankhondo onse amene anali naye anali njenjenje ndi mantha.
Some of them crossed the Jordan River at a place where it was very shallow. Then they went to the area where the descendants of Gad lived and to [the] Gilead [region]. But Saul stayed at Gilgal. All the soldiers who were with him were shaking [because they were so afraid].
8 Saulo anadikirira masiku asanu ndi awiri, monga mwa nthawi imene ananena Samueli. Koma Samueli sanabwere ku Giligala, ndipo anthu anayamba kumuthawa Sauli uja.
Saul waited seven days, which was the number of days that Samuel had told him to wait for him. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal [during that time], so many of the men in Saul’s army began to leave him and run away.
9 Kotero iye anati, “Bwera nayoni nsembe yopsereza ndi nsembe ya chiyanjano.” Ndipo Sauli anapereka nsembe yopsereza.
So Saul said to the soldiers, “Bring to me an animal to be completely burned [on the altar] and one for the offering to enable us to maintain fellowship [with God].” [So the men did that].
10 Atangomaliza kupereka nsembe, anangoona Samueli watulukira ndipo Sauli anapita kukamulonjera.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 Samueli anafunsa kuti, “Nʼchiyani chimene wachita?” Sauli anayankha kuti, “Nditaona kuti anthu ayamba kundithawa, ndi kuti inu simunabwere pa nthawi munanena ija, ndiponso kuti Afilisti akusonkhana ku Mikimasi,
Samuel [saw what Saul had done, and he] said to Saul, “Why have you done this?” Saul replied, “I saw that my men were leaving me and running away, and that you did not come here during the time that you said that you would come, and that the Philistine army was gathering together at Micmash.
12 ndinati, ‘Tsopano Afilisti abwera kudzandithira nkhondo ku Giligala kuno, chonsecho sindinapemphe Yehova kuti andikomere mtima.’ Motero ndinakakamizika kupereka nsembe yopsereza.”
“So I thought, ‘The Philistine army is going to attack us here at Gilgal, and I have not yet asked Yahweh to bless/help us.’ So I felt it was necessary to offer the burnt offerings [to seek God’s blessings].”
13 Samueli anati, “Mwachita zopusa. Simunatsate zimene Yehova Mulungu wanu anakulamulani kuti muchite. Mukanazitsata, Yehova akanawukhazikitsa ufumu wanu mu Israeli mpaka kalekale.
Samuel replied, “What you did was very foolish! You have not obeyed what Yahweh, your God, commanded [about sacrifices]. If you had obeyed him, God would have allowed you and your descendants to rule [Israel] for a long time.
14 Koma tsopano ufumu wanu sudzakhalitsa. Yehova wapeza munthu wapamtima pake ndipo wamusankha kukhala mtsogoleri wa anthu ake chifukwa inu simunasunge malamulo a Yehova.”
But now [because of what you have done, you will die, and after you die, ] none of your descendants will rule. Yahweh is seeking for a man [to be king] who will be just the kind of person that he wants him to be, so that he can appoint him to be the leader of his people. Yahweh will do this because you have not obeyed what he commanded.”
15 Kenaka Samueli anachoka ku Giligala ndi kupita ku Gibeyati ku dziko la Benjamini. Saulo anawerenga anthu amene anali naye ndipo analipo 600.
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah. Saul stayed at Gilgal with his soldiers. There were only about 600 of them left [who had not run away].
16 Sauli ndi mwana wake Yonatani pamodzi ndi asilikali amene anali naye aja amakhala ku Geba ku dziko la Benjamini. Koma Afilisti anamanga misasa yawo ku Mikimasi.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the soldiers who were with them went to Geba [city] in the area of the tribe of Benjamin [and set up their tents there]. The Philistine army set up their tents at Micmash.
17 Ankhondo a Afilisti anatuluka mʼmisasa yawo mʼmagulu atatu. Gulu lina linapita ku Ofiri ku dziko la Suwala.
Three groups of Philistia men soon left the place where their army was staying, and went and (raided the Israeli towns/attacked the Israelis and took their possessions). One group went [north] toward Ophrah [city] in [the] Shual [region].
18 Gulu lina linalunjika ku Beti-Horoni, ndipo gulu lachitatu linalunjika ku malire oyangʼanana ndi chigwa cha Zeboimu cha ku chipululu.
One group went [west] to Beth-Horon [city]. The third group went toward the [Israeli] border, above Zeboim Valley, near the desert.
19 Nthawi imeneyo nʼkuti mulibe osula zitsulo mʼdziko lonse la Israeli, pakuti Afilisti anati, “Tisawalole Aheberi kudzipangira okha malupanga kapena mikondo!”
At that time, there were no men in Israel who (were blacksmiths/could make things from iron). [The people of Philistia would not permit the Israelis to do that, because they were afraid that] they would make iron swords and spears for the Hebrews to fight with.
20 Kotero Aisraeli onse amapita kwa Afilisti kukanoletsa mapulawo, makasu, nkhwangwa ndi zikwakwa zawo.
So [whenever the Israelis needed] to sharpen the blades of their plows, or picks, or axes, or sickles, they were forced to take those things to a Philistia man who could sharpen those things.
21 Mtengo wonolera mapulawo ndi makasu unali zigawo ziwiri za sekeli, mtengo wonolera zisonga ndi nkhwangwa unali gawo limodzi la Sekeli.
They needed to pay (one fourth of an ounce/8 grams) of silver for sharpening a plow, and (an eighth of an ounce/4 grams) of silver to sharpen an axe, or a sickle, or (an ox goad/a pointed rod to jab an ox to make it walk).
22 Motero tsiku la nkhondolo panalibe lupanga kapena mkondo mʼdzanja la aliyense amene anatsatira Saulo ndi Yonatani. Koma Saulo ndi Yonatani, iwo okha ndiwo anali ndi zida.
So [because the Israelis could not make weapons from iron], on the day that the Israelis fought [against the men of Philistia], Saul and Jonathan were the only Israeli men who had swords. None of the others had a sword; [they had only bows and arrows].
23 Tsono gulu lina lankhondo la Chifilisti linapita kukalonda mpata wa Mikimasi.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
