< 1 Samuel 13 >
1 When he began to reign, Saul was the son of one year, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
Saul aveva trent’anni quando cominciò a regnare; e regnò quarantadue anni sopra Israele.
2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and at mount Bethel. Then one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the remainder of the people, he sent back, each one to his own tent.
Saul si scelse tremila uomini d’Israele: duemila stavano con lui a Micmas e sul monte di Bethel, e mille con Gionathan a Ghibea di Beniamino; e rimandò il resto del popolo, ognuno alla sua tenda.
3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines, which was in Gibeah. And when the Philistines had heard about it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews listen.”
Gionathan batté la guarnigione de’ Filistei che stava a Gheba, e i Filistei lo seppero; e Saul fe’ sonar la tromba per tutto il paese, dicendo: “Lo sappiano gli Ebrei!”
4 And all of Israel heard this report, that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines. And Israel raised himself up against the Philistines. Then the people cried out to Saul at Gilgal.
E tutto Israele sentì dire: “Saul ha battuto la guarnigione de’ Filistei, e Israele è venuto in odio ai Filistei”. Così il popolo fu convocato a Ghilgal per seguir Saul.
5 And the Philistines gathered to do battle against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and the remainder of the common people, who were very many, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. And ascending, they encamped at Michmash, toward the east of Bethaven.
E il Filistei si radunarono per combattere contro Israele; aveano trentamila carri, seimila cavalieri, e gente numerosa come la rena ch’è sul lido del mare. Saliron dunque e si accamparono a Micmas, a oriente di Beth-Aven.
6 And when the men of Israel had seen themselves to be in a narrowed position, they hid themselves in caves, and in out of the way places, and in rocks, and in hollows, and in pits (for the people were distressed).
Or gl’Israeliti, vedendosi ridotti a mal partito, perché il popolo era messo alle strette, si nascosero nelle caverne, nelle macchie, tra le rocce, nelle buche e nelle cisterne.
7 Then some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan, into the land of Gad and Gilead. And while Saul was still at Gilgal, the entire people who followed him were terrified.
Ci furon degli Ebrei che passarono il Giordano, per andare nel paese di Gad e di Galaad. Quanto a Saul, egli era ancora a Ghilgal, e tutto il popolo che lo seguiva, tremava.
8 But he waited for seven days, in accord with what was agreed with Samuel. But Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, for the people were scattering away from him.
Egli aspettò sette giorni, secondo il termine fissato da Samuele; ma Samuele non giungeva a Ghilgal, e il popolo cominciò a disperdersi e ad abbandonarlo.
9 Therefore, Saul said, “Bring me the holocaust and the peace offerings.” And he offered the holocaust.
Allora Saul disse: “Menatemi l’olocausto e i sacrifizi di azioni di grazie”; e offerse l’olocausto.
10 And when he had completed the offering of the holocaust, behold, Samuel arrived. And Saul went out to meet him, so that he might greet him.
E come finiva d’offrir l’olocausto, ecco che arrivò Samuele; e Saul gli uscì incontro per salutarlo.
11 And Samuel said to him, “What have you done?” Saul responded: “Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and you had not arrived after the agreed upon days, and yet the Philistines had gathered together at Michmash,
Ma Samuele gli disse: “Che hai tu fatto?” Saul rispose: “Siccome vedevo che il popolo si disperdeva e m’abbandonava, che tu non giungevi nel giorno stabilito, e che i Filistei erano adunati a Micmas, mi son detto:
12 I said: ‘Now the Philistines will descend to me at Gilgal. And I have not appeased the face of the Lord.’ Compelled by necessity, I offered the holocaust.
Ora i Filistei mi piomberanno addosso a Ghilgal, e io non ho ancora implorato l’Eterno! Così, mi son fatto violenza, ed ho offerto l’olocausto”.
13 And Samuel said to Saul: “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandments of the Lord your God, which he instructed to you. And if you had not acted in this way, the Lord would, here and now, have prepared your kingdom over Israel forever.
Allora Samuele disse a Saul: “Tu hai agito stoltamente; non hai osservato il comandamento che l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, ti avea dato. L’Eterno avrebbe stabilito il tuo regno sopra Israele in perpetuo;
14 But by no means shall your kingdom rise up any more. The Lord has sought for himself a man according to his own heart. And him the Lord has instructed to be the leader over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord has instructed.”
ma ora il tuo regno non durerà; l’Eterno s’è cercato un uomo secondo il cuor suo, e l’Eterno l’ha destinato ad esser principe del suo popolo, giacché tu non hai osservato quel che l’Eterno t’aveva ordinato”.
15 Then Samuel rose up and ascended from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And the remainder of the people ascended after Saul, to meet the people who were fighting against them, going from Gilgal into Gibeah, to the hill of Benjamin. And Saul took a census of the people, who had been found to be with him, about six hundred men.
Poi Samuele si levò e salì da Ghilgal a Ghibea di Beniamino, e Saul fece la rassegna del popolo che si trovava con lui; eran circa seicento uomini.
16 And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who had been found to be with them, were at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had settled in at Michmash.
Or Saul, Gionathan suo figliuolo, e la gente che si trovava con essi occupavano Ghibea di Beniamino, mentre i Filistei erano accampati a Micmas.
17 And three companies went out from the camp of the Philistines, in order to plunder. One company was traveling toward the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual.
Dal campo de’ Filistei uscirono dei guastatori divisi in tre schiere: una prese la via d’Ofra, verso il paese di Shual;
18 Then another entered along the way of Beth-horon. But the third turned itself to the way of the border, overhanging the valley of Zeboim, opposite the desert.
l’altra prese la via di Beth-Horon; la terza prese la via della frontiera che guarda la valle di Tseboim, verso il deserto.
19 Now there was no worker of iron to be found in all the land of Israel. For the Philistines had been cautious, lest perhaps the Hebrews might make swords or spears.
Or in tutto il paese d’Israele non si trovava un fabbro; poiché i Filistei aveano detto: “Vediamo che gli Ebrei non si facciano spade o lance”.
20 Therefore, all of Israel descended to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, or pick axe, or hatchet, or hoe.
E tutti gl’Israeliti scendevano dai Filistei per farsi aguzzare chi il suo vomero, chi la sua zappa, chi la sua scure, chi la sua vanga.
21 For their plow blades, and pick axes, and pitch forks, and axes had become blunt, and even the handles needed to be repaired.
E il prezzo dell’arrotatura era di un pim per le vanghe, per le zappe, per i tridenti, per le scuri e per aggiustare i pungoli.
22 And when the day of battle had arrived, there was found neither sword nor spear in the hand of the entire people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except for Saul and his son Jonathan.
Così avvenne che il dì della battaglia non si trovava in mano a tutta la gente, ch’era con Saul e con Gionathan, né spada né lancia; non se ne trovava che in man di Saul e di Gionathan suo figliuolo.
23 Then the army of the Philistines went out in order to go across Michmash.
E la guarnigione dei Filistei uscì ad occupare il passo di Micmas.