Kings I 13
1 And Saul chooses for himself three thousand men of the men of Israel: and there were with Saul two thousand who were in Machmas, and in mount Baethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin: and he sent the rest of the people every man to his tent.
Saül comptait alors un an de règne. Depuis deux ans il régnait sur Israël,
lorsqu’il leva trois mille hommes en Israël, dont deux mille sous ses ordres à Mikhmach et sur la montagne de Béthel, et mille sous Jonathan à Ghibea-de-Benjamin; pour le reste des hommes, il les renvoya dans leurs foyers.
3 And Jonathan struck Nasib the Philistine that lived in the hill; and the Philistines hear of it, and Saul sounds the trumpet through all the land, saying, The servants have despised [us].
Jonathan battit le poste de Philistins qui était à Ghéba, et les Philistins en furent informés. Saül le fit annoncer à son de cor dans tout le pays, se disant: "Il faut que les Hébreux le sachent."
4 And all Israel heard say, Saul has struck Nasib the Philistine; now Israel had been put to shame before the Philistines; and the children of Israel went up after Saul in Galgala.
Tout Israël apprit donc que Saül avait battu le poste des Philistins et qu’ainsi Israël s’était mis en état d’hostilité contre les Philistins; alors le peuple courut se ranger autour de Saül, à Ghilgal.
5 And the Philistines gather together to war with Israel; and then come up against Israel thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand by the seashore for multitude: and they come up, and encamp in Machmas, opposite Baethoron southward.
Les Philistins, de leur côté, se rassemblèrent pour combattre Israël: avec trente mille chariots, six mille cavaliers, et une infanterie aussi nombreuse que le sable au bord de la mer, ils allèrent prendre position à Mikhmach, à l’orient de Beth-Avên.
6 And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw near, and the people hid themselves in caves, and sheepfolds, and rocks, and ditches, and pits.
Les Israélites, voyant leur position critique, car le peuple était serré de près, se refugièrent dans les cavernes, dans les buissons, dans les rochers, dans les donjons et les citernes;
7 And they that went over went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Galaad: and Saul was yet in Galgala, and all the people followed after him in amazement.
des Hébreux, passant le Jourdain, gagnèrent les pays de Gad et de Galaad. Cependant Saül tenait encore à Ghilgal, et le reste de l’armée le rejoignit en toute hâte.
8 And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him, and Samuel came not to Galgala, and his people were dispersed from him.
On attendit sept jours, terme du rendez-vous donné par Samuel; mais celui-ci n’étant pas venu à Ghilgal, le peuple commença à se disperser.
9 And Saul said, Bring hither [victims], that I may offer whole burnt offerings and peace-offerings: and he offered the whole burnt offering.
Alors Saül dit: "Amenez-moi l’holocauste et le rémunératoire!" et il offrit l’holocauste.
10 And it came to pass when he had finished offering the whole burnt offering, that Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him, [and] to bless him.
Comme il achevait ce sacrifice, voici que Samuel arriva; et Saül s’avança pour lui donner la bienvenue.
11 And Samuel said, What have you done? and Saul said, Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and you was not present as you purposed according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered to Machmas.
"Qu’as-tu fait?" demanda Samuel. Saül répondit: "Voyant que mon armée se débandait, que tu n’étais pas venu au jour fixé, que les Philistins s’étaient concentrés à Mikhmach,
12 Then I said, Now will the Philistines come down to me to Galgala, and I have not sought the face of the Lord: so I forced myself and offered the whole burnt offering.
je me suis dit: Les Philistins vont tomber sur moi à Ghilgal, et je n’ai pas encore imploré l’assistance du Seigneur… Alors j’ai pris sur moi d’offrir l’holocauste."
13 And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly; for you have not kept my command, which the Lord commanded you, as now the Lord would have confirmed your kingdom over Israel for ever.
Samuel dit à Saül: "Tu as follement agi! Si tu avais gardé le commandement que t’a prescrit l’Eternel, ton Dieu, certes l’Eternel aurait maintenu à jamais ta royauté sur Israël.
14 But now your kingdom shall not stand to you, and the Lord shall seek for himself a man after his own heart; and the Lord shall appoint him to be a ruler over his people, because you have not kept all that the Lord commanded you.
Et maintenant, ta royauté ne subsistera point; l’Eternel s’est choisi un homme selon son cœur et l’a institué chef de son peuple, parce que tu n’as pas respecté son commandement!"
15 And Samuel arose, and departed from Galgala, and the remnant of the people went after Saul to meet [him] after the men of war, when they had come out of Galgala to Gabaa of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men.
Et Samuel se retira, et se rendit de Ghilgal à Ghibea-de-Benjamin. Saül compta la troupe dont il disposait encore: Il y avait environ six cents hommes.
16 And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gabaa, of Benjamin; and they wept: and the Philistines had encamped in Machmas.
Saül vint s’établir à Ghibea-de-Benjamin avec son fils Jonathan et l’armée qui était sous leurs ordres, tandis que les Philistins étaient campés à Mikhmach.
17 And men came forth to destroy out of the land of the Philistines in three companies; one company turning by the way of Gophera toward the land of Sogal,
Une armée d’invasion sortit du camp des Philistins en trois bandes, dont la première devait agir dans la direction d’Ofra, au pays de Choual;
18 and another company turning the way of Baethoron, and another company turning by the way of Gabae that turns aside to Gai of Sabim.
la seconde, dans la direction de Bethorôn; et la troisième, du côté de la frontière qui domine la vallée des Ceboïm, vers le désert.
19 And there was not found a smith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves sword or spear.
Or, on ne trouvait pas un forgeron dans tout le pays d’Israël, parce que les Philistins craignaient que les Hébreux ne fabriquassent des épées ou des javelots.
20 And all Israel went down to the Land of the Philistines to forge every one his reaping-hook and his tool, and every one his axe and his sickle.
Chaque Israélite devait donc aller chez les Philistins, pour faire affiler son soc, son hoyau, sa cognée ou sa faux;
21 And it was near the time of vintage: and their tools were [valued at] three shekels for a plowshare, and there was the same rate for the axe and the sickle.
ou bien on se servait de la lime pour les instruments aratoires, pour les hoyaux, les fourches, les cognées, et pour mettre en état les aiguillons.
22 And it came to pass in the days of the war of Machmas, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people, that were with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and Jonathan his son was there found.
De sorte que, le jour du combat, nul n’avait ni épée ni javelot dans toute l’armée de Saül et de Jonathan, si ce n’est Saül lui-même et Jonathan son fils.
23 And there went out some from the camp of the Philistines to the place beyond Machmas.
Un avant-poste des Philistins s’avança jusqu’au défilé de Mikhmach.
