1 Samuel 11
1 About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon [led his army across the Jordan River, and they] surrounded Jabesh [city] in [the] Gilead [region]. But all the men of Jabesh [went and] said to Nahash, “Make an agreement/treaty with us [not to kill us], and then we will let you rule us.”
Pea naʻe ʻalu hake ai ʻa Naʻasi ko e tangata ʻAmoni, pea ne te u tau ki Sepesi-Kiliati: pea pehē ʻe he kau tangata kotoa pē ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati, “Fai hoʻo fuakava mo kimautolu, pea te mau tauhi kiate koe.”
2 Nahash replied, “I will do that if you do one thing. Allow us to gouge out all the right eyes of your people. By doing that we will cause the people [in other countries] to despise all you Israeli people.”
Pea pehē ʻe Naʻasi ko e tangata ʻAmoni kiate kinautolu, “ʻI he meʻa ni pe te u fai ʻae fuakava mo kimoutolu, koeʻuhi ke u kapeʻi homou mata toʻomataʻu kotoa pē ʻe tuku ia ko e meʻa manuki ki ʻIsileli kotoa pē.”
3 The leaders of Jabesh replied, “Do not attack us for the next seven days. During that time, we will send messengers throughout Israel [to tell them what you are demanding]. If no one will help us, then we will (surrender to you/allow you to do to us whatever you want).”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau mātuʻa ʻo Sepesi kiate ia, “Ke ke kātaki ʻakimautolu ʻi he ʻaho ʻe fitu, koeʻuhi ke mau fekau ʻemau talafekau ki he ngaahi potu kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli, pea pehē, kapau ʻoku ʻikai ha tangata ke fakamoʻui ʻakimautolu, te mau ʻalu atu kiate koe.”
4 [Being very confident that his army was very superior, Nahash agreed. So the leaders of Jabesh sent messengers throughout Israel]. When the messengers came to Gibeah, which was [the city] where Saul lived, and they told the people there about the situation, everyone started to cry.
Pea naʻe hoko ʻae kau talafekau ki Kipea ʻo Saula, pea fakahā ʻae ongoongo ki he telinga ʻoe kakai: pea naʻe hiki honau leʻo ʻe he kakai kotoa pē ʻo tangi.
5 At that time, Saul was plowing in the field. When he returned home, he asked, “Why are all the people [crying]?” So they told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported.
Pea vakai, naʻe muimui mai ʻa Saula ki he fanga manu, mei he ngoue; pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “Ko e hā ʻoku tangi ai ʻae kakai?” Pea naʻa nau fakahā kiate ia ʻae ongoongo ʻoe kau tangata ʻo Sepesi.
6 Then God’s Spirit came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry [because of what Nahash wanted to do].
Pea naʻe hoko ʻae Laumālie ʻoe ʻOtua kia Saula ʻi heʻene ongoʻi ʻae ngaahi ongoongo ni, pea tupu ai ʻene ʻita ʻo lahi.
7 He took two of his oxen [and killed them] and cut them into pieces. Then he sent messengers [carrying those pieces] throughout Israel to tell people this message: “Saul says that [he cut this ox in pieces, and that he] will do the same thing to the oxen of anyone who refuses to come with him and Samuel to fight [the army from Ammon]!” Then Yahweh caused all the people of Israel to be afraid of what Saul might do to them (OR, of what Yahweh might do to them) [if they did not go and help Saul]. So the men all gathered together.
Pea naʻa ne ʻomi ʻae fanga pulu ʻe ua, pea tuʻutuʻu ke iiki, pea fekau ke ʻave ʻo tufaki ki he ngaahi potu kakai kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli ʻi he nima ʻoe kau tangata fekau, ʻo pehē, “Ko ia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻikai haʻu ʻo muimui ʻia Saula mo Samuela, ʻe fai pehē pe ki heʻene fanga pulu.” Pea naʻe tō ki he kakai ʻae manavahē kia Sihova, pea naʻa nau hiki loto taha pe kituaʻā.
8 When Saul gave them all weapons at Bezek, he saw that there were 300,000 Israeli men there, as well as 30,000 men from the tribe of Judah.
Pea ʻi heʻene lau ʻakinautolu ʻi Piseki, naʻe toko tolu kilu ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli pea toko tolu mano ʻae fānau ʻa Siuta.
9 So Saul sent messengers back to the people at Jabesh to tell them, “We will rescue/save you by noontime tomorrow.” When the people of Jabesh heard that message, they were very joyful/happy.
Pea naʻa nau pehē ki he kau talafekau naʻe haʻu, Ke mou lea pehē ki he kau tangata ʻo Sepesi-Kiliati, “Ko e ʻapongipongi, ʻo feʻunga mo e mafana ʻoe laʻā, te mou maʻu ʻae tokoni.” Pea naʻe haʻu ʻae kau tangata fekau ʻo fakahā ia ki he kau tangata ʻo Sepesi: pea naʻa nau fiefia ai.
10 Then the men of Jabesh told [Nahash], “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and then you can do to us whatever you want to.”
Ko ia naʻe tala ai ʻe he kau tangata ʻo Sepesi, “Te mau ʻalu atu kiate kimoutolu ʻapongipongi, pea te mou fai kiate kimautolu ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku matalelei kiate kimoutolu.”
11 But before the sun rose the next morning, Saul [and his army arrived. He] divided them into three groups. They rushed into the camp of the soldiers from Ammon, and attacked them. By noontime they had killed most of them, and those who were not killed scattered. Each of them who ran away ran away alone.
Pea hoko ki he ʻapongipongi, pea pehē, naʻe fokotuʻu vahe tolu ʻe Saula ʻae kakai; pea naʻa nau hoko ki he lotolotonga ʻoe tau ʻi he lakanga leʻo pongipongi, ʻo taaʻi ʻae kakai ʻAmoni ʻo aʻu ki he pupuha ʻoe ʻaho: pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, naʻe fakamovetevete ʻakinautolu naʻe toe, naʻe ʻikai tuʻu fakataha ha toko ua.
12 Then the people [of Jabesh] said to Samuel, “Where are those men who said that they did not want Saul to be our king? Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kakai kia Samuela, ko hai ia naʻe pehē, “ʻE pule koā ʻa Saula kiate kimautolu? Omi ʻae kau tangata, koeʻuhi ke mau tāmateʻi ʻakinautolu.”
13 But Saul replied, “[No], we are not going to execute anyone today, because this is the day that Yahweh has saved us Israeli people. [It is a day to rejoice, not to kill anyone].”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “ʻE ʻikai ha tangata ʻe tokotaha ʻe tāmateʻi he ʻaho ni: he kuo fai ʻae fakamoʻui ʻe Sihova ʻi ʻIsileli he ʻaho ni.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Let’s all go to Gilgal, and there we will again proclaim [that Saul is] our king.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela ki he kakai, “Haʻu ke tau ō ki Kilikali, ō fakamaʻu ke maʻu ʻae puleʻanga ʻi ai.”
15 So they went to Gilgal. There, knowing that Yahweh was watching, they proclaimed that Saul was their king. Then they offered sacrifices to enable them to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. And Saul and all the other Israeli people were very happy.
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ki Kilikali; pea naʻa nau fakanofo ʻi ai ʻa Saula ke tuʻi ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ʻi Kilikali; pea naʻa nau ʻatu ʻi ai ʻae ngaahi feilaulau ko e feilaulau fakalelei ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova; pea naʻe fiefia lahi ʻi ai ʻa Saula mo e kau tangata kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli.
