Samuel 1 11
1 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Nahas kplɔ Amonitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ eye woho aʋa ɖe Israelviwo ƒe du Yabes Gilead ŋu. Yabestɔwo bia ŋutifafa heɖe kuku be, “Migawɔ aʋa kpli mí o; míelɔ̃ be míazu miaƒe subɔlawo boŋ.”
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.”
2 Nahas ɖo eŋu be, “Ekema mawɔ nu ɖeka; maho mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe ƒe ɖusimeŋku abe gbɔ̃ɖiɖi Israel dukɔ blibo la ene!”
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.”
3 Yabes ƒe ametsitsiwo ɖo eŋu be, “Na ŋkeke adre mí ne míadɔ ame aɖo ɖe Israelnyigba blibo la dzi. Ne mía nɔviwo mava kpe ɖe mía ŋu o la, ekama míalɔ̃ ɖe wò tameɖoɖo la dzi.”
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).”
4 Esi dɔla aɖe va Gibea, Saul ƒe du me eye wògblɔ Yabestɔwo ƒe xaxa la ŋu nya na wo la, ame sia ame de asi avifafa me.
[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.
5 Saul kplɔ eƒe nyiwo tso agble gbɔna va aƒe me eye wòbia be, “Nya kae dzɔ? Nu ka ta ame sia ame la avi fam?” Wogblɔ nya si wose tso Yabes la nɛ.
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.
6 Mawu ƒe Gbɔgbɔ ɖiɖi ɖe Saul dzi enumake eye wòdo dɔmedzoe vevie.
Then God’s Spirit came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry [because of what Nahash wanted to do].
7 Ewu nyitsu eve, fli woƒe lã eye wòɖo lãkɔawo ɖe Israelnyigba ƒe akpa ɖe sia ɖe. Eɖe gbeƒã be, “Aleae woawɔ ame sia ame si madze Saul kple Samuel yome ayi aʋa o la ƒe nyitsue nye esi!” Yehowa na ameawo vɔ̃ Saul ƒe dɔmedzoe ale wo katã ƒo ƒu va Saul gbɔ.
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.
8 Saul xlẽ wo le Bezek eye Israelviwo le ame akpe alafa etɔ̃ kpe ɖe ame akpe blaetɔ̃ siwo tso Yuda la ŋu.
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.
9 Saul ɖo du ɖe Yabes Gileadtɔwo be, “Míaɖe mi tso miaƒe futɔwo si me hafi etsɔ ɣetrɔ naɖo!” Dua me tɔwo tso aseye esi wose nya sia.
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.
10 Ale Yabestɔwo gblɔ na woƒe futɔwo be, “Míava mia gbɔ etsɔ eye miawɔ nu sia nu si dze mia ŋu la mí.”
Then the men of Jabesh told [Nahash], “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and then you can do to us whatever you want to.”
11 Saul va do ŋdi kanya kple eƒe aʋakɔ si wòma ɖe aʋalɔgo etɔ̃ me. Edze Amonitɔwo dzi kpata eye wòwu wo tso ŋdi ma va se ɖe ŋdɔ. Ame siwo tsi agbe la kaka ale gbegbe be wo dometɔ eve aɖeke menɔ teƒe ɖeka o.
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.
12 Ameawo bia Samuel kple ɣli be, “Afi ka ame siwo be Saul manyo na mí o la le? Mikplɔ wo va afi sia ne míawu wo!”
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!”
13 Ke Saul gblɔ be, “Womawu ame aɖeke egbe o elabena Yehowa ɖe Israel egbe!”
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].”
14 Samuel gblɔ na ameawo be, “Mina mí katã míayi Gilgal eye míada asi ɖe Saul dzi abe míaƒe fia ene.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Let’s all go to Gilgal, and there we will again proclaim [that Saul is] our king.”
15 Ale woyi Gilgal eye woɖo Saul fiae le Yehowa ŋkume. Wosa akpedavɔ na Yehowa eye Saul kple Israelviwo katã kpɔ dzidzɔ ŋutɔŋutɔ.
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.
