Samuel 1 13
1 Saul xɔ ƒe blaetɔ̃ esi wòzu fia eye wòɖu fia ƒe blaene-vɔ-eve, ɖe Israel dzi;
Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
2 etia aʋawɔla tɔxɛ akpe etɔ̃ tso Israel. Ekplɔ wo dometɔ akpe eve ɖe eɖokui ŋuti yi Mikmas kple Betel to la dzi eye wògblẽ akpe ɖeka mamlɛa ɖe Yonatan, Saul ƒe vi gbɔ le Benyamin ƒe anyigba dzi. Eɖo asrafo bubuawo ɖe aƒe me.
He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.
3 Yonatan si Filistitɔwo ƒe dzɔlawo le Geba eye nya sia ɖi le Filistitɔwo ƒe anyigba blibo la dzi. Eye Saul ku aʋakpẽ le Israelnyigba blibo la dzi eye wòɖe gbeƒã be “Hebritɔwo katã nesee.”
Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 Ale Israel dukɔ la se nyadzɔdzɔ la be: Saul tsrɔ̃ Filistitɔwo ƒe dzɔlawo eye Israel zu nuɖianu na Filistitɔwo. Ale woyɔ Israel ƒe aʋakɔ blibo la ƒo ƒu ɖe Saul ŋu le Gilgal.
And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 Filistitɔwo ƒo ƒu aʋakɔ gã aɖe si me tasiaɖam akpe etɔ̃ kple sɔdola akpe ade kple afɔzɔla siwo sɔ gbɔ abe ƒutake ene la nɔ be woawɔ aʋa kple Israel. Woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Mikmas, le Bet Aven ƒe ɣedzeƒe gome.
Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6 Esi Israel ŋutsuwo kpɔ xaxa gã si me wonɔ kple ale si womimi woƒe aʋakɔ la ɖoe la, wosi yi ɖaɣla ɖe agadowo, avekɔewo, kpewo tome kple ʋewo me kple vudo siwo me tsi menɔ o la me.
Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
7 Hebritɔ aɖewo gɔ̃ la tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la eye wosi yi Gad kple Gileadnyigbawo gɔ̃ hã dzi. Saul ya tsi Gilgal eye aʋakɔ siwo nɔ eŋu la dzo nyanyanya le vɔvɔ̃ ta.
Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.
8 Elala ŋkeke adre abe ale si Samuel ɖoe nɛ ene, gake Samuel meva Gilgal o eye Saul ƒe asrafowo de asi kaka le eŋu me.
And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.
9 Ale wògblɔ be, “Mitsɔ numevɔsa kple akpedavɔsa vɛ nam.” Ale Saul sa numevɔ la.
So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.
10 Esi wòwu vɔsawo nu vɔ tetee ko la, Samuel va do. Saul yi be yeakpee ado gbe nɛ.
Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11 Samuel biae be, “Nu kae nye esi nèwɔ?” Saul ɖo eŋu be, “Esi mekpɔ be nye aʋawɔlawo le kakam le ŋunye, evɔ mèva ɖo le ɣeyiɣi si nèɖo nam la dzi o, gawu la Filistitɔwo ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Mikmas.
“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,
12 Eya ta mesusui be azɔ la, Filistitɔwo ava dze dzinye le Gilgal evɔ nyemebia amenuveve tso Yehowa gbɔ o! Esia zi dzinye eye mewɔ numevɔsa la.”
I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13 Samuel gblɔ be, “Èwɔ bometsinu, mèlé Yehowa, wò Mawu la ƒe se si wòde na wò la me ɖe asi o. Nenye ɖe nèlé eme ɖe asi la, anye ne aɖo wò fiaɖuƒe la anyi le Israel hena ɣeyiɣiawo katã.
“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.
14 Ke azɔ la, wò fiaɖuƒe mali ke o. Yehowa di ame si eƒe dzi di la na eɖokui eye wòɖoe eƒe dukɔ la ƒe kplɔlae elabena mèlé Yehowa ƒe sedede me ɖe asi o.”
But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”
15 Tete Samuel dzo le Gilgal yi Gibea le Benyaminviwo ƒe anyigba dzi. Esi Saul xlẽ eƒe aʋawɔlawo la, ekpɔ be ame alafa ade koe susɔ!
Then Samuel set out from Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin. And Saul numbered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.
16 Saul kple Yonatan kple ame alafa ade siawo ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Gibea le Benyaminviwo ƒe anyigba dzi le esime Filistitɔwo ganɔ Mikmas.
Now Saul and Jonathan his son and the troops with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash.
17 Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋalɔgo etɔ̃ ho tso woƒe asaɖa me be yewoayi aɖaha nuwo. Aʋalɔgo ɖeka ɖo ta Ofra le Sual nyigba dzi;
And raiders went out of the Philistine camp in three divisions. One headed toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,
18 aʋalɔgo evelia yi Bet Horon eye etɔ̃lia ɖo ta liƒo si le Zeboim ƒe balime te ɖe gbegbe la ŋu la dzi.
another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.
19 Gbede aɖeke menɔ Israelnyigba blibo la dzi le ŋkeke mawo me o elabena Filistitɔwo gblɔ bena, ne menye nenema o la, Hebritɔwo ava tu yiwo alo akplɔwo!
And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears.”
20 Eya ta ɣe sia ɣi si Israelviwo di be yewoanyre yewoƒe agbleŋlɔnuwo, fiawo kple nuxanuwo la, wotsɔa wo yia Filistitɔwo ƒe gbedewo gbɔ.
Instead, all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles.
21 Nenye be wonyre agbleŋlɔnuawo la, woxea klosaloga gram enyi, nenema kee nye fi hã, ke woxea klosaloga gram ene ɖe gaflu kple fiawo hekpe ɖe nuŋɔnuwo nyenyre ŋuti.
The charge was a pim for sharpening a plowshare or mattock, a third of a shekel for sharpening a pitchfork or an axe, and a third of a shekel for repointing an oxgoad.
22 Ale yi alo akplɔ aɖeke menɔ Israel ƒe aʋakɔ blibo la si gbe ma gbe o negbe ɖekaɖeka siwo nɔ Saul kple Yonatan si ko.
So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.
23 Azɔ Filistitɔwo ɖe asrafo aɖewo woyi ɖaxɔ mɔ si ɖo ta Mikmas.
And a garrison of the Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
