1 Samuel 13

1 Saül était âgé de… ans lorsqu’il devint roi et il régna deux ans sur Israël.

When he began to reign, Saul was the son of one year, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

2 Saül se choisit trente mille hommes d’Israël: deux mille étaient avec lui à Machmas et sur la montagne de Béthel, et mille étaient avec Jonathas à Gabaa de Benjamin. Et il renvoya le reste du peuple, chacun dans sa tente.

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.

3 Jonathas battit le poste des Philistins qui était à Gabée et les Philistins l’apprirent. Et Saül fit sonner de la trompette dans tout le pays, en disant: « Que les Hébreux entendent! »

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.”

4 Tout Israël entendit la nouvelle: « Saül a battu le poste des Philistins, et même Israël s’est rendu odieux auprès des Philistins. » Et le peuple fut convoqué auprès de Saül, à Galgala.

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.

5 Les Philistins s’assemblèrent pour combattre Israël; ils avaient trente mille chars, six mille cavaliers, et un peuple innombrable comme le sable qui est sur le bord de la mer. Ils montèrent et campèrent à Machmas, à l’orient de Beth-Aven.

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.

6 Les hommes d’Israël, se voyant dans une grande extrémité, car ils étaient serrés de près, se cachèrent dans les cavernes, dans les broussailles, dans les rochers, dans les trous et dans les citernes.

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).

7 Des Hébreux passèrent aussi le Jourdain, pour aller au pays de Gad et de Galaad. Saül était encore à Galgala, et tout le peuple derrière lui tremblait.

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.

8 Il attendit sept jours, selon le terme fixé par Samuel. Mais Samuel n’arrivait pas à Galgala, et le peuple se dispersait loin de Saül.

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.

9 Alors Saül dit: « Amenez-moi l’holocauste et les sacrifices pacifiques. » Et il offrit l’holocauste.

Therefore, Saul said, “Bring me the holocaust and the peace offerings.” And he offered the holocaust.

10 Comme il achevait d’offrir l’holocauste, voici que Samuel arriva, et Saül sortit au-devant de lui pour le saluer.

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.

11 Samuel lui dit: « Qu’as-tu fait? » Saül répondit: « Lorsque j’ai vu que le peuple se dispersait loin de moi, que tu n’arrivais pas au terme fixé et que les Philistins étaient assemblés à Machmas,

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,

12 je me suis dit: Maintenant, les Philistins vont descendre contre moi à Galgala, et je n’ai pas imploré Yahweh. Alors, me faisant violence, j’ai offert l’holocauste. »

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.

13 Samuel dit à Saül: « Tu as agi en insensé, tu n’as pas observé le commandement que Yahweh ton Dieu t’avait donné; car Yahweh aurait affermi pour toujours ton règne sur Israël.

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.

14 Mais maintenant, ton règne ne subsistera point. Yahweh s’est cherché un homme selon son cœur et Yahweh l’a destiné à être le chef de son peuple, parce que tu n’as pas observé ce que Yahweh t’avait ordonné. »

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.”

15 Et Samuel se leva, et monta de Galgala à Gabaa de Benjamin. Saül passa en revue le peuple qui se trouvait avec lui: il y en avait environ six cents hommes.

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.

16 Saül, Jonathas, son fils, et le peuple qui se trouvait avec eux s’étaient postés à Gabée de Benjamin, et les Philistins campaient à Machmas.

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.

17 L’armée de destruction sortit du camp des Philistins en trois corps: un corps prit le chemin d’Ephra, vers le pays de Sual;

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.

18 un autre corps prit le chemin de Beth-Horon; et le troisième corps, celui de la frontière qui domine la vallée de Seboïm, du côté du désert.

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.

19 On ne trouvait point de forgeron dans tout le pays d’Israël; car les Philistins avaient dit: « Que les Hébreux ne puissent plus fabriquer d’épées ou de lances! »

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.

20 Et tout Israël descendait chez les Philistins pour aiguiser chacun son soc, son hoyau, sa hache ou sa charrue,

Therefore, all of Israel descended to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, or pick axe, or hatchet, or hoe.

21 en sorte que le tranchant des socs, des hoyaux, des tridents et des haches était souvent émoussé et les aiguillons non redressés.

For their plow blades, and pick axes, and pitch forks, and axes had become blunt, and even the handles needed to be repaired.

22 Il arriva qu’au jour du combat, il ne se trouvait ni lance ni épée dans la main de tout le peuple qui était avec Saül et Jonathas; mais il s’en trouvait auprès de Saül et de Jonathas, son fils.

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.

23 Un poste des Philistins se rendit au passage de Machmas.

Then the army of the Philistines went out in order to go across Michmash.