1 Samũeli 13
1 Na rĩrĩ, Saũlũ aarĩ wa mĩaka mĩrongo ĩtatũ rĩrĩa aatuĩkire mũthamaki, na agĩthamakĩra Isiraeli mĩaka mĩrongo ĩna na ĩĩrĩ.
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 Saũlũ nĩathuurire andũ ngiri ithatũ kuuma Isiraeli; ngiri igĩrĩ magĩikara nake kũu Mikimashi na bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Betheli, nao andũ ngiri maarĩ na Jonathani kũu Gibea ya Benjamini. Andũ arĩa angĩ akĩmeera mainũke kwao mĩciĩ.
[Several years after he became king], he chose three thousand men from the Israeli army to go with him [to fight the Philistines]. Then he sent the other soldiers back home. Of the men he chose, 2,000 stayed with Saul at Micmash and in the hilly area near Bethel, and 1,000 stayed with [Saul’s son] Jonathan at Gibeah, in the area where the descendants of Benjamin lived.
3 Jonathani agĩtharĩkĩra irangĩro rĩa Afilisti kũu Geba, nao Afilisti makĩigua ũhoro ũcio. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Saũlũ akĩhuhithia karumbeta bũrũri wothe, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ahibirania nĩ maigue!”
Jonathan [and the men who were with him] attacked the Philistine soldiers who were camped at Geba. The [other] Philistines heard about that. [So Saul realized that the army of Philistia would probably come to fight the Israelis again]. So Saul [sent messengers to] blow trumpets throughout Israel [to gather the people together and] proclaim to them, “All you Hebrews need to hear [that now the Philistines will start a war with us]!”
4 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ũhoro ũyũ ũkĩiguuo Isiraeli guothe, gũkĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Saũlũ nĩatharĩkĩire irangĩro rĩa Afilisti, na rĩrĩ, andũ a Isiraeli nĩmatuĩkĩte kĩndũ kĩnungu harĩ Afilisti.” Nao andũ magĩĩtwo nĩguo mongane na Saũlũ kũu Giligali.
The messengers told the rest of the army to gather together with Saul at Gilgal. And all the people in Israel heard the news. People were saying, “Saul’s army has attacked the Philistine camp, with the result that now the Philistines hate us Israelis very much.”
5 Nao Afilisti makĩũngana nĩguo marũe na andũ a Isiraeli, marĩ na ngaari cia ita ngiri ithatũ, na atwarithia a ngaari icio ngiri ithatũ, nacio thigari ciao ciarĩ nyingĩ ta mũthanga ũrĩa ũrĩ hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia iria. Nao makĩambata magĩthiĩ makĩamba hema ciao kũu Mikimashi, mwena wa irathĩro wa Bethi-Aveni.
The Philistines gathered together and were given equipment to fight the Israelis. The Philistines had 3,000 chariots, and 6,000 chariot-drivers. Their soldiers [seemed to be as many] as grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. They went up and set up their tents at Micmash, to the east of Beth-Aven ([which means ‘house of wickedness’, and really referred to Bethel town]).
6 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ a Isiraeli moonire atĩ maarĩ handũ hooru mũno, na ita rĩao nĩrĩahatĩrĩirio mũno, makĩĩhitha ngurunga-inĩ na ihinga-inĩ, na gatagatĩ ka ndwaro cia mahiga, na thĩinĩ wa marima, o na marima-inĩ ma maaĩ.
The Philistines attacked the Israelis very strongly, and the Israeli soldiers realized that they were in a very bad situation. So many of the Israeli soldiers hid in caves and holes in the ground, or among the rocks, or in pits, or in wells.
7 O na Ahibirania amwe nĩmaringire mũrĩmo wa Jorodani, magĩkinya bũrũri wa Gadi na Gileadi. Saũlũ we mwene aatigĩtwo Giligali, nacio mbũtũ ciothe cia ita iria ciarĩ hamwe nake nĩciainainaga nĩ guoya.
Some of them crossed the Jordan River at a place where it was very shallow. Then they went to the area where the descendants of Gad lived and to [the] Gilead [region]. But Saul stayed at Gilgal. All the soldiers who were with him were shaking [because they were so afraid].
8 Nake agĩeterera mĩthenya mũgwanja ĩrĩa yatuĩtwo nĩ Samũeli; no Samũeli ndaigana gũũka Giligali, nao andũ a Saũlũ makĩambĩrĩria kũhurunjũka.
Saul waited seven days, which was the number of days that Samuel had told him to wait for him. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal [during that time], so many of the men in Saul’s army began to leave him and run away.
9 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndeherai maruta ma igongona rĩa njino na maruta ma ũiguano.” Nake Saũlũ akĩruta igongona rĩa njino.
So Saul said to the soldiers, “Bring to me an animal to be completely burned [on the altar] and one for the offering to enable us to maintain fellowship [with God].” [So the men did that].
10 O rĩrĩa aarĩkirie kũruta igongona rĩu, Samũeli agĩkinya, nake Saũlũ agĩthiĩ kũmũtũnga amũgeithie.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 Samũeli akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa weka?” Nake Saũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Rĩrĩa nyonire atĩ andũ nĩmarahurunjũka, nawe ndũnooka ihinda rĩrĩa rĩatuĩtwo, na atĩ Afilisti nĩmegwĩcookanagĩrĩria kũu Mikimashi-rĩ,
Samuel [saw what Saul had done, and he] said to Saul, “Why have you done this?” Saul replied, “I saw that my men were leaving me and running away, and that you did not come here during the time that you said that you would come, and that the Philistine army was gathering together at Micmash.
12 ndeciiria atĩrĩ, ‘Rĩu Afilisti nĩmegũikũrũka moke manjũkĩrĩre gũkũ Giligali, na ndithaithĩte Jehova nĩguo twĩtĩkĩrĩke nĩwe.’ Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndaigua nĩnjagĩrĩirwo nĩkũruta igongona rĩa njino.”
“So I thought, ‘The Philistine army is going to attack us here at Gilgal, and I have not yet asked Yahweh to bless/help us.’ So I felt it was necessary to offer the burnt offerings [to seek God’s blessings].”
13 Samũeli akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩwĩkĩte ũndũ wa ũkĩĩgu. Ndũmenyereire rĩathani rĩrĩa Jehova Ngai waku aakũheire; korwo nĩwĩkĩte ũguo-rĩ, nĩangĩahaanda ũthamaki waku thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli ũtũũre tene na tene.
Samuel replied, “What you did was very foolish! You have not obeyed what Yahweh, your God, commanded [about sacrifices]. If you had obeyed him, God would have allowed you and your descendants to rule [Israel] for a long time.
14 No rĩu ũthamaki waku ndũgũtũũra; Jehova nĩacarĩtie mũndũ moimĩranĩtie ngoro, na akamũthuura atuĩke mũtongoria wa andũ ake, nĩ ũndũ ndũmenyereire watho wa Jehova.”
But now [because of what you have done, you will die, and after you die, ] none of your descendants will rule. Yahweh is seeking for a man [to be king] who will be just the kind of person that he wants him to be, so that he can appoint him to be the leader of his people. Yahweh will do this because you have not obeyed what he commanded.”
15 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Samũeli akiuma Giligali akĩambata Gibea ya Benjamini, nake Saũlũ agĩtara andũ arĩa aarĩ nao. Nao maarĩ ta andũ magana matandatũ.
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah. Saul stayed at Gilgal with his soldiers. There were only about 600 of them left [who had not run away].
16 Saũlũ na mũriũ Jonathani na andũ arĩa maarĩ nao maikaraga Gibea ya Benjamini, rĩrĩa Afilisti maambĩte hema ciao kũu Mikimashi.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the soldiers who were with them went to Geba [city] in the area of the tribe of Benjamin [and set up their tents there]. The Philistine army set up their tents at Micmash.
17 Nacio ikundi cia atharĩkĩri ikiuma kambĩ-inĩ ya Afilisti irĩ ikundi ithatũ. Kĩmwe gĩkĩerekera mwena wa Ofara gũkuhĩ na Shuali,
Three groups of Philistia men soon left the place where their army was staying, and went and (raided the Israeli towns/attacked the Israelis and took their possessions). One group went [north] toward Ophrah [city] in [the] Shual [region].
18 kĩrĩa kĩngĩ gĩkĩerekera Bethi-Horoni, na gĩa gatatũ gĩkĩerekera mũhaka-inĩ ũrĩa ũngʼetheire Kĩanda gĩa Zeboimu kĩrorete werũ-inĩ.
One group went [west] to Beth-Horon [city]. The third group went toward the [Israeli] border, above Zeboim Valley, near the desert.
19 Gũtiarĩ mũturi ũngĩonekire bũrũri wothe wa Isiraeli, tondũ Afilisti moigĩte atĩrĩ, “Mangĩgĩa nake, Ahibirania no mathondeke hiũ cia njora na matimũ!”
At that time, there were no men in Israel who (were blacksmiths/could make things from iron). [The people of Philistia would not permit the Israelis to do that, because they were afraid that] they would make iron swords and spears for the Hebrews to fight with.
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ othe a Isiraeli maikũrũkaga magathiĩ kũrĩ Afilisti, makanoorerwo hiũ ciao cia mĩraũ, na thururu, na mathanwa, na hiũ cia igetha.
So [whenever the Israelis needed] to sharpen the blades of their plows, or picks, or axes, or sickles, they were forced to take those things to a Philistia man who could sharpen those things.
21 Thogora wa kũnoora hiũ cia mĩraũ na thururu warĩ cekeri icunjĩ igĩrĩ cia ithatũ, naguo thogora wa kũnoora theeci, na mathanwa, na kũrũnga mĩcengi warĩ cekeri gĩcunjĩ kĩmwe gĩa ithatũ.
They needed to pay (one fourth of an ounce/8 grams) of silver for sharpening a plow, and (an eighth of an ounce/4 grams) of silver to sharpen an axe, or a sickle, or (an ox goad/a pointed rod to jab an ox to make it walk).
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthenya wa mbaara gũtirĩ mũthigari o na ũmwe wa arĩa maarĩ na Saũlũ na Jonathani warĩ na rũhiũ rwa njora kana itimũ guoko-inĩ gwake; Saũlũ na mũriũ Jonathani no-o maarĩ nacio.
So [because the Israelis could not make weapons from iron], on the day that the Israelis fought [against the men of Philistia], Saul and Jonathan were the only Israeli men who had swords. None of the others had a sword; [they had only bows and arrows].
23 Na rĩrĩ, gĩkundi gĩa thigari cia Afilisti nĩgĩathiĩte nginya kĩhunguro-inĩ kũu Mikimashi.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
