1 Samuel 11
1 Nʼoge ahụ, Nahash, eze ndị Amọn, duuru ndị agha ya bilie imegide ndị Izrel bi nʼala Jebesh Gilead. Ma ndị Jebesh rịọrọ ya sị, “Ka anyị na gị gbaa ndụ, anyị ga-anọ nʼokpuru ọchịchị gị.”
Nahash the Ammonite came with his army and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to him, “Make a peace treaty with us, and we will be your subjects.”
2 Ma Nahash, onye Amọn zara sị ha, “Mụ na unu ga-agba ndụ ma ọ bụrụ na unu ekwenye ka m ghụpụta anya aka nri nke onye ọbụla nʼime unu, si otu a wetara Izrel niile ihe nkọcha.”
But Nahash the Ammonite responded, “I'll make a peace treaty with you on one condition: that I gouge out everyone's right eye to bring shame on all Israelites.”
3 Ndị okenye obodo Jebesh zara sị, “Nye anyị abalị asaa ka anyị ziga ndị ozi nʼala Izrel niile. Ọ bụrụ na o nweghị onye kwere ịbịa zọpụta anyị, anyị ga-ewere onwe anyị nyefee gị nʼaka.”
“Let us have seven days so we can send messengers all over Israel,” replied the town elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to help us, we will surrender to you.”
4 Mgbe ndị ozi ha zipụrụ bịaruru Gibea, nke bụ obodo Sọl, ha kọọrọ ndị mmadụ ihe ndị a, ha niile dapụrụ nʼakwa.
When the messengers arrived in Gibeah of Saul and gave the message as the people listened, they all wept out loud.
5 Ma nʼoge a, Sọl si nʼubi na-alọta, soro ụmụ ehi ya nʼazụ, ọ jụrụ, “Ọ bụ gịnị na-eme onye ọbụla? Gịnị mere na ha ji ebe akwa?” Ha kọọrọ ya ihe banyere ozi e si Jebesh zite.
Right then Saul was coming back from ploughing a field with his oxen. “Why is everyone so upset?” he asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said.
6 Mgbe Sọl nụrụ ozi a, Mmụọ nke Chineke bịakwasịrị ya nʼike, iwe wekwara ya nke ukwuu.
The Spirit of God came on Saul in power when he heard about this, and he grew very angry.
7 Ọ kpụpụtara ehi abụọ bọkasịa ha, zipụ ndị ozi ka ha buru ha ga obodo niile dị nʼIzrel. Ozi ha ga-ezi ndị obodo ọbụla bụ nke a. “Ọ bụ ihe e mere ehi ndị a ka a ga-eme ehi onye ọbụla jụrụ iso Sọl na Samuel jee ọgụ.” Onyenwe anyị mere ka egwu jide ndị Izrel niile. Nʼihi ya, ha niile bịakwutere Sọl dịka otu mmadụ.
He took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. Then he sent them by messenger to every part of Israel with the message, “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” The Lord made the people anxious to do so, and they came out as one.
8 Mgbe Sọl kpọkọtara ha na Bezek, ọnụọgụgụ ndị ikom Izrel dị narị puku atọ, tinyekwara iri puku mmadụ atọ, ndị sitere na Juda.
When Saul counted them at Bezek, there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.
9 Ha gwara ndị zitere ozi ahụ okwu sị ha, “Zienụ ndị ikom Jebesh Gilead, ‘Echi, tupu anyanwụ achaa nʼuju ya, a ga-anapụta unu.’” Mgbe ndị ozi a gara zie ndị ikom Jebesh Gilead ozi a, ha ṅụrịrị ọṅụ nke ukwuu.
They said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow you'll be rescued, by the time the sun is hot.’” The people of Jabesh were so happy when the messengers arrived and told them this.
10 Ndị ikom Jebesh ziri ozi gwa ndị Amọn sị ha, “Echi, anyị ga-enye unu onwe anyị, ka unu mee anyị ihe masịrị unu.”
They told the Ammonites, “We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do to us whatever you want.”
11 Ma nʼụtụtụ echi, Sọl na ndị agha ya bịaruru. O kewara ndị agha ya ụzọ atọ, buso ụmụ Amọn agha na mberede nʼisi ụtụtụ. O gbugidere ha ụtụtụ niile ruo mgbe anyanwụ chara nʼuju ya, chụsasịa ndị fọdụrụ nʼime ha. Nke a mere na o nweghị ebe a ga-ahụ ka ndị agha Amọn abụọ nọkọtara.
The next day Saul organized the army into three divisions. They attacked the Ammonite camp before dawn and went on killing them until the day grew hot. The survivors were so scattered that not even two of them were left together.
12 Ndị Izrel niile bịakwutere Samuel jụọ ya sị, “Olee ndị ahụ sị na Sọl agaghị abụ eze anyị? Kpọpụtara anyị ha ka anyị gbuo ha!”
Then the people asked Samuel, “Who was saying, ‘Why should we have Saul as our king?’ Hand these men over so we can execute them.”
13 Ma Sọl zara sị, “O nweghị onye ọbụla a ga-egbu taa, nʼihi na taa, Onyenwe anyị anapụtala Izrel!”
But Saul replied, “No one's going to be executed today, for this is the day that the Lord saved Israel.”
14 Samuel gwara ha sị, “Bịanụ ka anyị gaa Gilgal mee ịbụ eze a ka ọ dị ọhụrụ ọzọ.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come with me—let's go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom.”
15 Ya mere, mmadụ niile gara Gilgal. Na mmemme pụrụ iche, ha mere Sọl eze nʼihu Onyenwe anyị. Ha chụkwara aja udo nye Onyenwe anyị nʼebe ahụ. Ọṅụ jupụtakwara nʼobi Sọl na ndị Izrel niile.
Everyone went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king before the Lord. They sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord, and Saul together with all the Israelites had a great celebration.
