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.”
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 Mgbe ndị ozi ha zipụrụ bịaruru Gibea, nke bụ obodo Sọl, ha kọọrọ ndị mmadụ ihe ndị a, ha niile dapụrụ nʼakwa.
[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 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.
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 Mgbe Sọl nụrụ ozi a, Mmụọ nke Chineke bịakwasịrị ya nʼike, iwe wekwara ya nke ukwuu.
Then God’s Spirit came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry [because of what Nahash wanted to do].
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 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 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 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 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.
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 Ndị ikom Jebesh ziri ozi gwa ndị Amọn sị ha, “Echi, anyị ga-enye unu onwe anyị, ka unu mee anyị ihe masịrị unu.”
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 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.
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 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 [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 Ma Sọl zara sị, “O nweghị onye ọbụla a ga-egbu taa, nʼihi na taa, Onyenwe anyị anapụtala Izrel!”
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 gwara ha sị, “Bịanụ ka anyị gaa Gilgal mee ịbụ eze a ka ọ dị ọhụrụ ọzọ.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Let’s all go to Gilgal, and there we will again proclaim [that Saul is] our king.”
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.
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.
