I Samuelis 13
1 Filius unius anni erat Saul cum regnare coepisset, duobus autem annis regnavit super Israel.
Saul was thirty when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-two years.
2 Et elegit sibi Saul tria millia de Israel: et erant cum Saul duo millia in Machmas, et in monte Bethel: mille autem cum Ionatha in Gabaa Beniamin. porro ceterum populum remisit unumquemque in tabernacula sua.
Saul had chosen three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and another thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the army home.
3 Et percussit Ionathas stationem Philisthinorum, quae erat in Gabaa. Quod cum audissent Philisthiim, Saul cecinit buccina in omni terra, dicens: Audiant Hebraei.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba. The Philistines soon heard about it, so Saul had the trumpet call to arms sounded throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, pay attention!”
4 Et universus Israel audivit huiuscemodi famam: Percussit Saul stationem Philisthinorum: et erexit se Israel adversus Philisthiim. Clamavit ergo populus post Saul in Galgala.
All of Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and now Israel is like a bad smell to the Philistines!” So the whole army was called up to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 Et Philisthiim congregati sunt ad proeliandum contra Israel, triginta millia curruum, et sex millia equitum, et reliquum vulgus, sicut arena quae est in littore maris plurima. Et ascendentes castrametati sunt in Machmas ad Orientem Bethaven.
The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. They had three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as sand on the seashore. They advanced and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6 Quod cum vidissent viri Israel se in arcto positos, (afflictus enim erat populus) absconderunt se in speluncis, et in abditis, in petris quoque, et in antris, et in cisternis.
When the Israelite men realized the tough situation they were in, and that the army was taking a beating, they hid themselves in caves, holes, rocks, pits, and cisterns.
7 Hebraei autem transierunt Iordanem in Terram Gad et Galaad. Cumque adhuc esset Saul in Galgala, universus populus perterritus est, qui sequebatur eum.
Some of the Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the territory of Gad and Gilead, but Saul stayed at Gilgal, and all the men with him were trembling with fear.
8 Et expectavit septem diebus iuxta placitum Samuelis, et non venit Samuel in Galgala, dilapsusque est populus ab eo.
Saul waited there seven days for the time that Samuel had said, but Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, and the army started to desert him.
9 Ait ergo Saul: Afferte mihi holocaustum, et pacifica. Et obtulit holocaustum.
So Saul ordered, “Bring the burnt offering and the friendship offerings to me,” and he presented the burnt offering.
10 Cumque complesset offerens holocaustum, ecce Samuel veniebat: et egressus est Saul obviam ei ut salutaret eum.
Just as he finished presenting the burnt offering, he saw Samuel arrive. Saul went over to meet him and say hello.
11 Locutusque est ad eum Samuel: Quid fecisti? Respondit Saul: Quia vidi quod populus dilaberetur a me, et tu non veneras iuxta placitos dies, porro Philisthiim congregati fuerant in Machmas,
“What have you done?” Samuel asked. Saul replied, “Well I saw my men were deserting me, and you hadn't arrived when you said you would, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash to attack.
12 dixi: Nunc descendent Philisthiim ad me in Galgala, et faciem Domini non placavi. Necessitate compulsus, obtuli holocaustum.
I said to myself, ‘The Philistines are about to attack me at Gilgal, and I haven't asked the Lord for his help.’ So I felt I had to present the burnt offering myself.”
13 Dixitque Samuel ad Saul: Stulte egisti, nec custodisti mandata Domini Dei tui, quae praecepit tibi. Quod si non fecisses, iam nunc praeparasset Dominus regnum tuum super Israel in sempiternum,
“You've been really stupid,” Samuel told him. “You haven't kept the commands of the Lord your God. If you had, the Lord would have made your kingdom over Israel secure forever.
14 sed nequaquam regnum tuum ultra consurget. Quaesivit Dominus sibi virum iuxta cor suum: et praecepit ei Dominus ut esset dux super populum suum, eo quod non servaveris quae praecepit Dominus.
But now your kingdom won't last. The Lord has found for himself a man who thinks like him, and has chosen him as ruler over his people, because you haven't kept the commands of the Lord.”
15 Surrexit autem Samuel, et ascendit de Galgalis in Gabaa Beniamin. Et reliqui populi ascenderunt post Saul obviam populo, qui expugnabant eos venientes de Galgala in Gabaa, in colle Beniamin. Et recensuit Saul populum, qui inventi fuerant cum eo, quasi sexcentos viros.
Then Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the soldiers followed Saul to meet the army, going from Gilgal to Geba in Benjamin. Saul counted the number of soldiers who were with him and there were about six hundred.
16 Et Saul et Ionathas filius eius, populusque qui inventus fuerat cum eis, erat in Gabaa Beniamin: porro Philisthiim consederant in Machmas.
Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were camped at Michmash.
17 Et egressi sunt ad praedandum de castris Philisthinorum tres cunei. Unus cuneus pergebat contra viam Ephra ad Terram Sual.
Three groups of raiders left the Philistine camp to go and attack. One group went towards Ophrah in the land of Shual,
18 porro alius ingrediebatur per viam Beth horon. tertius autem verterat se ad iter termini in terra Sabaa imminentis valli Seboim contra desertum.
one towards Beth-horon, and one towards the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim by the wilderness.
19 Porro faber ferrarius non inveniebatur in omni Terra Israel. caverant enim Philisthiim, ne forte facerent Hebraei gladium aut lanceam.
There wasn't a blacksmith to be found anywhere in Israel, because the Philistines had said, “So that the Hebrews don't make swords and spears.”
20 Descendebat ergo omnis Israel ad Philisthiim, ut exacueret unusquisque vomerem suum, et ligonem et securim et sarculum.
All the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to sharpen their iron plowshares, pickaxes, axes, and sickles.
21 Retusae itaque erant acies vomerum, et ligonum, et tridentum, et securium, usque ad stimulum corrigendum.
The fee was two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares and pickaxes, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and cattle prods.
22 Cumque venisset dies proelii, non est inventus ensis et lancea in manu totius populi, qui erat cum Saule et Ionatha, excepto Saul et Ionatha filio eius.
So when it came to the day of battle none of the soldiers with Saul and Jonathan had swords or spears—only Saul and his son Jonathan had such weapons.
23 Egressa est autem statio Philisthiim, ut transcenderet in Machmas.
A Philistine garrison had taken control of the pass at Michmash.
