1 Samuel 13
1 Saúl tenía… años cuando comenzó a reinar, y había ya reinado dos años sobre Israel.
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 Saúl escogió para sí tres mil hombres de Israel. Dos mil estaban con Saúl en Micmás y en el monte de Betel, y mil estaban con Jonatán en Gabaá de Benjamín; y despidió Saúl el resto del pueblo, a cada uno a su casa.
[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 Entretanto Jonatán derrotó la guarnición de los filisteos que había en Gueba, lo que supieron los filisteos. Entonces Saúl hizo tocar la trompeta por todo el país, diciendo: “¡Óiganlo los hebreos!”
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 Y todo Israel oyó decir: “Saúl ha derrotado la guarnición de los filisteos con lo cual Israel se ha hecho odioso a los filisteos.” Y fue convocado el pueblo para ir tras Saúl a Gálgala.
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 También los filisteos se juntaron para la guerra contra Israel: treinta mil carros, y seis mil hombres de a caballo, y gente en tanto número como las arenas en la orilla del mar. Subieron, y asentaron su campamento en Micmás, al oriente de Betaven.
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 Los israelitas se vieron en gran apuro; porque el pueblo se hallaba estrechado en tanto grado que se escondía en cuevas, entre los abrojos, en las peñas, en grutas y cisternas.
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 Parte de los hebreos pasaron el Jordán retirándose a la tierra de Gad y de Galaad. Saúl, empero, estaba todavía en Gálgala, y temblaba todo el pueblo que le seguía.
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 (Saúl) esperó siete días según el plazo que Samuel había fijado; pero Samuel no vino a Gálgala, y el pueblo que estaba con Saúl se iba dispersando.
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 Dijo, pues, Saúl: “Traedme el holocausto y las víctimas pacíficas”, y él mismo ofreció el holocausto.
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 Apenas hubo acabado de ofrecer el holocausto, he aquí que llegó Samuel. Saúl salió a su encuentro para saludarle,
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 y Samuel le dijo: “¿Qué has hecho?” Respondió Saúl: “Cuando vi que se dispersaba la gente que estaba conmigo, y que tú no venías dentro del plazo fijado, y que los filisteos estaban reunidos en Micmás,
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 me dije: Ahora los filisteos bajarán contra mí a Gálgala y yo no he todavía aplacado el rostro de Yahvé. Así, pues, obligado por la necesidad, ofrecí el holocausto.”
“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 Entonces Samuel dijo a Saúl: “Has obrado neciamente; no has guardado el mandamiento que te intimó Yahvé, Dios tuyo. Yahvé estaba ya para establecer tu reino sobre Israel para siempre;
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 pero ahora tu reino no se mantendrá. Yahvé ha buscado para sí un hombre conforme a su corazón, y le ha designado príncipe sobre su pueblo, por cuanto tú no has guardado su mandato.”
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 Se levantó Samuel y subió de Gálgala a Gabaá de Benjamín. Luego Saúl revistó a la gente que se hallaba con él, y eran unos seiscientos hombres.
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 Hallábase, pues, Saúl y su hijo Jonatán y la gente que estaba con ellos, en Gabaá de Benjamín, mientras que los filisteos acampaban en Micmás.
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 Del campamento de los filisteos salieron las tropas de pillaje, formando tres bandas, dirigiéndose una por el camino de Ofrá, hacia la región de Sual.
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 Otra banda tomó el camino de Bethorón, y la tercera el de la frontera, que domina el valle de Seboím, hacia el desierto.
One group went [west] to Beth-Horon [city]. The third group went toward the [Israeli] border, above Zeboim Valley, near the desert.
19 No había herrero en todo el país de Israel; porque los filisteos habían dicho: “No sea que los hebreos fabriquen espada o lanza.”
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 Por eso de todo Israel recurría cada uno a los filisteos para aguzar su reja, su azadón, su hacha y su zapa,
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 de modo que se habían embotado las rejas, los azadones, los tridentes y las hachas y no se podía aguzar los aguijones.
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 Por eso en el día de la batalla nadie de la gente que acompañaba a Saúl y a Jonatán, tenía espada o lanza sino Saúl y su hijo Jonatán.
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 Entretanto un destacamento de los filisteos avanzó hasta el desfiladero de Micmás.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
