1 Samuel 13
1 Saúl tenía treinta años cuando llegó a ser rey, y reinó sobre Israel durante cuarenta y dos años.
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 Saúl había elegido a tres mil hombres de Israel. Dos mil de ellos estaban con Saúl en Micmas y en la región montañosa de Betel, y otros mil estaban con Jonatán en Guibeá de Benjamín. Y envió al resto del ejército a 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 Tiempo después, Jonatán atacó la guarnición de los filisteos en Geba. Los filisteos no tardaron en enterarse, así que Saúl hizo sonar la trompeta de llamada a las armas por todo el país, diciendo: “Hebreos, presten atención!”
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 Entonces todo Israel escuchó la noticia: “¡Saúl ha atacado la guarnición filistea, y ahora los filisteos odian a Israel!” Así que todo el ejército fue convocado para unirse a Saúl en Gilgal.
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 Los filisteos se reunieron para pelear contra Israel. Tenían tres mil carros, seis mil jinetes y soldados tan numerosos como la arena en la orilla del mar. Avanzaron y acamparon en Micmas, al este de Bet-aven.
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 Cuando los hombres israelitas se dieron cuenta de la difícil situación en la que se encontraban y de que el ejército estaba recibiendo una paliza, se escondieron en cuevas, agujeros, rocas, pozos 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 Algunos de los hebreos incluso cruzaron el Jordán hacia el territorio de Gad y Galaad, pero Saúl se quedó en Gilgal, y todos los hombres que estaban con él temblaban de miedo.
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 allí siete días el tiempo que Samuel había dicho, pero Samuel no llegó a Gilgal, y el ejército comenzó a abandonarlo.
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 Entonces Saúl ordenó: “Tráiganme el holocausto y las ofrendas de paz”, y presentó 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 Justo cuando terminó de presentar el holocausto, vio llegar a Samuel. Saúl fue a recibirlo y a saludarlo.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 “¿Qué has hecho?” le preguntó Samuel. Saúl respondió: “Bueno, vi que mis hombres me abandonaban, y que tú no habías llegado cuando dijiste que lo harías, y que los filisteos se estaban reuniendo en Micmas para atacar.
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 Así que pensé: ‘Los filisteos están a punto de atacarme en Gilgal, y no he pedido la ayuda del Señor’. Así que sentí que debía presentar yo mismo 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 “Has sido muy estúpido”, le dijo Samuel. “No has cumplido los mandatos del Señor, tu Dios. Si lo hubieras hecho, el Señor habría asegurado 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 durará. El Señor ha encontrado para sí un hombre que piensa como él, y lo ha elegido para que sea el gobernante de su pueblo, porque tú no has cumplido los mandatos del Señor”.
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 Entonces Samuel se fue de Gilgal. El resto de los soldados siguió a Saúl para reunirse con el ejército, yendo de Gilgal a Geba, en Benjamín. Saúl contó el número de soldados que estaban con él y eran unos seiscientos.
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 Saúl, su hijo Jonatán y los soldados que estaban con ellos se alojaban en Geba de Benjamín, mientras los filisteos estaban acampados en Micmas.
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 Tres grupos de asaltantes salieron del campamento filisteo para ir a atacar. Un grupo se dirigió hacia Ofra en la tierra de Shual,
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 otro hacia Bet-horón, y otro hacia la frontera que da al Valle de Seboim por 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 En esos días no había un herrero en ninguna parte de Israel. Los filisteos lo impedían para que los hebreos no hicieran espadas y lanzas.
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 Todos los israelitas tenían que acudir a los filisteos para afilar sus rejas de hierro, picos, hachas y hoces.
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 La tarifa era de dos tercios de siclo por rejas de arado y picos, y un tercio de siclo para afilar las hachas y las picas de ganado.
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 Así que cuando llegó el día de la batalla ninguno de los soldados que acompañaban a Saúl y a Jonatán tenía espadas ni lanzas; sólo Saúl y su hijo Jonatán tenían esas armas.
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 Una guarnición filistea había tomado el control del paso de Micmas.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
