1 Samuel 13
1 Saúl tenía treinta años cuando llegó a ser rey, y reinó sobre Israel cuarenta y dos años.
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, de los cuales dos mil estaban con Saúl en Micmas y en el monte de Betel, y mil estaban con Jonatán en Guibeá de Benjamín. Envió al resto del pueblo a sus propias tiendas.
[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 Jonatán atacó la guarnición de los filisteos que estaba en Geba, y los filisteos se enteraron. Saúl hizo sonar la trompeta por todo el país, diciendo: “¡Que se enteren 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 Todo Israel se enteró de que Saúl había golpeado a la guarnición de los filisteos, y también de que Israel era considerado una abominación para los filisteos. El pueblo se reunió tras 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 luchar contra Israel: treinta mil carros, seis mil jinetes y gente como la arena que está a la orilla del mar en multitud. Subieron 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 de Israel vieron que estaban en apuros (pues el pueblo estaba angustiado), el pueblo se escondió en cuevas, en matorrales, en rocas, en tumbas y en fosas.
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 habían pasado el Jordán a la tierra de Gad y de Galaad; pero Saúl estaba todavía en Gilgal, y todo el pueblo lo seguía temblando.
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 Se quedó siete días, según el tiempo fijado por Samuel; pero éste no llegó a Gilgal, y el pueblo se dispersó de él.
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 Saúl le dijo: “Tráeme aquí el holocausto y las ofrendas de paz”. 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 Sucedió que en cuanto terminó de ofrecer el holocausto, he aquí que llegó Samuel; y Saúl salió a recibirlo para saludarlo.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 Samuel le dijo: “¿Qué has hecho?” Saúl dijo: “Como vi que el pueblo se dispersaba de mí, y que tú no venías en los días señalados, y que los filisteos se reunían en Micmas,
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 dije: “Ahora los filisteos bajarán sobre mí a Gilgal, y yo no he suplicado el favor de Yahvé. Me obligué, pues, a ofrecer 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 Samuel le dijo a Saúl: “Has hecho una tontería. No has cumplido el mandamiento del Señor, tu Dios, que él te ordenó; porque ahora el Señor habría establecido tu reino en 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 continuará. Yahvé se ha buscado un hombre según su propio corazón, y Yahvé lo ha designado como príncipe de su pueblo, porque tú no has guardado lo que Yahvé te mandó.”
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 Samuel se levantó y se dirigió de Gilgal a Gabaa de Benjamín. Saúl contó el pueblo que estaba presente con él, 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 Saúl, su hijo Jonatán y el pueblo que estaba con ellos se quedaron en Gabaa de Benjamín, pero los filisteos acamparon 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 Los asaltantes salieron del campamento de los filisteos en tres compañías: una compañía se dirigió al camino que lleva a Ofra, a 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 otra compañía se dirigió al camino de Bet Horón; y otra compañía se dirigió al camino de la frontera que da al valle de Zeboim, 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 se encontró ningún herrero en toda la tierra de Israel, porque los filisteos dijeron: “No sea que los hebreos se hagan espadas o 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 pero todos los israelitas bajaron a los filisteos, cada uno para afilar su propia reja de arado, su azadón, su hacha y su hoz.
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 El precio era de un payim cada uno para afilar azadones, rejas de arado, horcas, hachas y picos.
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 Y sucedió que el día de la batalla no se encontró espada ni lanza en manos de ninguno de los que estaban con Saúl y Jonatán, sino que Saúl y su hijo las tenían.
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 La guarnición de los filisteos salió al 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.
