1 Samweli 31
1 Basi Wafilisti wakapigana na Israeli. Waisraeli wakawakimbia, na wengi wakauawa katika Mlima Gilboa.
Later, the Philistines again fought against the Israelis. The Israelis ran away from them, and (many Israelis were killed/the Philistines killed many Israelis) on Gilboa Mountain.
2 Wafilisti wakawafuatia kwa bidii Sauli na wanawe, wakawaua Yonathani, Abinadabu na Malki-Shua.
The Philistines caught up with Saul and his three sons, and they killed [all three of] his sons, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua.
3 Mapigano yakawa makali sana kumzunguka Sauli, nao wapiga upinde wakampata na kumjeruhi vibaya.
The fighting was very fierce around Saul. When the Philistine (archers/men with bows and arrows) caught up with Saul, they wounded him badly [with their arrows].
4 Sauli akamwambia mbeba silaha wake, “Futa upanga wako unichome nao, la sivyo hawa watu wasiotahiriwa watakuja wanichome na kunidhalilisha.” Lakini mbeba silaha wake akaogopa sana wala hakuweza kufanya hivyo. Kwa hiyo Sauli akachukua upanga wake mwenyewe na kuuangukia.
Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, “Take out your sword and kill me with it, in order that these heathen Philistines will not be able to thrust their swords into me and make fun of me [while I am dying].” But the man who was carrying Saul’s weapons was terrified, and refused to do that. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. [The sword pierced his body and he died].
5 Mchukua silaha wake alipoona Sauli amekufa, naye pia akaangukia upanga wake akafa pamoja naye.
When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
6 Basi Sauli, wanawe watatu, mbeba silaha wake na watu wake wote wakafa pamoja siku ile ile.
So Saul, three of his sons, and the man who carried Saul’s weapons, all died on that same day.
7 Waisraeli waliokuwa kandokando ya bonde na wale waliokuwa ngʼambo ya Yordani walipoona kuwa jeshi la Waisraeli limekimbia na kwamba Sauli na wanawe wamekufa, wakaacha miji yao na kukimbia. Nao Wafilisti wakaja na kukaa humo.
When the Israeli people on the north side of the [Jezreel] Valley and on the east side of the Jordan [River] heard that the Israeli army had run away and that Saul and his sons had died, they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and occupied their towns.
8 Kesho yake Wafilisti walipokuja kuwavua maiti silaha, walimkuta Sauli na wanawe watatu wameanguka katika Mlima Gilboa.
The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
9 Wakamkata Sauli kichwa na kumvua silaha zake, nao wakatuma wajumbe katika nchi yote ya Wafilisti kutangaza habari katika hekalu la sanamu zao na miongoni mwa watu wao.
They cut off Saul’s head and took his weapons. Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news, in the temple where they kept their idols, and to the other people, [that their army had killed Saul].
10 Wakaweka silaha zake katika hekalu la Maashtorethi, na kukifunga kiwiliwili chake katika ukuta wa Beth-Shani.
They put Saul’s weapons in the temple of [their goddess] Astarte. They also fastened the bodies of Saul [and his sons] to the wall [that surrounded] Beth-Shan [city].
11 Watu wa Yabeshi-Gileadi waliposikia yale Wafilisti walichomfanyia Sauli,
When the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse,
12 mashujaa wao wote wakaenda usiku hadi Beth-Shani. Wakauchukua mwili wa Sauli na miili ya wanawe kutoka kwenye ukuta wa Beth-Shani na kurudi hadi Yabeshi, mahali ambapo waliiteketeza kwa moto.
all their bravest soldiers walked all night to Beth-Shan. They took the corpses of Saul and his sons down from the city wall, and they took them back to Jabesh and burned the corpses there.
13 Kisha wakachukua mifupa yao na kuizika chini ya mti wa mkwaju huko Yabeshi, nao wakafunga siku saba.
They took the bones and buried them under a [big] tamarisk tree. Then they (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
