1 Samweli 13
1 Sauli alikwa na umri wa miaka [thelathini] alipoanza kutawala; alipokuwa ametawala Israeli kwa miaka [arobaini],
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 aliwachagua wanaume elfu tatu wa Israeli. Elfu mbili walikuwa pamoja naye huko Mikmashi na katika nchi ya milima ya Betheli, wakati huo wale elfu moja walikuwa pamoja na Yonathani katika Gibea ya Benyamini. Askari waliobaki aliwarudisha nyumbani, kila mtu hemani kwake.
[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 Yonathani akaishinda ngome ya jeshi la Wafilisti iliyokuwa Geba na Wafilisti wakasikia habari hiyo. Baadaye Sauli alipiga tarumbeta katika nchi yote, akisema, “Sikieni enyi Waebrania.”
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 Israeli yote imesikia kwamba Sauli ameipiga ngome ya Wafilisti, na pia kwamba Israeli imekuwa uvundo kwa Wafilisti. Ndipo askari wakaitwa kwa pamoja kuungana na Sauli huko Gilgali.
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 Wafilisti walijikusanya pamoja kupigana dhidi ya Waisraeli: magari elfu tatu, watu elfu sita wakuendesha magari, na majeshi mengi kama mchanga ufukoni mwa bahari. Wakapanda na kupiga kambi huko Mikimashi, mashariki mwa Beth aveni.
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 Watu wa Israeli walipoona kuwa wapo katika matatizo -kwa maana watu walikata tamaa, wakajificha kwenye mapango, kwenye vichaka, kwenye miamba, kwenye visima na katika mashimo.
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 Baadhi ya Waebrania walipanda kwenda Yordani katika nchi ya Gadi na Gileadi. Lakini Sauli alibaki Gilgali, na watu waliomfuata wakitetemeka.
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 Alisubiri kwa siku saba, muda uliopangwa na Samweli. Lakini Samweli hakufika huko Gilgali, na watu wakatawanyika mbali na Sauli.
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 Sauli akasema, “Nileteeni sadaka ya kuteketezwa na sdaka ya amani.” Kisha akatoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa.
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 Mara tu alipomaliza kutoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa Samweli akawasili. Sauli akatoka nje wakutane na kumsalimia.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 Basi Samweli akasema, “Umefanya nini?” Sauli akajibu, “Nilipoona kwamba watu wanaiacha, na kwamba umechelewa hukufika kwa muda uliopangwa, na kwamba Wafilisti wamekwisha jikusanya huko Mikmashi,
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 nikasema, 'Sasa Wafilisti watashuka dhidi yangu huko Gilgali, na sijaomba kibali cha BWANA.' Kwa hiyo nikajilazimisha mwenyewe kutoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa.”.
“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 Ndipo Samweli akamwambia Sauli, “Umetenda mambo ya kipumbavu. Hukuheshimu amri ya BWANA Mungu wako aliyokupatia. Kwa maana BWANA angeutengeneza utawala wako juu ya Israeli milele.
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 Lakini sasa utawala wako hautaendelea. BWANA ametafuta mtu anayekubaliwa na moyo wake, kwa sababu wewe hukutii alichokuamuru.”
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 Ndipo Samweli akasimama akapanda kutoka Gilgali hadi Gibea ya Benyamini. Basi Sauli akawahesabu watu waliokuwapo pamoja naye, idadi yao ilikuwa kama watu mia sita.
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 Sauli, mtoto wake Yonathani, na watu waliokuwa pamoja nao, wakabaki Geba ya Benyamimni. Lakini Wafilisti wakapiga kambi huko Mikmashi.
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 Wateka nyara makundi matatu wakaja kutoka kambi ya Wafilisti. Kundi moja likapinda kuelekea Ofra, hadi nchi ya Shuali.
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 Kundi jingine likageuka kuelekea Bethholoni, na kundi jingine likaelekea katika mpaka kulikabili bonde la Seboimu kuelekea jangwani.
One group went [west] to Beth-Horon [city]. The third group went toward the [Israeli] border, above Zeboim Valley, near the desert.
19 Hakuna hata mhunzi aliyeonekana katika nchi yote ya Israeli, kwa sababu Wafilisti walisema, “Waebrania wasije wakajitengenezea mapanga au mikuki.”
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 Lakini Waisraeli wote huwa wakiteremka kwa Wafilisti, kila mtu kunoa jembe lake, sululu yake, shoka lake na mundu wake.
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 Gharama za kunoa ncha za majembe, sululu, mashoka na kunyoosha michokoo ilikuwa theluthi moja ya shekeli.
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 Hivyo siku ya vita, hakukuwa na mapanga au mikuki iliyoonekana katika mikono yoyote ya askali waliokuwa na Sauli na Yonathani; Ni Sauli na mtoto wake tu ndio walikuwa nazo.
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 Vikosi vya Wafilisti wakatokeza katika nija ya Mikmashi.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
