1 Samuelsboken 11
1 Så for Nahas, den Ammoniten, upp, och belade Jabes i Gilead. Och alle män i Jabes sade till Nahas: Gör ett förbund med oss, så vilje vi tjena dig.
About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon [led his army across the Jordan River, and they] surrounded Jabesh [city] in [the] Gilead [region]. But all the men of Jabesh [went and] said to Nahash, “Make an agreement/treaty with us [not to kill us], and then we will let you rule us.”
2 Men Nahas, den Ammoniten, svarade dem: I så måtto vill jag göra ett förbund med eder, att jag stinger ut högra ögat på eder alla, och sätter eder till en försmädelse i hela Israel.
Nahash replied, “I will do that if you do one thing. Allow us to gouge out all the right eyes of your people. By doing that we will cause the people [in other countries] to despise all you Israeli people.”
3 Då sade till honom alle äldste i Jabes: Gif oss sju dagar, att vi måge sända bådskap i alla Israels gränsor; är då ingen hjelp, så vilje vi gå ut till dig.
The leaders of Jabesh replied, “Do not attack us for the next seven days. During that time, we will send messengers throughout Israel [to tell them what you are demanding]. If no one will help us, then we will (surrender to you/allow you to do to us whatever you want).”
4 Så kommo bådskapen till Gibea Sauls, och sade detta för folkens öron. Då hof allt folket sina röst upp, och gret.
[Being very confident that his army was very superior, Nahash agreed. So the leaders of Jabesh sent messengers throughout Israel]. When the messengers came to Gibeah, which was [the city] where Saul lived, and they told the people there about the situation, everyone started to cry.
5 Och si, då kom Saul utaf markene, gångandes bakefter sitt fä, och sade: Hvad skadar folkena, att det gråter? Då förtäljde de honom de mäns ord af Jabes.
At that time, Saul was plowing in the field. When he returned home, he asked, “Why are all the people [crying]?” So they told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported.
6 Då kom Guds Ande öfver honom, när han dessa orden hörde, och hans vrede förgrymmade sig svårliga.
Then God’s Spirit came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry [because of what Nahash wanted to do].
7 Och han tog ett par oxar, och styckade dem, och sände i alla Israels gränsor med bådskap, och lät säga: Den som icke utdrager efter Saul och Samuel, hans oxar skall man så göra. Så föll Herrans fruktan öfver folket, att de utdrogo såsom en man.
He took two of his oxen [and killed them] and cut them into pieces. Then he sent messengers [carrying those pieces] throughout Israel to tell people this message: “Saul says that [he cut this ox in pieces, and that he] will do the same thing to the oxen of anyone who refuses to come with him and Samuel to fight [the army from Ammon]!” Then Yahweh caused all the people of Israel to be afraid of what Saul might do to them (OR, of what Yahweh might do to them) [if they did not go and help Saul]. So the men all gathered together.
8 Och man räknade dem i Besek; och Israels barn voro tre resor hundradetusend män; och Juda barn tretiotusend.
When Saul gave them all weapons at Bezek, he saw that there were 300,000 Israeli men there, as well as 30,000 men from the tribe of Judah.
9 Och de sade till bådskapen, som komne voro: Säger de män i Jabes i Gilead: I morgon skolen I få hjelp, när solen är som hetast. Då desse bådskapen kommo, och förkunnade det de män i Jabes, vordo de glade.
So Saul sent messengers back to the people at Jabesh to tell them, “We will rescue/save you by noontime tomorrow.” When the people of Jabesh heard that message, they were very joyful/happy.
10 Och de män i Jabes sade: I morgon vilje vi gå ut till eder, att I mågen göra oss allt det eder täckes.
Then the men of Jabesh told [Nahash], “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and then you can do to us whatever you want to.”
11 Den andra morgonen skickade Saul folket i tre hopar, och de kommo i lägret i morgonväktene, och slogo de Ammoniter allt intill dagen vardt som hetast. Och de som öfverblefvo, vordo så förskingrade, att icke två blefvo tillhopa.
But before the sun rose the next morning, Saul [and his army arrived. He] divided them into three groups. They rushed into the camp of the soldiers from Ammon, and attacked them. By noontime they had killed most of them, and those who were not killed scattered. Each of them who ran away ran away alone.
12 Då sade folket till Samuel: Hvar äro de, som sade: Skall Saul råda öfver oss? Låt de män komma här fram, att vi måge dräpa dem.
Then the people [of Jabesh] said to Samuel, “Where are those men who said that they did not want Saul to be our king? Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
13 Saul sade: På denna dagen skall ingen dö; ty Herren hafver i dag gjort salighet i Israel.
But Saul replied, “[No], we are not going to execute anyone today, because this is the day that Yahweh has saved us Israeli people. [It is a day to rejoice, not to kill anyone].”
14 Samuel sade till folket: Kommer, låter oss gå till Gilgal, och der förnya Konungariket.
Then Samuel said to the people, “Let’s all go to Gilgal, and there we will again proclaim [that Saul is] our king.”
15 Så drog allt folket till Gilgal, och gjorde der Saul till Konung för Herranom i Gilgal, och offrade tackoffer inför Herranom. Och Saul med alla Israels män fröjdade sig der ganska storliga.
So they went to Gilgal. There, knowing that Yahweh was watching, they proclaimed that Saul was their king. Then they offered sacrifices to enable them to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. And Saul and all the other Israeli people were very happy.
