1 Samuel 13
1 Tatlumpong taong gulang si Saul nang nagsimula siyang mamuno; nang namuno siya sa loob ng apatnapung taon sa Israel,
Saul was no longer a young man when he became the king. He ruled Israel for 42 years.
2 pumili siya ng tatlong libong kalalakihan ng Israel. Dalawang libo ang kasama niya sa Micmas at sa maburol na lugar ng Bethel, habang isang libo ang kasama ni Jonatan sa Gibea ng Benjamin. Pinauwi niya ang mga natitirang sundalo, bawat lalaki sa kanyang tolda.
[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 Tinalo ni Jonatan ang kuta ng mga Filisteo na nasa Geba at narinig ito ng mga Filisteo. Pagkatapos hinipan ni Saul ang trumpeta sa buong lupain, nagsasabing, “Hayaang marinig ng mga Hebreo.”
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 Narinig ng buong Israel na tinalo ni Saul ang kuta ng mga Filisteo, at naging isang bulok na amoy din ang Israel sa mga Filisteo. Pagkatapos sama-samang pinatawag ang mga sundalo upang sumama kay Saul sa 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 Nagtipon ng magkakasama ang mga Filisteo upang makipaglaban sa Israel: tatlong libong karo, anim na libong kalalakihan upang patakbuhin ang mga karo, at mga hukbo na kasindami ng buhangin sa baybayin. Dumating sila at nagkampo sa Micmas, silangan ng Beth-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 Nang makita ng mga kalalakihan ng Israel na sila ay nasa panganib—sapagkat ang mga tao ay namimighati, nagtago ang mga tao sa mga kuweba, sa damuhan, sa mga bato, sa mga balon, at sa mga hukay.
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 Ang ilan sa mga Hebreo ay pumunta sa ibayo ng Jordan sa lupain ni Gad at Galaad. Subalit naroon pa rin si Saul sa Gilgal, at nanginginig ang lahat ng mga tao na sumusunod sa kanya.
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 Naghintay siya ng pitong araw, ang itinakdang panahon ni Samuel. Subalit hindi pumunta si Samuel sa Gilgal, at naghiwa-hiwalay ang mga tao mula kay Saul.
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 Sinabi ni Saul, “Dalhin ninyo sa akin ang handog na susunugin at ang mga handog pangkapayapaan” Pagkatapos inihandog niya ang handog na susunugin.
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 Nang matapos siyang maghandog ng handog na susunugin dumating si Samuel. Lumabas si Saul upang salubungin siya at upang batiin siya.
And just as he was finished burning those offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul went to greet him.
11 Pagkatapos sinabi ni Samuel, “Ano itong nagawa mo?” Sumagot si Saul, “Nang nakita ko na iniwanan na ako ng mga tao, at hindi ka dumating sa loob ng itinakdang panahon, at nagtipon ang mga Filisteo sa 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 sinabi ko, 'Bababa ngayon ang mga Filisteo laban sa akin sa Gilgal, at hindi ko hinanap ang pabor ni Yahweh.' Kaya pinilit ko ang aking sarili na ihandog ang handog na susunugin.”
“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 Pagkatapos sinabi ni Samuel kay Saul, “Kumilos ka ng may kahangalan. Hindi mo sinunod ang utos ni Yahweh na iyong Diyos na ibinigay niya sa iyo. Sa gayon itinatag sana ni Yahweh ang iyong pamumuno sa Israel magpakailanman.
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 Subalit ang iyong pamumuno ngayon ay hindi na magpapatuloy. Humanap si Yahweh ng isang taong masunurin sa kanya, at hinirang siya ni Yahweh upang maging prinsipe ng kanyang mga tao, dahil hindi mo sinunod kung ano ang kanyang inutos sa iyo.”
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 Pagkatapos bumangon si Samuel at pumunta sa Gilgal patungong Gibea ng Benjamin. Pagkatapos binilang ni Saul ang mga tao na naroon kasama niya, halos anim na raang kalalakihan.
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 Si Saul, kanyang anak na lalaking si Jonatan, at ang mga tao na naroon kasama nila, ay nanatili sa Geba ng Benjamin. Subalit nagkampo ang mga Filisteo sa 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 Dumating ang mga mananalakay mula sa kampo ng mga Filisteo sa tatlong pangkat. Isang pangkat ay patungong Ofra, sa lupain ng Sual.
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 Ang ibang pangkat ay patungong Beth-horon, at ang ibang pangkat ay patungo sa hangganan na nakatanaw sa lambak ng Zeboim patungo sa ilang.
One group went [west] to Beth-Horon [city]. The third group went toward the [Israeli] border, above Zeboim Valley, near the desert.
19 Walang mahanap na panday sa buong Israel, dahil sinabi ng mga Filisteo, “Kung hindi gagawa ang mga Hebreo ng mga espada o mga sibat para sa kanilang mga sarili.”
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 Subalit ang lahat ng kalalakihan ng Israel ay sanay na bumaba sa mga Filisteo, bawat isa upang hasain ang tulis ng kanyang arado, kanyang asarol, kanyang palakol, at kanyang karit.
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 Ang bayad ay ikadalawang bahagi ng isang sekel para sa tulis ng arado, at sa mga asarol, at isangkatlo ng isang sekel para sa paghahasa ng mga palakol at para sa pagpapatuwid ng mga pantaboy.
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 Kaya sa araw ng labanan, walang mga espada o mga sibat na makikita sa mga kamay ng alinmang sundalo na kasama nina Saul at Jonatan; sina Saul at kanyang anak na lalaki na si Jonatan lamang ang mayroon nito.
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 Ang kuta ng mga Filisteo ay pumunta sa lagusan ng Micmas.
Before the battle started, some Philistia men went to (the pass/a narrow place between two cliffs) outside Micmash to guard it.
