1 S aul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel.

كَانَ شَاوُلُ فِي الثَّلاثِينَ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ لَمَّا صارَ مَلِكاً. وَبَعْدَ مُرُورِ سَنَتَينِ عَلَى حُكْمِهِ،

2 N ow Saul chose for himself 3, 000 men of Israel, of which 2, 000 were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1, 000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent.

اخْتارَ ثَلاثَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ إسْرائِيلَ. فَكانَ ألفانِ مِنهُمْ مَعَهُ فِي مَدينَةِ مَخْماسَ وَفِي مِنْطَقَةِ بَيتِ إيلَ الجَبَلِيَّةِ. وَبَقِيَ ألفُ رَجُلٍ مَعَ يُوناثانَ فِي جِبْعَةَ فِي بَنْيامِيْنَ. وَصَرَفَ شاوُلُ بَقِيَّةَ الرِّجالِ إلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ.

3 J onathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”

فَهَزَمَ يُوناثانُ فِرقَةً مِنَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ فِي مُعَسكَرِهِمْ فِي جِبْعَ، وَسَمِعَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ بِهَذا. فَأمَرَ شاوُلُ بِأنْ تُنفُخَ الأبواقُ فِي كُلِّ أنحاءِ أرْضِ إسْرائِيلَ، وَقالَ: «فَلْيَسْمَعِ الشَّعبُ العِبرانِيُّ بِما حَدَثَ.»

4 A ll Israel heard the news that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. The people were then summoned to Saul at Gilgal.

فَسَمِعَ جَميعُ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ بِالخَبَرِ. وَقالُوا: «ضَرَبَ شاوُلُ مُعَسْكَرَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. وَالآنَ يُبغِضُ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ بُغضاً شَدِيداً!» فَدُعِيَ الشَّعبُ إلَى الاجْتِماعِ مَعَ شاوُلَ فِي الجِلجالِ.

5 N ow the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30, 000 chariots and 6, 000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

وَاحتَشَدَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ لِمُقاتَلَةِ إسْرائِيلَ. فَخَيَّمَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ فِي مِخْماسَ شَرقِيَّ بَيتِ آوِنَ. وَكانَ مَعَهُمْ ثَلاثَةُ آلافِ مَركَبَةٍ وَسِتَّةُ آلافِ فارِسٍ. وَكانَ عَدَدُ الجُنُودِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ كَبِيراً كَرَملِ الشّاطِئِ.

6 W hen the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits.

فَأدْرَكَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ أنَّهُمْ فِي وَرطَةٍ. وَأحَسُّوا بِأنَّهُمْ وَقَعُوا فِي مِصيَدَةٍ. فَرَكَضُوا وَاختَبَأُوا فِي الكُهُوفِ وَشُقُوقِ الصُّخُورِ. اختَبَأُوا بَينَ الصُّخُورِ وَفِي الآبارِ، وَفِي حُفَرٍ فِي الأرْضِ.

7 A lso some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

حَتَّى إنَّ بَعْضَ العِبرانِيِّينَ عَبَرَ نَهْرَ الأُردُنِّ إلَى أرْضِ جادَ وَجِلعادَ. وَكانَ شاوُلُ ما يَزالُ فِي الجِلجالِ. وَكانَ رِجالُ جَيشِهِ يَرتَعِدُونَ خَوفاً.

8 N ow he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

وَحَدَّدَ صَمُوئِيلُ مَوعِداً لِلِقاءِ شاوُلَ فِي الجِلجالِ. فانتَظَرَ شاوُلُ هُناكَ سَبعَةَ أيّامٍ. لَكِنَّ صَمُوئِيلَ لَمْ يَأْتِ بَعْدُ إلَى الجِلجالِ. وَبَدَأ بَعضُ رِجالِهِ يَترُكُونَهُ.

9 S o Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.

فَقالَ شاوُلُ: «أحْضِرُوا إلَيَّ ذَبائِحَ صاعِدَةً وَذَبائِحَ الشَّرِكَةِ.» فَقَدَّمَ شاوُلُ الذَّبِيحَةَ الصّاعِدَةَ.

10 A s soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.

وَما أنِ انتَهَى مِنْ تَقدِيمِها، حَتَّى وَصَلَ صَمُوئِيلُ، فَخَرَجَ شاوُلُ لِلِقائِهِ وَالتَرْحِيبِ بِهِ.

11 B ut Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

فَسَألَهُ صَمُوئِيلُ: «ما هَذا الَّذِي فَعَلْتَهُ؟» فَأجابَ شاوُلُ: «بَدَأ الجُنُودُ يَترُكُونَنِي. وَأنتَ تَأخَّرتَ عَنْ مَوعِدِكَ. وَكانَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ يَجمَعُونَ حُشُودَهُمْ فِي مَدينَةِ مِخماسَ.

12 t herefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

فَقُلْتُ لِنَفسِي: ‹سَيَأْتِي الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ إلَى هُنا وَيُهاجِمُونَنِي فِي الجِلجالِ.› وَلَمْ أكُنْ بَعدُ قَدْ طَلَبتُ إلَى اللهِ أنْ يُعطِيَنِي عَوناً. فَلَمْ أجِدْ بَدِيلاً عَنْ تَقدِيمِ الذَّبيحَةِ بِنَفسِي.»

13 S amuel said to Saul, “ You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

فَقالَ صَمُوئيلُ: «لَقَدْ عَمِلْتَ عَملاً أحْمَقَ! وَلَمْ تُطِعْ إلَهَكَ. فَلَوِ التَزَمْتَ بِوَصايا اللهِ ، لَجَعَلَكَ أنتَ وَأهلَ بَيتِكَ تَحكُمُونَ إسْرائِيلَ إلَى الأبَدِ.

14 B ut now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

أمّا الآنَ، فَلَنْ تَستَمِرَّ مَملَكَتُكَ. قَدْ فَتَّشَ اللهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَمَا يُرِيدُهُ قَلبُهُ، فَعَيَّنَهُ اللهُ حاكِماً عَلَى شَعبِهِ، لأنَّكَ لَمْ تَلتَزِمْ بِوَصِيَّةِ اللهِ.»

15 T hen Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

ثُمَّ قامَ صَمُوئِيلُ وَغادَرَ الجِلْجالَ. مَعرَكَةُ مِخماس وَغادَرَ شاوُلُ وَبَقِيَّةُ جَيشِهِ الجِلجالَ، وَذَهَبُوا إلَى جِبْعَةِ بَنْيامِيْنَ. وَأحصَى شاوُلُ الرِّجالَ الَّذِينَ بَقَوا مَعَهُ، فَكانُوا سِتَّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ.

16 N ow Saul and his son Jonathan and the people who were present with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin while the Philistines camped at Michmash.

وَذَهَبَ شاوُلُ وَابنُهُ يُوناثانُ، وَجُنُودُهُ إلَى جِبْعَ فِي بَنْيامِيْنَ. وَكانَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ مُعَسكِرِينَ فِي مِخماسَ.

17 A nd the raiders came from the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

فَبَدَأ أفضَلُ جُنُودِهِمِ الهُجُومَ. وَانقَسَمَ الجَيشُ الفِلِسْطِيُّ إلَى ثَلاثِ فِرَقٍ. ذَهَبَتْ فِرقَةٌ شَمالاً فِي طَرِيقِ عَفرَةَ قُربَ شُوعالَ.

18 a nd another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the border which overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

وَذَهَبَتِ الفِرقَةُ الثّانِيَةُ إلَى الطَّرِيقِ نَحوَ بَيتَ حُورُونَ. وَذَهَبَتِ المَجمُوعَةُ الثّالِثَةُ شَرقاً بِاتِّجاهِ الحُدُودِ المُشرِفَةِ عَلَى وادِي صَبُوعِيمَ نَحوَ الصَّحراءِ.

19 N ow no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ إسْرائِيلَ كُلِّها حَدّادٌ واحِدٌ. فَلَمْ يُعَلِّمْهُمُ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ لِأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَشاءَوا أنْ يَصَنَعَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ سُيُوفاً وَرِماحاً.

20 S o all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his hoe.

وَعِندَما كانَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ يَحتاجُونَ أنْ يَشحَذُوا مَحارِيثَهُمْ أوْ مَجارِفَهُمْ أوْ فُؤُوسَهُمْ أوْ مَناجِلَهُمْ، كانُوا يُضطَرُّونَ إلَى اللُّجُوءِ إلَى الحَدّادِينَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ.

21 T he charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the hoes.

وَكانَتِ الأُجرَةُ ثُلُثَ مِثْقالٍ لِشَحذِ المَحارِيثِ وَالمَجارِفِ، وَسُدسَ مِثْقالٍ لِشَحذِ المَعاوِلِ وَالفُؤُوسِ وَالرُّؤُوسِ الحَدِيدِيَّةِ لِمِنْساسِ البَقَرِ.

22 S o it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but they were found with Saul and his son Jonathan.

فَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَينَ يَدَيِّ أحَدٍ مِنْ جُنُودِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ فِي يَومِ المَعرَكَةِ سُيُوفٌ أوْ رِماحٌ حَدِيدِيَّةٌ. لَكِنْ كانَ لَدَى شاوُلُ وَابنُهُ يُوناثانُ فَقَط أسلِحَةٌ كَهَذِهِ.

23 A nd the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

وَكانَتْ مَجمُوعَةٌ مِنَ الجُنُودِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ تَحرُسُ مَعبَرَ الجَبَلِ فِي مِخماسَ.