1 S aul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years.

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

2 S aul chose 3, 000 men of Israel. There were 2, 000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 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 destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul sounded the horn through all 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 destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were. And they heard that Israel had become a hated thing to the Philistines. Then the people were called out to join 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 T he Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, with 30, 000 war-wagons, 6, 000 horsemen, and people like the sand on the sea shore. They came and set up their tents at 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 T he men of Israel saw that they were in trouble. The people were in a place of danger. So the people hid themselves in caves, bushes, hill-sides, graves and wells.

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 S ome of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him in fear.

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

8 S aul waited seven days, the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were leaving 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 me the burnt gift and the peace gifts.” And he gave the burnt gift to the Lord.

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

10 A s soon as he finished giving the burnt gift, Samuel came. Saul went out to meet him and say hello.

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

11 B ut Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “I saw that the people were leaving me. You did not come when you said you would. And the Philistines were gathering 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 S o I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not asked for the Lord’s favor.’ So I made myself give the burnt gift.”

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 done a foolish act. You have not kept the Law that the Lord your God gave you. For now the Lord would have made your rule over Israel last 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 rule will not last. The Lord has found a man who is pleasing to him in every way. He has chosen him to rule over his people, because you have not obeyed the Lord.”

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 got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul numbered the people that were left with him, about 600 men. No Swords or Spears

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 S aul and his son Jonathan, and the people with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines stayed at Michmash.

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

17 S oldiers came from the tents of the Philistines in three groups. One group 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 nother group turned toward Bethhoron. And another group turned toward the side of the country that looks over the valley of Zeboim toward the desert.

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

19 N ow there was no one to be found in all the land of Israel who made things of iron. For the Philistines said, “The Hebrews might 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 each one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to get his plow, his pick, his ax, or his grain cutter sharpened.

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

21 H e had to pay two-thirds part of a piece of silver to have the plows and picks sharpened, and one-third part of a piece of silver to have the axes and grain cutters sharpened.

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

22 S o on the day of battle there was no sword or spear in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

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 Philistine soldiers went out to the pass of Michmash.

وَكانَتْ مَجمُوعَةٌ مِنَ الجُنُودِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ تَحرُسُ مَعبَرَ الجَبَلِ فِي مِخماسَ.