1 S aul era în vîrstă de treizeci de ani, cînd a ajuns împărat, şi a domnit doi ani peste Israel.

¶ Saul was as a son of one year when he began to reign, and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

2 S aul şi -a ales trei mii de bărbaţi din Israel: două mii erau cu el la Micmaş şi pe muntele Betel, iar o mie erau cu Ionatan la Ghibea lui Beniamin. Pe ceilalţi din popor i -a trimes pe fiecare la cortul lui.

Saul chose three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in Mount Bethel and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and of the rest of the people he sent each one to his tent.

3 I onatan a bătut tabăra Filistenilor care era la Gheba, şi Filistenii au auzit lucrul acesta. Saul a pus să sune cu trîmbiţa prin toată ţara, zicînd:,, Să audă Evreii lucrul acesta!``

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul caused the shofar to be blown throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

4 T ot Israelul a auzit zicîndu-se:,, Saul a bătut tabăra Filistenilor, şi Israel s'a făcut urît Filistenilor``. Şi poporul a fost adunat la Saul în Ghilgal.

And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines and also that Israel had become a stench unto the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

5 F ilistenii s'au strîns să lupte cu Israel. Aveau o mie de cară şi şase mii de călăreţi; şi poporul acesta era fără număr: ca nisipul depe ţărmul mării. Au venit şi au tăbărît la Micmaş, la răsărit de Bet-Aven.

Then the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude; and they came up and pitched camp in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

6 B ărbaţii lui Israel s'au văzut la strîmtoare, căci erau strînşi de aproape şi s'au ascuns în peşteri, în stufişuri, în stînci, în turnuri şi în gropile pentru apă.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits.

7 U nii Evrei au trecut Iordanul, ca să se ducă în ţara lui Gad şi Galaad. Saul era tot la Ghilgal, şi tot poporul de lîngă el tremura.

And some of the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 A aşteptat sapte zile, după timpul hotărît de Samuel. Dar Samuel nu venea la Ghilgal, şi poporul se împrăştia de lîngă Saul.

¶ And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were deserting from him.

9 A tunci Saul a zis:,, Aduceţi-mi arderea de tot şi jertfele de mulţămire.`` Şi a jertfit arderea de tot.

Then Saul said, Bring me a burnt offering and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10 P e cînd sfîrşea de adus arderea de tot, a venit Samuel, şi Saul i -a ieşit înainte să -i ureze de bine.

And it came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him that he might bless him.

11 S amuel a zis:,, Ce-ai făcut?`` Saul a răspuns:,, Cînd am văzut că poporul se împrăştie de lîngă mine, că nu vii la timpul hotărît, şi că Filistenii sînt strînşi la Micmaş,

Then Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were leaving me and that thou didst not come within the days appointed and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,

12 m i-am zis: Filistenii se vor pogorî împotriva mea la Ghilgal, şi eu nu m'am rugat Domnului! Atunci am îndrăznit şi am adus arderea de tot.``

therefore, I said, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD. I forced myself, therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

13 S amuel a zis lui Saul:,, Ai lucrat ca un nebun şi n'ai păzit porunca pe care ţi -o dăduse Domnul, Dumnezeul tău. Domnul ar fi întărit pe vecie domnia ta peste Israel;

Then Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee, for now the LORD would have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever.

14 d ar acum, domnia ta nu va dăinui. Domnul Şi -a ales un om după inima Lui, şi Domnul l -a rînduit să fie căpetenia poporului Său, pentrucă n'ai păzit ce-ţi poruncise Domnul.``

But now thy kingdom shall not stand; the LORD has sought a man after his own heart unto whom the LORD has commanded that he be captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

15 A poi Samuel s'a sculat, şi s'a suit din Ghilgal la Ghibea lui Beniamin. Saul a făcut numărătoarea poporului care se afla cu el: erau aproape şase sute de oameni.

¶ And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

16 S aul, fiul său Ionatan, şi poporul care se afla cu ei, se aşezaseră la Gheba lui Beniamin, şi Filistenii tăbărau la Micmaş.

And Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

17 D in tabăra Filistenilor au ieşit trei cete ca să pustiască: una a luat drumul spre Ofra, spre ţara Şual;

And three companies came out of the camp of the Philistines to destroy the land. One company turned unto the way that leads to Ophrah unto the land of Shual.

18 a lta a luat drumul spre Bet-Horon; şi a treia a luat drumul spre hotarul care caută spre valea Ţeboim, înspre pustie.``

Another company turned the way to Bethhoron, and another company turned to the way of the border that looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Î n toată ţara lui Israel nu se găsea niciun fierar; căci Filistenii ziseră:,, Să împedecăm pe Evrei să-şi facă săbii sau suliţe.``

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, Lest peradventure the Hebrews make swords or spears.

20 Ş i fiecare om din Israel se pogora la Filisteni ca să-şi ascută fierul plugului, coasa, securea şi sapa,

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his share and his coulter and his axe and his mattock

21 c înd se tocea sapa, coasa, furca cu trei coarne şi securea, şi ca să facă vîrf ţepuşului cu care mîna boii.

and when they had nicks in the mattocks and the coulters and the forks and the axes, or to fix a goad.

22 Ş i aşa s'a întîmplat că în ziua luptei nu era nici sabie, nici suliţă în mînile întregului popor care era cu Saul şi Ionatan: nu avea decît Saul şi fiul său Ionatan.

So it came to pass in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan except with Saul and with Jonathan his son who had them.

23 O ceată de Filisteni a venit şi s'a aşezat la trecătoarea Micmaşului.

And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.