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

¹Saul reigned a year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

²Saul 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.

²Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

³Ionatan 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!``

³Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

⁴Tot 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.

⁴All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

⁵Filistenii 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.

⁵The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.

⁶Bărbaţii 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.

⁶When 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 coverts, and in pits.

⁷Unii 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.

⁷Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

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

⁸He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel: but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

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

⁹Saul said, “Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering.

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

¹⁰It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

¹¹Samuel 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,

¹¹Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;

¹²mi-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.``

¹²therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.”

¹³Samuel 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;

¹³Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.

¹⁴dar 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.``

¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.”

¹⁵Apoi 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.

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

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

¹⁶Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

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

¹⁷The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;

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

¹⁸and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

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

¹⁹Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears”;

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

²⁰but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle;

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

²¹yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the plowshares, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.

²²Şi 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.

²²So 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 who were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

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

²³The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.