1 Saul var førti år gammel da han ble konge; og etter han hadde regjert i to år over Israel,

Saul was `forty' years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

2 valgte Saul seg ut tre tusen menn fra Israel. To tusen var med Saul i Mikmas og i fjellene ved Betel, og tusen var med Jonatan i Gibea i Benjamin. Resten av folket sendte han hjem til sine telt.

Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

3 Jonatan slo Philisternes garnison i Geba, og filistrene hørte om det. Da blåste Saul i trompeten over hele landet og sa: «La hebreerne høre det!»

And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.

4 Hele Israel hørte ryktet om at Saul hadde slått filistrenes garnison, og at Israel nå var blitt hatet av filistrene. Folket samlet seg da om Saul i Gilgal.

And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

5 Filistrene samlet seg for å kjempe mot Israel; tretti tusen vogner, seks tusen ryttere og en hær som var tallrik som sanden ved havet. De dro opp og slo leir i Mikmas, øst for Bet-Aven.

And the Philistines assembled 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 encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven.

6 Da Israels menn så at de var i knipe, for folket var redde, gjemte de seg i huler, i buskas, blant klipper, i huler og brønner.

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

7 Noen av hebreerne hadde passert Jordan til Gad og Gilead, men Saul var fortsatt i Gilgal, og folket fulgte ham skjelvende.

Now 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.

8 Han ventet i sju dager, slik tiden var fastsatt av Samuel; men Samuel kom ikke til Gilgal, og folket begynte å spre seg fra ham.

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel `had appointed': but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

9 Da sa Saul: «Hent brennofferet og fredsofferne til meg.» Og han ofret brennofferet.

And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.

10 Akkurat da han var ferdig med å ofre brennofferet, kom Samuel; Saul gikk ut for å møte ham og hilse på ham.

And it 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 salute him.

11 Samuel sa: «Hva har du gjort?» Saul svarte: «Jeg så at folket spredte seg fra meg, og du kom ikke til den avtalte tiden, og filistrene hadde samlet seg i Mikmas.

And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;

12 Så jeg sa: ‘Nå vil filistrene komme ned over meg til Gilgal, og jeg har ikke søkt Herrens gunst.’ Derfor våget jeg meg til å ofre brennofferet.»

therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.

13 Da sa Samuel til Saul: «Du har handlet uklokt; du har ikke holdt Herrens, din Guds, bud som han ga deg. Ellers ville Herren nå ha etablert ditt kongedømme over Israel for alltid.

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

14 Men nå skal ikke ditt kongedømme fortsette. Herren har funnet seg en mann etter sitt eget hjerte, og Herren har utpekt ham til leder for sitt folk, fordi du ikke har holdt det Herren befalte deg.»

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah hath sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah hath appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee.

15 Så gikk Samuel fra Gilgal til Gibea i Benjamin. Saul telte folket som fortsatt var med ham, omkring seks hundre menn.

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

16 Saul, Jonatan hans sønn og folket som var med dem, oppholdt seg i Geba i Benjamin, mens filistrene slo leir i Mikmas.

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

17 Fra filistrenes leir dro plyndrere ut i tre flokker; en flokk tok veien til Ofra i landet sjual,

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;

18 en annen flokk tok veien mot Bet-Horon; og en annen dro mot grensen med utsikt over dalen Seboim mot ørkenen.

and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looketh down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Det fantes ingen smed i hele Israels land, for filistrene hadde sagt: «La ikke hebreerne lage seg sverd eller spyd.»

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

20 Så alle israelittene gikk ned til filistrene for å slipe hver sin plogjern og sigd, øks og hakke.

but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock;

21 De hadde en skarpner til økser og til hakker, men også til å sette piggstavene i stand.

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

22 På kamptiden fantes det verken sverd eller spyd hos noe av folket som var med Saul og Jonatan; men hos Saul og Jonatan hans sønn var det.

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: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

23 Filisternes garnison dro ut til passet ved Mikmas.

And the garrison of the Philistines went out unto the pass of Michmash.