Saul hadde vært konge i ett år, og da han hadde regjert i to år over Israel,

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

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

Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount 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.

Jonatan slo den filistinske garnisonen som var i Geba, og filisterne fikk høre om det. Da blåste Saul i trompeten over hele landet og sa: La hebréerne 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.

Og hele Israel fikk høre at Saul hadde slått en filistinsk garnison, og at Israel nå var blitt en styggedom for filisterne. Folket ble kalt sammen for å følge Saul til Gilgal.

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

Og filisterne samlet seg for å kjempe mot Israel, med tretti tusen vogner, seks tusen ryttere og en hær som var tallrik som sanden ved havets bredd. De kom opp og slo leir i Mikmasj, øst for Bet-Aven.

And 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 in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

Da mennene i Israel skjønte at de var i vanskeligheter (for folket var i stor nød), gjemte de seg i huler, i kratt, mellom klipper, i fjellhuler 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 high places, and in pits.

Noen av hebréerne dro også over Jordan til Gad-landet og Gilead. Men Saul var fortsatt i Gilgal, og folket fulgte ham skjelvende.

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

Han ventet sju dager, etter den tiden Samuel hadde fastsatt, 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.

Da sa Saul: «Bring brennofferet til meg, og fredsofferne.» Og han ofret brennofferet.

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

Så snart han var ferdig med å ofre brennofferet, se, da kom Samuel. Og 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.

Samuel sa: «Hva har du gjort?» Saul svarte: «Da jeg så at folket spredte seg fra meg, og at du ikke kom på den fastsatte dagen, og filisterne hadde samlet seg i Mikmasj,

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 gathered themselves together at Michmash;

så sa jeg til meg selv: 'Nå kommer filisterne ned mot meg til Gilgal, men jeg har ikke søkt Herrens gunst.' Derfor tvang jeg meg selv til å ofre brennofferet.»

Therefore said I, 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.

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

And 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 would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

Men nå skal ikke ditt kongedømme bestå. Herren har sett seg ut en mann etter sitt eget hjerte og har utpekt ham til å være fører for sitt folk, fordi du ikke holdt det Herren bød deg.»

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

Samuel dro av sted fra Gilgal til Gibea i Benjamin. Saul teltet opp de folk som var med ham, omkring seks hundre mann.

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.

Saul, Jonatan hans sønn, og folket som var med dem, holdt til i Gibea i Benjamin, mens filisterne leiret seg i Mikmasj.

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.

Fra filisternes leir kom herjende flokker i tre avdelinger: En avdeling tok veien mot Ofra til Sual-området,

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:

en annen tok veien mot Bet-Horon, og en tredje tok veien mot grensen som ser ut mot Seboimsdalen mot ørkenen.

And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Det fantes ingen smed i hele landet Israel, for filisterne hadde sagt: «Ellers kan hebréerne 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:

Alle israelittene måtte gå ned til filisterne for å få kvesset plogjern, hakkesigder, økser og hakker.

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

De betalte filisterne for å slipe sine hakker, plogjern, trepryler og økser, og for å kvesset stikkjerrer.

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

Så den dagen slaget kom, fantes det verken sverd eller spyd hos hele folket som var med Saul og Jonatan. Bare Saul og hans sønn Jonatan hadde våpen.

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.

Filisternes forpost rykket frem til det passet ved Mikmasj.

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