1 Samuela 13

1 Naʻe pule ʻa Saula ʻi he tau ʻe taha; pea hili ʻene pule ʻi he taʻu ʻe ua ki ʻIsileli,

Saul was thirty when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for forty-two years.

2 Naʻe fili ʻe Saula ʻene kau tangata ʻe toko tolu afe mei ʻIsileli: naʻe ʻia Saula ʻi Mikimasi, pea ʻi he moʻunga ko Peteli ʻae toko ua afe, pea naʻe ʻia Sonatane ʻi Kipea ʻo Penisimani ʻae toko taha afe: pea ko hono toe ʻoe kakai naʻa ne fekau ke ʻalu ʻae tangata taki taha ki hono fale fehikitaki.

Saul had chosen three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand of them were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and another thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the army home.

3 Pea naʻe taaʻi ʻe Sonatane ʻae kolo tau ʻae kakai Filisitia ʻaia naʻe ʻi Kipea, pea naʻe fanongo ki ai ʻae kakai Filisitia. Pea naʻe ifi meʻalea ʻe Saula ʻi he potu fonua kotoa pē, ʻo ne pehē, Ke ongoʻi ʻe he kakai Hepelū.

Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison at Geba. The Philistines soon heard about it, so Saul had the trumpet call to arms sounded throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, pay attention!”

4 Pea naʻe fanongo ʻa ʻIsileli kotoa pē ki he lea, kuo taaʻi ʻe Saula ha kolo tau ʻae kakai Filisitia, pea kuo fehiʻanekina ʻaupito ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai Filisitia. Pea naʻe fekau ke fakataha ʻae kakai kia Saula ʻi Kilikali.

All of Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and now Israel is like a bad smell to the Philistines!” So the whole army was called up to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 Pea naʻe kātoa fakataha ʻae kakai Filisitia ke tauʻi ʻa ʻIsileli, ko e ngaahi saliote ʻe tolu mano, mo e kau tangata heka hoosi ʻe toko ono afe, pea ko e kakai naʻe hangē ko e ʻoneʻone ʻi he matātahi honau tokolahi: pea naʻa nau ʻalu hake ʻo nofo ʻi Mikimasi, ʻi he potu hopoʻangalaʻā mei Pete-ʻAveni.

The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. They had three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as sand on the seashore. They advanced and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

6 Pea ʻi he vakai ʻae kau tangata ʻIsileli kuo ʻākilotoa ʻakinautolu (he naʻe mamahi ʻae kakai), naʻe fakatoitoi ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻi he ngaahi ʻana, mo e ngaahi vaofihi, pea ʻi he ngaahi maka, mo e potu māʻolunga, pea ʻi he ngaahi luo.

When the Israelite men realized the tough situation they were in, and that the army was taking a beating, they hid themselves in caves, holes, rocks, pits, and cisterns.

7 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae kau Hepelū niʻihi ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻo Sioatani ki he fonua ʻo Kata mo Kiliati, ka ko Saula naʻe kei ʻi Kilikali ia, pea naʻe muimui tetetete pe ʻae kakai kiate ia.

Some of the Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the territory of Gad and Gilead, but Saul stayed at Gilgal, and all the men with him were trembling with fear.

8 Pea naʻe tatali ia ʻi he ʻaho ʻe fitu ʻo fakatatau ki he ʻaho naʻe kotofa ʻe Samuela: ka naʻe ʻikai haʻu ʻa Samuela ki Kilikali; pea naʻe movetevete ʻae kakai ʻiate ia.

Saul waited there seven days for the time that Samuel had said, but Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, and the army started to desert him.

9 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “ʻOmi ki heni kiate au ʻae feilaulau tutu, mo e feilaulau fakalelei.” Pea naʻa ne ʻatu ʻae feilaulau tutu.

So Saul ordered, “Bring the burnt offering and the friendship offerings to me,” and he presented the burnt offering.

10 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, hili leva ʻene fakaʻosi ʻene ʻatu ʻae feilaulau tutu, vakai, kuo hoko mai ʻa Samuela; pea naʻe ʻalu atu ʻa Saula ke fakafetaulaki kiate ia, ke na feʻiloaki.

Just as he finished presenting the burnt offering, he saw Samuel arrive. Saul went over to meet him and say hello.

11 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela, “Ko e hā ia kuo ke fai?” Pea pehē ʻe Saula, “Ko e meʻa ʻi heʻeku vakai kuo movete ʻae kakai meiate au, pea naʻe ʻikai te ke hoko mai ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho naʻe kotofa, pea kuo kātoa fakataha ʻae kau Filisitia ki Mikimasi:

“What have you done?” Samuel asked. Saul replied, “Well I saw my men were deserting me, and you hadn't arrived when you said you would, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash to attack.

12 Ko ia naʻaku pehē ai, ‘Ko eni ʻe hoko hifo kiate au ʻae kau Filisitia ki Kilikali, ka ʻoku teʻeki ai te u fai ʻae hū kia Sihova’: ko ia ne u kātaki ai au ʻo ʻatu ʻae feilaulau tutu.”

I said to myself, ‘The Philistines are about to attack me at Gilgal, and I haven't asked the Lord for his help.’ So I felt I had to present the burnt offering myself.”

13 Pea pehē ʻe Samuela kia Saula, “Kuo ke fai vale: kuo ʻikai te ke tauhi ʻae fekau ʻa Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, ʻaia naʻa ne fekau kiate koe: ka ne pehē, kuo fokotuʻumaʻu ʻe Sihova ho puleʻanga ki ʻIsileli ʻo taʻengata.

“You've been really stupid,” Samuel told him. “You haven't kept the commands of the Lord your God. If you had, the Lord would have made your kingdom over Israel secure forever.

14 Ka ko eni ʻe ʻikai tuʻumaʻu ho puleʻanga: kuo fili ʻe Sihova ha tangata maʻana ʻo hangē ko hono loto ʻoʻona, pea kuo fekau ʻe Sihova kiate ia ke ʻeiki ia ki hono kakai, koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai te ke tauhi ʻaia naʻe fekau ʻe Sihova kiate koe.”

But now your kingdom won't last. The Lord has found for himself a man who thinks like him, and has chosen him as ruler over his people, because you haven't kept the commands of the Lord.”

15 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Samuela, ʻo ʻalu mei Kilikali ki Kipea ʻo Penisimani. Pea naʻe lau ʻe Saula ʻae kakai naʻe ʻiate ia, ko e toko onongeau nai.

Then Samuel left Gilgal. The rest of the soldiers followed Saul to meet the army, going from Gilgal to Geba in Benjamin. Saul counted the number of soldiers who were with him and there were about six hundred.

16 Pea ko Saula mo hono foha ko Sonatane, pea mo e kakai naʻe ʻiate kinaua, naʻa nau nofo ʻi Kipea ʻo Penisimani: ka naʻe ʻapitanga ʻae kakai Filisitia ʻi Mikimasi.

Saul, his son Jonathan, and the soldiers with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

17 Pea naʻe haʻu ʻae vahe ʻe tolu ʻoe kau maumau mei he nofoʻanga tau ʻoe kau Filisitia: naʻe ʻalu ʻae kautau ʻe taha ki he hala ki Ofila, ki he fonua ko Suali:

Three groups of raiders left the Philistine camp to go and attack. One group went towards Ophrah in the land of Shual,

18 Pea naʻe afe ʻae kautau ʻe taha ki he hala ki Pete-holoni: pea ʻalu ʻae kautau ʻe taha ki he hala ʻoe veʻe fonua ʻoku hanga atu ki he teleʻa ʻo Sipoimi ʻo hanga atu ki he toafa.

one towards Beth-horon, and one towards the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim by the wilderness.

19 Pea ko eni, naʻe ʻikai ʻiloʻi ha tufunga tuki ukamea ʻi he fonua kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli: he ne pehē ʻe he kau Filisitia, Telia naʻa tuki ʻe he kau Hepelū ʻae ngaahi heletā mo e tao maʻanautolu.

There wasn't a blacksmith to be found anywhere in Israel, because the Philistines had said, “So that the Hebrews don't make swords and spears.”

20 Ka naʻe ʻalu hifo ki he kau Filisitia ʻae kakai ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ke fakamata taki taha ʻae tangata hono huotoho, mo ʻene hele, mo ʻene toki, mo ʻene huo keli.

All the Israelites had to go to the Philistines to sharpen their iron plowshares, pickaxes, axes, and sickles.

21 Ka naʻa nau maʻu ʻae kili fakamata ki he huo keli, pea ki he hele, mo e ngaahi huhuʻi pea mo e ngaahi toki, pea ke fakamata ʻae meʻa kini.

The fee was two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares and pickaxes, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and cattle prods.

22 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he ʻaho ʻoe tau, naʻe ʻikai ʻiloa ha heletā pe ha tao ʻi he nima ʻo ha tokotaha ʻi he kakai naʻe ʻia Saula mo Sonatane: ka ko Saula mo hono foha ko Sonatane, naʻe ʻilo ai ia.

So when it came to the day of battle none of the soldiers with Saul and Jonathan had swords or spears—only Saul and his son Jonathan had such weapons.

23 Pea naʻe hiki kituʻa ʻae ʻapitanga ʻoe kau Filisitia ke ʻalu ki he potu ʻaluʻanga ki Mikimasi.

A Philistine garrison had taken control of the pass at Michmash.