Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1 About a month later King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the town of Jabesh in the territory of Gilead and besieged it. The men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will accept you as our ruler.”
2 Nahash answered, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition: I will put out everyone's right eye and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3 The leaders of Jabesh said, “Give us seven days to send messengers throughout the land of Israel. If no one will help us, then we will surrender to you.”
4 The messengers arrived at Gibeah, where Saul lived, and when they told the news, the people started crying in despair. 5 Saul was just then coming in from the field with his oxen, and he asked, “What's wrong? Why is everyone crying?” They told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported. 6 When Saul heard this, the spirit of God took control of him, and he became furious. 7 He took two oxen, cut them in pieces, and had messengers carry the pieces throughout the land of Israel with this warning: “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle will have this done to his oxen!”
The people of Israel were afraid of what the Lord might do, and all of them, without exception, came out together. 8 Saul gathered them at Bezek: there were 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah. 9 They said to the messengers from Jabesh, “Tell your people that before noon tomorrow they will be rescued.” When the people of Jabesh received the message, they were overjoyed 10 and said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do with us whatever you wish.”
11 That night Saul divided his men into three groups, and at dawn the next day they rushed into the enemy camp and attacked the Ammonites. By noon they had slaughtered them. The survivors scattered, each man running off by himself.
12 Then the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Where are the people who said that Saul should not be our king? Hand them over to us, and we will kill them!”
13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this is the day the Lord rescued Israel.” 14 And Samuel said to them, “Let us all go to Gilgal and once more proclaim Saul as our king.” 15 So they all went to Gilgal, and there at the holy place they proclaimed Saul king. They offered fellowship sacrifices, and Saul and all the people of Israel celebrated the event.
Saul ma havere Ovaamoni
1 Kombunda yomueze mangara umwe Nahas, Omuamoni, wa hongorera otjimbumba tje tjovita na karwisa otjihuro Jabes mehi ra Gilead. Otjimbumba tje tjovita tja kovera otjihuro hi, novarumendu va Jabes otji va tja nai ku Nahas: “Rikuteye kuna eṱe, neṱe matu mu karere.”
2 Nu Nahas wa zira a tja: “Ami me rikutu kuna eṋe momuhingo mbwi: Me hokora eho rokunene raauhe weṋu, notji me eta ohoṋi mOisrael atjihe.”
3 Novanane va Jabes va tja nai ku ye: “Tu pao oruveze rwomayuva hambombari, tu tume ovahindwa mehi arihe ra Israel; tji pe hi nomundu ngu me tu vatere, otji matu riyandja kove.”
4 Novahindwa ve ya kOgibea Saul ka turire; nu tji va tjivisa indji ombuze kotjiwaṋa, otji tja uta okurira tjinene nomerihahiziro. 5 Nu moruveze ndo tjandje Saul ma zire mokuti nozongombe ze, neye wa pura a tja: “Otjiwaṋa matji ririre tjike nai?” Nowo ve mu raera omambo wovahindwa, mba zire kOjabes. 6 Nu Saul tja zuva otjiṋa hi, Ombepo ya Ndjambi arire tji ya hiti mu ye, neye wa ṱomazenge tjinene. 7 Saul wa kambura ozonduwombe mbari ne ze haṋa movindimbu pekepeke, na hindi ovindimbu mbi puna ovahindwa mehi arihe ra Israel, na tja: “Ngu hi nakukongorera Saul na Samuel kovita, ozonduwombe ze maze katjitwa nao wina.”
Okutira Muhona otji kwa wira motjiwaṋa; notjo tja kumuka otja omundu umwe. 8 Saul we ve woronganisira mObesek; nu mwa ri Ovaisrael omayovi omasere yetatu, nOvajuda omayovi omirongo vitatu. 9 Nowo va tja nai kovahindwa mbe ya ngo: “Karaereye nai kovarumendu va Jabes mOgilead: Muhuka eyuva tji ra zu, mamu munu ombatero.” Novahindwa tji va karaera ombuze ndji kovature va Jabes ovature mba arire tji va nyanda tjinene, 10 nave tja nai ku Nahas: “Muhuka matu riyandja ku eṋe, mu tu tjite otja pu mamu vanga.”
11 Nu mependukirwa Saul wa haṋa ovarumendu ve. Novimbumba vitatu, nomuhuka omunene va taurira mozonganda zOvaamoni, ave ve rwisa nave ve zepa, nga omutenya tji wa tu; nu imba mba hupa, va pizuka, nomundu auhe wa tupuka ku ye omuini.
12 NOvaisrael va tja nai ku Samuel: “Oowaṋi ngwa tja Saul ke nokusokutuhonaparera? Ve yandjeye ku eṱe tu ve zepe!”
13 Nungwari Saul wa zira a tja: “Kape nomundu ngu ma ṱu ndinondi, Muhona tjinga a yama Israel meyuva ndi.” 14 Samuel wa tja nai kotjiwaṋa: “Ngatu yende kOgilgal tu kazike Saul a rire ombara yetu.” 15 Notjiwaṋa atjihe tja ya kOgilgal, natji kazika Saul komurungu wa Muhona okurira ombara. Nowo va punguhira Muhona ozombunguhiro zohange, nu Saul nOvaisrael avehe arire tji va yoroka tjinene.
