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 ta taataa Ovaammoni ndele ta xupifa Ovajabes
1 Ndele Nahas, Omuammoni okwa ya a ka kondeke Jabes muGilead. Noonakukalamo aveshe muJabes va lombwela Nahas tava ti: “Ninga ehangano nafye, opo nee hatu ku longele.” 2 Ndelenee Nahas Omuammoni okwe va lombwela: “Ame ohandi ka ninga ehangano nanye ashike ngeenge handi mu twiyula eisho lokolulyo leni amushe nosho handi fifa Israel ashishe ohoni.” 3 Opo nee ovakulunhu vaJabes tava ti kuye: “Tu efa manga omafiku aheyali opo tu shiive okutuma ovatumwa moshilongo ashishe shaIsrael. Opo nee kwinya ngeenge kaku na ou te tu xupifa, fye ohatu ke uya kwoove.” 4 Novatumwa ve uya kuGibea shaSaul ndele va hepaululila ovanhu eendjovo davo momatwi avo. Opo nee ovanhu aveshe va yelula ondaka yavo pombada ndee tava lili. 5 Opo nee Saul a dja kepya, ta shingi eenhani, ndele Saul ta ti: “Ovanhu ove na shike, eshi tava lili?” Ndee tave mu hepaululile eendjovo dovalumenhu vokuJabes. 6 NOmhepo yaKalunga ye uya kombada yaSaul, fimbo ta udu eendjovo odo, ndele ye okwa handuka shili. 7 Ndele ye okwa kufa eenhani mbali ndele e di shashaula nombelela okwe i tuma novatumwa moshilongo ashishe shaIsrael va tye: “Ou ita fikama ndele ta shikula Saul naSamuel, eengobe daye osho tadi ka ningwa.” Opo nee ehaluko lOmwene la kwata ovanhu ndele va fikama ngaashi omunhu umwe. 8 Ndele e va ongela muBesek: ovana vaIsrael omayovi omafele atatu, novalumenhu Ovajuda omayovi omilongo nhatu. 9 Ndele va lombwela ovatumwa ovo ve uya ndee tava ti: “Lombweleni ovalumenhu vaJabes muGilead, tamu ti: ‘Mongula moshanga shomutenya nye otamu ka mona ekwafo.’ ” Ovatumwa eshi va ya mo ndele ve shi lombwela ovalumenhu vomuJabes, vo ova hafa. 10 Novalumenhu vomuJabes tava ti: “Mongula ohatu liyandje kunye, ndee tamu dulu oku tu ningila ngaashi tashi mu wapalele.” 11 Ndelenee ongula yefiku la shikula, Saul okwa tukula ovakwaita meengudu nhatu, ndele vo ova totela mo monhanda pefimbo lenangelo longula, ndele va taataa Ovaammoni fiyo omonhungununu yomutenya. Ava va xupa po ova halakanifwa, inapa kala nande vavali ve li pamwe.
12 Opo ovakwaita tava ti kuSamuel: “Oolyelye ovo va tile: ‘Hatu dulu tuu tu ka pangelwe kuSaul mbela?’ ” Ovalumenhu ovo nava yandjwe, tu va dipaa. 13 Ndelenee Saul ta nyamukula: “Mefiku tuu eli itapa dipawa omunhu, osheshi nena eli Omwene a xupifa Israel.” 14 Opo nee Samuel ta lombwele ovanhu: “Tu yeni kuGilgal tu ka pamekululeni ouhamba.” 15 Novanhu aveshe va ya kuGilgal ndele va ninga Saul ohamba koshipala shOmwene muGilgal. Ndele oko va toma omapanduloyambo koshipala shOmwene. Ndele Saul novalumenhu aveshe vaIsrael va hafa pombada.
