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 sindi Aayammoni
1 Konyala omwedhi gumwe sho gwa piti po, Nahash, omukwaniilwa gwaAmmon, okwa ka kondjitha Jabesh shomuGilead nokwe shi kondeke. Aantu yomuJabesh oya ti kuNahash: “Uvathana natse, notatu ku taamba, u ninge omuleli gwetu.”
2 Nahash okwa yamukula a ti: “Otandi ka uvathana nane, ngele tamu zimine, ndi tsipule mo eho lyokolulyo lyomuntu kehe, opo ndi sithe Aaisraeli ayehe ohoni.”
3 Aawiliki yomuJabesh oya ti: “Tu pa omasiku gaheyali, tu tume aatumwa noshilongo ashihe shaIsrael. Ngele kape na ngoka te tu kwatha, nena otatu ningi aantu yoye.”
4 Aatumwa oya thiki kuGibea, nkoka kwa kala Saul. Sho ya tseyitha oshinima shika, aantu oya tameke okulila. 5 Saul okwa adhika opo te ya ta zi kepya noonani dhe nokwa pula: “Oshike ano? Omolwashike aantu taa lili?” Oye mu hokololele elaka lyaatumwa mboka ya zi kuJabesh. 6 Saul sho e shi uvu, ombepo yaKalunga oye ya muye, nokwa geye noonkondo. 7 Okwa kutha oonani mbali e te dhi tetagula iintimbu nokwa tumu aatumwa ya humbata iintimbu taye ende noshilongo ashihe ye na elondodho ndika: “Shaa ngoka itaa landula Saul naSamuel molugodhi, oonani dhe osho tadhi ka ningwa ngeyi!”
Aaisraeli oya tilithwa kushoka Omuwa ta vulu okuninga, onkee aantu ayehe oya gongala. 8 Saul okwe ya gongele puBesek. Okwa li aantu 300 000 ya za kuIsrael na 30 000 ya za kuJuda. 9 Oya lombwele aatumwa mboka ya zi kuJabesh: “Ka lombweleni yakweni kutya ngula pokati komutenya otaa ka kala ya hupithwa.” Aantu yokuJabesh sho yu uvu elaka ndika, oye li nyanyukilwa 10 e taa ti kuNahash: “Ngula otatu igandja miikaha yeni, notamu vulu oku tu ninga, ngaashi mwa hala.”
11 Ongula onene yesiku lya landula, Saul okwa topola aantu ye momatanga gatatu noya matukile ontanda yaatondi e taa ponokele Aayammoni. Edhipago olya tsikile sigo opokati komutenya. Aahupipo oya halakana, shaa ngoka okwi iyukile.
12 Nena Aaisraeli oya ti kuSamuel: “Aantu mboka ya tile kutya Saul ita ningi omukwaniilwa gwetu, oye li peni? Naa ye kutse, tu ya dhipage!”
13 Ihe Saul okwa ti: “Kape na muntu ta dhipagwa nena, oshoka esiku ndika Omuwa okwa hupitha Israel.” 14 Samuel okwa ti kuyo: “Natu yeni atuhe kuGilgal, tse tu koleke elangeko lyaSaul muukwaniilwa.” 15 Onkee ayehe oya yi kuGilgal, nokoshipala shOmuwa oya langeke Saul muukwaniilwa. Oya yamba omakwatathanondjambo, naSaul nAaisraeli ayehe oya dhana oshituthi shenyanyu enenenene.
