Ouladi waJonatan Ovafilisti tava tewa
1 Ndele efiku limwe Jonatan yaSaul okwa lombwela omupiya waye, ou a humbata oiti yaye ndee ta ti: “Ila, tu ye ketanga lenangelo lOvafilisti li li kwinya.” Ndelenee ine shi shiivifila xe. 2 Ndele Saul a li omutumba momuti wagranati, ou u li muMigron pongaba yaGibea novakwaita ava va li puye, ova li ve fike ngeno pomafele ahamano. 3 Ndele Ahia yaAhitub, omumwaina waIkabod yaPinehas yaEli, omupristeli womuSilo, okwa li a djala oshikutu shokomapepe. Ndelenee ovakwaita inava shiiva nokutya, Jonatan okwa dja po. 4 Ndelenee kombinga nombinga yondjila, apa Jonatan okwa li a hala okuya popepi netanga lenangelo lOvafilisti, okwa li ku nomamanya avali manene, limwe kombinga inya, likwao kombinga ei. Nedina la limwe la li Boses nedina lalikwao oSene. 5 Ombudi imwe ya li ya fa ongudi kombinga yokoumbangalanhu ya shaamafana naMikmas, naikwao kombinga yokoumbuwanhu ya shaamafana naGeba. 6 Opo nee Jonatan a lombwela omupiya waye, ou a humbata oiti yaye ndee ta ti: “Ila, tu ye popepi netanga lenangelo laava inava pita etanda. Kashiimba Omwene te tu ningile sha, osheshi Omwene iha nyengwa okuxupifa neenghono daava vahapu ile daava vanini.” 7 Opo nee omuhumbati woiti yaye ta ti kuye: “Ninga aishe i li momutima woye. Ninga ngaashi wa hala. Ame ondi li pwoove pahalo lomutima woye.” 8 Opo nee Jonatan ta ti: “Tala ohatu ka ya kovalumenhu venya nokuliholola kuvo. 9 Vo ngeenge tave tu lombwele ngaha: ‘Kanghameni manga fiyo hatu uya kunye,’ opo nee fye tu nokukanghama ponhele yetu ndee itatu londo kuvo. 10 Ndelenee ngeenge tava ti: ‘Ileni oku kufye,’ opo nee hatu londo ko, osheshi Omwene e va yandja momake etu. Osho tashi ka ninga edidiliko letu.” 11 Vo aveshe vavali eshi ve lihololela etanga lovanangeli vOvafilisti, ndele Ovafilisti tava ti: “Taleni, Ovaheberi otave uya, tava di momakololo avo va li va hondama mo.” 12 Novalumenhu vometanga lenangelo va lombwela Jonatan nomuhumbati woiti yaye, tava ti: “Londeni, mu uye kufye, opo nee hatu mu ulikile sha!” Opo nee Jonatan ta ti komuhumbati woiti yaye: “Londa, shikule nge, shaashi Omwene e va yandja meke laIsrael.” 13 Ndele Jonatan ta ende te likoko omwoodimba nomuhumbati woiti yaye e mu shikula. Ndele venya va wila po komesho yaye, fimbo omuhumbati woiti yaye te va shemununa. 14 Molwoodi eli lotete Jonatan nomuhumbati woiti yaye va dipaa ovalumenhu omilongo mbali, monhele yepululo letata lefiku. 15 Opo nee ehaluko la kwata onhanda yovakwaita naava va li pondje yonhanda nomomatanga aeshe ovakwaita. Etanga lenangelo nongudu yovakwati voinima nayo yo ya haluka, heeno, edu la kakama, ehalukifo la dja muKalunga.
16 Ndele eendadi daSaul muGibea shomuBenjamin, eshi va mona ongudu oyo inene ye lihana ndele ya pilauka. 17 Saul okwa lombwela ovakwaita ava va li puye: “Talaataleni, mu shiive olyelye womufye a dja po.” Ndele metalatalo va yongola nokutya, Jonatan nomuhumbati woiti yaye kave po. 18 Opo nee Saul ta ti kuAhia: “Eta oku oshikefa shaKalunga, osheshi mefimbo linya oshikefa shaKalunga sha li povana vaIsrael.” 19 Ndele fimbo Saul ta popi natango nomupristeli nembuyaano lomonhanda yOvafilisti la ninga linene neenghono, Saul a lombwela omupristeli: “Nashi kale!” 20 Saul novakwaita aveshe ava va li puye va ifanwa, ndele ve uya molwoodi. Ndee tala, eongamukonda laumwe tali tu omukwao, edongakano ola lunda pombada. 21 NOvaheberi voovene yo va li shito mepangelo lOvafilisti, ndele ve uya pamwe nOvafilisti monhanda, vo ova ya kOvaisraeli ava va li pamwe naSaul naJonatan. 22 Ovalumenhu aveshe Ovaisraeli ovo va li va hondama meemhunda daEfraim eshi va uda nokutya, Ovafilisti va ya onhapo, navo yo va hovela oku va shikula molwoodi. 23 NOmwene okwa xupifa Ovaisraeli mefiku tuu olo olwoodi eshi la koya Bet-Aven.
24 Novanhu vaIsrael ova li va loloka unene mefiku olo, osheshi Saul a anifa ovakwaita ndee ta ti: “Omulumenhu ou ta makele sha fiyo onguloshi fimbo inandi polifa ehandu lange movatondadi vange, na tokolelwe efyo.” Onghee ovakwaita aveshe inava lya sha. 25 Novanhu aveshe ve uya momufitu ndele omo mwa li omaadi eenyiki poshi. 26 Ovakwaita eshi ve uya momufitu, omo mwa li omaadi mahapu mahapu eenyiki. Ndelenee nande umwe ina twala eke laye mokanya, osheshi va tila eano. 27 Ndelenee Jonatan ina uda xe eshi a anifa ovakwaita, ndele ye okwa ulika onhele yonhaili oyo ya li meke laye, ndele e i twa meshila lomaadi eenyiki, ndele a twala eke laye kokanya kaye, nomesho aye a yela. 28 Ndelenee umwe womovakwaita okwe mu lombwela ta ti: “Xo okwa anifa ovakwaita eano ta ti: Omulumenhu ou ta li sha nena eli, na tokolelwe efyo. Onghee hano ovanhu va loloka unene.” 29 Ndee Jonatan ta ti: “Tate ta twala oshilongo momupya. Tala, omesho ange nhumbi taa yela paife, eshi nda makela omaadi manini eenyiki. 30 Ovakwaita ngeno va itavelelwe okulya moixuulwa ve i kufa movatondadi. Ndelenee paife etewatewo lOvafilisti inali ninga mbela linene li dule eli.”
31 Ndelenee mefiku olo va taataa Ovafilisti okudja muMikmas fiyo okuAijalon novakwaita va li va loloka unene. 32 Novakwaita va totela koixuulwa, ndele va kufa eedi neengobe neenhana, ndele ve di tomena meuladu, novakwaita tave di li nohonde. 33 Eshi va shiivifila Saul tava ti: “Tala, ovakwaita tava nyono kOmwene, vo eshi tava li ombelela kumwe nohonde, ye ta ti: ‘Mwa nyona! Alangatifileni paife emanya lakula kwaame.’ ” 34 Saul ta ti vali: “Indeni mo mokati kovanhu mu va lombwele: Keshe umwe na ete kwaame ongobe yaye nodi yaye, e i tomene apa, ndele a lye. Ndelenee inamu nyona kOmwene moku i lya nohonde.” Oufiku tuu ou ovakwaita aveshe keshe umwe, a eta neke laye ongobe yaye te i tomene ko. 35 Ndele Saul okwa tungila Omwene oaltari. Oyo oaltari yotete ye a tungila Omwene.
36 Opo nee Saul ta ti: “Tu yeni, tu ka shikuleni Ovafilisti oufiku nokunyeka fiyo kwa sha. Ndele inatu efeni nande umwe a kale nomwenyo.” Ndele vo va nyamukula: “Ninga ashishe eshi tashi ku wapalele.” Ndelenee omupristeli ta ti: “Tu eheneni kuKalunga!” 37 Opo nee Saul a pula kuKalunga: “Ohandi ka shikula tuu Ovafilisti? Ove to va yandje tuu momake Ovaisraeli?” Ndelenee Ye ine mu nyamukula sha efiku olo. 38 Ndele Saul ta ti: “Ileni oku ovakulunhu nye amushe vovanhu, mu pulapule nokutala olyelye a nyona. 39 Osheshi oshili Omwene ngaashi e nomwenyo, ou a xupifa Ovaisraeli, nande omumwange Jonatan a nyona, ye e nokufya shili!” Ndelenee nande umwe womovakwaita e mu nyamukula. 40 Opo ta ti kOvaisraeli aveshe: “Nye kaleni ofika kombinga imwe, naame nomumwange Jonatan, hatu kala ofika kombinga ikwao.” Novakwaita va nyamukula Saul, tava ti: “Ninga eshi she ku wapalela.” Opo nee Saul ta ti: “Ninga eshi she ku wapalela.” 41 Opo nee Saul ta ti: “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael, omolwashike ino nyamukula omupiya woye nena? Omwene, Kalunga kaIsrael, nyamukule nge momamanya mayapuki. Ngeenge oushima ou li mwaame ile omomumwange Jonatan, nyamukule nge muUrim; ndelenee ngeenge oushima ou li movanhu voye Ovaisraeli, nyamukula muTummim.” Jonatan naSaul va ulikwa ndele ovanhu ova ya. 42 Ndele Saul ta ti: “Umbileni oshihoololifo pokati ketu nomumwange Jonatan.” Ndele Jonatan a ulikwa. 43 Opo nee Saul ta pula Jonatan: “Shiivifile nge eshi wa ninga.” Ndele Jonatan okwe mu shiivifila ndee ta ti: “Ame onda makela omaadi manini eenyiki konhele yonhaili ei ya li meke lange. Aame, ou handi ka fya.” 44 Opo nee Saul ta ti: “Kalunga na handukile nge paife nokomesho; Jonatan; u nokufya shili!” 45 Ndelenee ovakwaita va pula Saul: “Jonatan ota ka fya mbela, ou a etela Israel exupifo linene li fike apa? Alala! Oshili, ngaashi Omwene e nomwenyo, nande oluxwiki limwe lokomutwe waye itali ka wila poshi! Osheshi ye e shi ninga nena pamwe naKalunga.” Osho ngaha hano ovanhu va mangulula Jonatan mokufya. 46 Opo nee Saul a shikula Ovafilisti, nOvafilisti va ya monhele yavo.
Oita yaSaul
47 Osho ngaha Saul a pewa ouhamba wOvaisraeli nokwa homona ovatondadi vaye aveshe keembinga adishe: A homona Moab novana vaAmmoni naEdom neehamba daSoba nokwa homona Ovafilisti, ndele keshe apa a ya okwe va handukila. 48 Ye okwa li ependa: okwa taataa Amalek ndele ta xupifa Israel momake omufininiki washo.
Ovaneumbo vaSaul
49 Novana ovamati vaSaul va li: Jonatan naJisvi naMalkisua, nomadina ovana vaye oukadona vavali: edina lomukulunhu la li Merab, nedina londenge la li Mikal. 50 Nedina lomwalikadi waSaul la li Ahinoam, omona okakadona kaAhimas. Nedina londjai yaye la li Abner yaNer, xekulu yaSaul. 51 Ndele xe yaSaul okwa li Kis; ndele Ner xe yaAbner okwa li omona waAbiel.
52 Omalwoodi okulwifa Ovafilisti okwa li a handuka fimbo Saul kwa li e nomwenyo. Ndele keshe apa Saul a hanga po ependa ile omulumenhu omuladi, ye e mu kufa a kale puye.
Jonathan's Daring Deed
1 One day Jonathan said to the young man who carried his weapons, “Let's go across to the Philistine camp.” But Jonathan did not tell his father Saul, 2 who was camping under a pomegranate tree in Migron, not far from Gibeah; he had about six hundred men with him. 3 (The priest carrying the ephod was Ahijah, the son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, who was the son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh.) The men did not know that Jonathan had left.
4 In Michmash Pass, which Jonathan had to go through to get over to the Philistine camp, there were two large jagged rocks, one on each side of the pass: one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One was on the north side of the pass, facing Michmash, and the other was on the south side, facing Geba.
6 Jonathan said to the young man, “Let's cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe the Lord will help us; if he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory, no matter how few of us there are.”
7 The young man answered, “Whatever you want to do, I'm with you.”
8 “All right,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let the Philistines see us. 9 If they tell us to wait for them to come to us, then we will stay where we are. 10 But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the Lord has given us victory over them.”
11 So they let the Philistines see them, and the Philistines said, “Look! Some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they have been hiding in!” 12 Then they called out to Jonathan and the young man, “Come on up here! We have something to tell you!”
Jonathan said to the young man, “Follow me. The Lord has given Israel victory over them.” 13 Jonathan climbed up out of the pass on his hands and knees, and the young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down, and the young man killed them. 14 In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 All the Philistines in the countryside were terrified; the raiders and the soldiers in the camp trembled with fear; the earth shook, and there was great panic.
The Defeat of the Philistines
16 Saul's men on watch at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin saw the Philistines running in confusion. 17 So Saul said to his men, “Count the soldiers and find out who is missing.” They did so and found that Jonathan and the young man who carried his weapons were missing. 18 “Bring the ephod here,” Saul said to Ahijah the priest. (On that day Ahijah was carrying it in front of the people of Israel.) 19 As Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp kept getting worse, so Saul said to him, “There's no time to consult the Lord!” 20 Then he and his men marched into battle against the Philistines, who were fighting each other in complete confusion. 21 Some Hebrews, who had been on the Philistine side and had gone with them to the camp, changed sides again and joined Saul and Jonathan. 22 Others, who had been hiding in the hills of Ephraim, heard that the Philistines were running away, so they also joined in and attacked the Philistines, 23 fighting all the way beyond Bethaven. The Lord saved Israel that day.
Events after the Battle
24 The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: “A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies.” So nobody had eaten anything all day. 25 They all came into a wooded area and found honey everywhere. 26 The woods were full of honey, but no one ate any of it because they were all afraid of Saul's curse. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father threaten the people with a curse; so he reached out with the stick he was carrying, dipped it in a honeycomb, and ate some honey. At once he felt much better. 28 But one of the men told him, “We are all weak from hunger, but your father threatened us and said, ‘A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.’”
29 Jonathan answered, “What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey! 30 How much better it would have been today if our people had eaten the food they took when they defeated the enemy. Just think how many more Philistines they would have killed!”
31 That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak from hunger, 32 and so they rushed over to what they had captured from the enemy, took sheep and cattle, slaughtered them on the spot, and ate the meat with the blood still in it. 33 Saul was told, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.”
“You are traitors!” Saul cried out. “Roll a big stone over here to me.” 34 Then he gave another order: “Go among the people and tell them all to bring their cattle and sheep here. They are to slaughter them and eat them here; they must not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.” So that night they all brought their cattle and slaughtered them there. 35 Saul built an altar to the Lord, the first one that he built.
36 Saul said to his men, “Let's go down and attack the Philistines in the night, plunder them until dawn, and kill them all.”
“Do whatever you think best,” they answered.
But the priest said, “Let's consult God first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give us victory?” But God did not answer that day. 38 Then Saul said to the leaders of the people, “Come here and find out what sin was committed today. 39 I promise by the living Lord, who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan.” But no one said anything. 40 Then Saul said to them, “All of you stand over there, and Jonathan and I will stand over here.”
“Do whatever you think best,” they answered.
41 Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Lord, why have you not answered me today? Lord, God of Israel, answer me by the sacred stones. If the guilt is Jonathan's or mine, answer by the Urim; but if it belongs to your people Israel, answer by the Thummim.” The answer indicated Jonathan and Saul; and the people were cleared. 42 Then Saul said, “Decide between my son Jonathan and me.” And Jonathan was indicated. 43 Then Saul asked Jonathan, “What have you done?”
Jonathan answered, “I ate a little honey with the stick I was holding. Here I am—I am ready to die.”
44 Saul said to him, “May God strike me dead if you are not put to death!”
45 But the people said to Saul, “Will Jonathan, who won this great victory for Israel, be put to death? No! We promise by the living Lord that he will not lose even a hair from his head. What he did today was done with God's help.” So the people saved Jonathan from being put to death.
46 After that, Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they went back to their own territory.
Saul's Reign and Family
47 After Saul became king of Israel, he fought all his enemies everywhere: the people of Moab, of Ammon, and of Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he fought he was victorious. 48 He fought heroically and defeated even the people of Amalek. He saved the Israelites from all attacks.
49 Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. His older daughter was named Merab, and the younger one Michal. 50 His wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; his army commander was his cousin Abner, the son of his uncle Ner. 51 Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
52 As long as he lived, Saul had to fight fiercely against the Philistines. So whenever he found a man who was strong or brave, he would enlist him in his army.
