Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh
1Nahash11:1 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls gifts. Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 5Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. 8When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
9They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’ ” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
11The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Saul Confirmed as King
12The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
13But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” 15So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
Sauli Apulumutsa Mzinda wa Yabesi
1Nahasi, Mwamoni anapita ndi kuzungulira mzinda wa Yabesi Giliyadi. Tsono anthu onse a ku Yabesi anapempha Nahasiyo kuti, “Muchite nafe pangano, ndipo tidzakutumikirani.”
2Koma Nahasi Mwamoni uja anayankha kuti, “Ndidzachita nanu pangano pokhapokha nditakolowola diso lakumanja la aliyense wa inu kuti ndichititse manyazi Aisraeli onse.”
3Akuluakulu a mzinda wa Yabesi anati kwa iye, “Utipatse masiku asanu ndi awiri kuti titumize uthenga mu Israeli monse. Ngati sipapezeka wodzatipulumutsa, ndiye ife tidzadzipereka kwa iwe.”
4Amithenga aja atafika kwawo kwa Sauli ku Gibeya ndi kufotokoza nkhaniyi kwa anthu onse, iwo analira motaya mtima. 5Pa nthawiyo nʼkuti Sauli akubwera kuchokera ku munda, ali pambuyo pa ngʼombe zake za ntchito ndipo anafunsa. “Nʼchiyani chawavuta anthuwa kuti azilira motere?” Ndipo anamufotokozera zomwe anthu a mu mzinda wa Yabesi ananena.
6Sauli atamva mawu awo, Mzimu wa Mulungu unabwera pa iye mwa mphamvu ndipo anakwiya kwambiri. 7Tsono anatenga ngʼombe ziwiri za ntchito, nazidula nthulinthuli. Ndipo anatumiza amithenga ndi nthulizo dziko lonse la Israeli ndi mawu akuti, “Umo ndi mmene adzachite ndi ngʼombe ya aliyense amene satsata Sauli ndi Samueli.” Ndipo anthu anachita mantha aakulu motero kuti onse ananyamuka ndi mtima umodzi. 8Pamenepo Sauli anawasonkhanitsa ku Bezeki nawawerenga, ndipo Aisraeli analipo 300,000, Ayuda analipo 30,000.
9Tsono Sauli anawuza amithenga ochokera ku Yabesi aja kuti, “Mukawawuze anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi kuti mawa nthawi ya masana adzapulumutsidwa.” Pamene amithengawo anapita ndi kukafotokoza nkhani imeneyi kwa anthu a ku Yabesi, iwo anasangalala kwambiri. 10Choncho anthu a ku Yabesi anawuza Nahasi kuti, “Mawa tidzadzipereka kwa inu ndipo inu mudzachite nafe chilichonse chokukomerani.”
11Tsono mmawa mwake Sauli anagawa anthuwo mʼmagulu atatu. Mmamawa kusanache iwo analowa mʼmisasa ya Aamoni ndi kuwapha mpaka masana. Amene anapulumuka anabalalika, aliyense kwakekwake.
Sauli Avomerezedwa kukhala mfumu
12Kenaka anthu anafunsa Samueli kuti, “Kodi ndani aja ankanena kuti, ‘Kodi Sauli nʼkutilamulira ife?’ Bwera nawoni kuno kuti tidzawaphe.”
13Koma Sauli anati, “Palibe amene ati aphedwe lero, pakuti lero lino Yehova wagwira ntchito yopulumutsa Israeli.”
14Ndipo Samueli anati kwa anthuwo, “Tiyeni tipite ku Giligala kuti tikatsimikizenso kuti Sauli ndi mfumu yathu.” 15Choncho anthu onse anapita ku Giligala ndipo kumeneko Samueli anakalonga Sauli ufumu pamaso pa Yehova. Pambuyo pake anthu anapereka nsembe zachiyanjano pamaso pa Yehova, ndipo Sauli ndi Aisraeli onse anachita chikondwerero chachikulu.
