Samuel Rebukes Saul
1Saul was thirty13:1 A few late manuscripts of the Septuagint; Hebrew does not have thirty. years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-13:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Acts 13:21); Masoretic Text does not have forty-. two years.
2Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand13:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. 6When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11“What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
13“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
15Then Samuel left Gilgal13:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Gilgal and went his way; the rest of the people went after Saul to meet the army, and they went out of Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
Israel Without Weapons
16Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah13:16 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
19Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points sharpened. 21The price was two-thirds of a shekel13:21 That is, about 1/4 ounce or about 8 grams for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel13:21 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
22So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan Attacks the Philistines
23Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.
Samweli Amkemea Sauli
1Sauli alikuwa na miaka thelathini, alipokuwa mfalme, akatawala Israeli miaka arobaini na miwili.
213:2 Neh 11:31; Isa 10:28; Amu 19:14; 1Sam 10:26Sauli alichagua watu 3,000 kutoka Israeli; miongoni mwa hao watu 2,000 walikuwa pamoja naye huko Mikmashi na katika nchi ya vilima ya Betheli, nao watu 1,000 walikuwa pamoja na Yonathani huko Gibea ya Benyamini. Watu waliosalia aliwarudisha nyumbani mwao.
313:3 1Sam 10:5; Yos 18:24; Law 25:6; Amu 3:27Yonathani akashambulia ngome ya Wafilisti huko Geba, nao Wafilisti wakapata habari hizo. Kisha Sauli akaamuru tarumbeta ipigwe nchi yote na kusema, “Waebrania na wasikie!” 413:4 Mwa 34:30Hivyo Israeli wote wakasikia habari kwamba: “Sauli ameshambulia ngome ya Wafilisti, nao sasa Israeli wamekuwa harufu mbaya kwa Wafilisti.” Basi watu waliitwa kuungana na Sauli huko Gilgali.
513:5 1Sam 17:1; Yos 11:4; Ufu 20:8; Yos 7:2Wafilisti wakakusanyika ili kupigana na Israeli, wakiwa na magari ya vita 3,000, waendesha magari ya vita 6,000 na askari wa miguu wengi kama mchanga wa ufuoni mwa bahari. Walipanda na kupiga kambi huko Mikmashi, mashariki ya Beth-Aveni. 613:6 1Sam 14:11, 22; Amu 6:2; Eze 33:27Watu wa Israeli walipoona kuwa hali yao ni ya hatari na kuwa jeshi lao limesongwa sana, wakajificha katika mapango na katika vichaka, katikati ya miamba, kwenye mashimo na kwenye mahandaki. 713:7 Hes 32:33; Mwa 35:5; Kut 19:16Hata baadhi ya Waebrania wakavuka Yordani mpaka nchi ya Gadi na Gileadi.
Sauli akabaki huko Gilgali, navyo vikosi vyote vilivyokuwa pamoja naye vilikuwa vikitetemeka kwa hofu. 813:8 1Sam 10:8Akangoja kwa siku saba, muda uliowekwa na Samweli; lakini Samweli hakuja Gilgali, nao watu wa Sauli wakaanza kutawanyika. 913:9 Kum 12:5-14; 2Sam 24:25; 1Fal 3:4; 2Nya 26:16; Mit 15:8; 21:3, 27; Ebr 5:4Basi akasema, “Nileteeni hapa sadaka ya kuteketezwa na sadaka za amani.” Naye Sauli akatoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa. 1013:10 1Sam 15:13; 25:14; Rut 2:4Mara alipomaliza kutoa hiyo sadaka, Samweli akatokea, naye Sauli akaondoka kwenda kumlaki.
11Samweli akamuuliza, “Umefanya nini?”
Sauli akajibu, “Nilipoona kwamba watu wanatawanyika, na kwamba hukuja wakati uliopangwa na kwamba Wafilisti walikuwa wakikusanyika huko Mikmashi, 1213:12 Yos 10:43; Kum 4:29; Za 119:58; Yer 26:19nikawaza, ‘Sasa Wafilisti watateremka dhidi yangu huko Gilgali nami sijaomba kibali kwa Bwana.’ Hivyo nikalazimika kutoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa.”
1313:13 2Nya 16:9; Yos 22:16; 1Sam 15:23, 24; 2Sam 7:15; 1Nya 10:13; Za 72:5; 1Fal 18:18; Ay 34:18; Mit 19:3; Mt 14:3, 4; Law 17:1; Hes 18:7Samweli akasema, “Umetenda kwa upumbavu. Hukuyashika maagizo ya Bwana Mungu wako aliyokupa. Kama ungelitii, angeudumisha ufalme wako juu ya Israeli kwa wakati wote. 1413:14 1Sam 15:28; 18:8; 24:20; 1Nya 10:14; Mdo 7:46; 13:12; 2Sam 6:21; 1Sam 25:10; 2Sam 5:2; Za 18:43; Isa 16:5; 55:4; Yer 30:9; Eze 34:23-24; 37:24; Dan 9:25; Hos 3:5; Mik 5:2; 1Sam 15:26; 16; 1; 2Sam 12:6; 1Fal 13:21Lakini sasa ufalme wako hautadumu; Bwana amemtafuta mtu aupendezaye moyo wake, na amemchagua awe kiongozi wa watu wake, kwa sababu hukuyatii maagizo ya Bwana.”
1513:15 1Sam 14:2Kisha Samweli akaondoka Gilgali, akapanda Gibea ya Benyamini, naye Sauli akawahesabu watu aliokuwa nao. Jumla yao walikuwa watu 600.
Israeli Bila Silaha
1613:16 Yos 18:24Sauli, mwanawe Yonathani na watu waliokuwa pamoja nao walikuwa wakiishi huko Gibea ya Benyamini, wakati Wafilisti wakiwa wamepiga kambi huko Mikmashi. 1713:17 1Sam 14:15; Yos 18:23Makundi ya wavamiaji walikuja kutoka kambi ya Wafilisti katika vikosi vitatu. Kikosi kimoja kilielekea Ofra karibu na Shuali, 1813:18 Yos 10:10; Neh 11:34; Yos 18:13-14; 1Nya 6:68; 2Nya 8:5kikosi kingine kilielekea Beth-Horoni, nacho kikosi cha tatu kilielekea kwenye nchi ya mpakani ielekeayo Bonde la Seboimu linalotazamana na jangwa.
1913:19 Mwa 4:22; Hes 25:7; Yer 24:1; 2Fal 24:14Hapakuwa na mhunzi ambaye angeweza kupatikana katika nchi yote ya Israeli, kwa sababu Wafilisti walikuwa wamesema, “Waebrania wasije wakatengeneza panga au mikuki!” 20Hivyo Waisraeli wote huteremka kwa Wafilisti ili kunoa majembe ya plau, majembe ya mkono, mashoka na miundu. 21Bei ilikuwa fedha theluthi mbili za shekeli13:21 Theluthi mbili za shekeli za fedha ni sawa na gramu 8. kunoa majembe ya plau na majembe ya mkono, na theluthi moja ya shekeli13:21 Theluthi moja ya shekeli ya fedha ni sawa na gramu 4. kwa nyuma, mashoka na michokoo.
2213:22 1Nya 9:39; Hes 25:7; 1Sam 14:6; 17:47; Zek 4:6; Amu 5:8Kwa hiyo siku ya vita hakuna askari yeyote aliyekuwa kambini na Sauli na Yonathani ambaye alikuwa na upanga wala mkuki mkononi mwake; Sauli tu na mwanawe Yonathani ndio waliokuwa navyo.
Yonathani Awashambulia Wafilisti
2313:23 1Sam 14:4Basi kikosi cha Wafilisti kilikuwa kimetoka kuelekea njia iendayo Mikmashi.
