Jonatana Gota Felesete'bai te
1 U'du alo si oko Jonatana atate mano se kabe lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyina ri ekye: “Nyikyi, mi'de moyi gawa kyila'bai Felesete'bai roya telesi nasi.” Oko nda iti tana kote täpi ndaro Saulo ri. 2 Tu gi ana si, Saulo ka ori sidri Gibea roya ce oso gäṛä'bu ronye se orivoya Migerona ya ana zele; lidri se nda be orivoya oso kama njidrialo (600) ronye. 3 Kohani se koso boŋgo juṛuŋwa kätätidri ro be ni Aija ŋgwa ädrupi Ikaboda ro Aituba ro, se orivoya ni ŋgwa Finasa ro ago kwozo Eli se kohani OPI ro Silo ya ana ro. Ago kyila'bai ni ko ekye Jonatana oyite. 4 Vose Jonatana kabe lävu oyine kyila'bai Felesete'bai ro dri kigye ana yasi, luutu sikya'da ro orivoya telesi na alo ya ago luutu sikya'da ro kpa telesi na aza ya; alodi na ävuruna Bozeze, ago aza ävuruna Sene. 5 Luutu sikya'da alona aza ogone mä'dudriro miäwuäwuro Mikemasa be, ago azana ogone ŋgäṛiŋwa driro miäwuäwu ro Geba be.
6 Jonatana atate mano ombato'di se kabe lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyi ana ri ekye: “Nyikyi mi'de moyi orivo kyila'bai 'dise oloako ŋbiṛiro kai roya. A'dona azaya OPI oyena losi 'da ta amaro ta; tana ŋga aza unina ko OPI lagane ni ŋgaopeṛe oyevoya lidri amba kode fere si.”
7 Ago mano ombato'di se kabe lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyina ana atate ndäri ekye: “Miye tase cini milebe oyene ri; mindre, ma orivoya mibe, tase milebe oyene male kpa.”
8 'Dooko Jonatana atate ekye: “Kado yi, màza teri ànyare, tana ànya kondreyi andivo amaro robe. 9 Ondro ka'do ànya katayite ämäri ekye: ‘Nyèdre madale mìkyina ni amire,’ 'dooko mi'de mèdre ndi 'du vo amaro ya, mòyi ko'de ànyare. 10 Oko ondro ka'do katayi te ekye: ‘Nyìkyi amare,’ 'dooko mòyina ndi ànyare; tana 'do a'dona ndi taka'daro ro ämäri anjioko OPI ozo ànya te drì amaro ya.” 11 Ago ànya riti ka'dayi andivo ànyaro te kyila'bai Felesete'bai ro ri; ago Felesete'bai atayite ekye: “Mìndre, Ebere'bai azaka kayite ezi efo ni 'bui se ànya kada'do andivo ànyaro be kigyesi iyi yasi.” 12 Ndi ànya ziyi Jonatana te ndi manoto'di se kabe lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyinabe, ago atayite ekye: “Nyìkyi amare, ago maka'dana ŋgaaza ämiri.” Ago Jonatana atate lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyi'bana ri ekye: “Nyeso mavo; tana OPI ozo ànya te drì Yisaraele'bai roya.” 13 Ago Jonatana tute kuru tegategaro drì ndi pa be si, ago lakazà ndaro kyila ro uŋgyi'ba na sote nda vo. Jonatana gota Felesete'bai te ago to'bi ànya te vuru ndi lakazà ndaro kyila ro uŋgyi'bana se sobe nda vo ana tufu ànya te. 14 Ago ŋgatufu se käti si, Jonatana ndi lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyi'ba nabe kufuyibe ana orivoya oso lidri 'buteritu ronye, kpäkyi lowo ro ronye. 15 Ago turi a'dote orivoya Felesete'bai se gawa ya, lowo ya, ndi lidri cini be lako, kyila'bai ndi lidri be lä'bite; gyini kandarute; ago turi 'desi para a'dote.
Yisaraele'bai Pe Felesete'bai te ṛe
16 Lidri Saulo ro se kabe vookwa Gibea se wari Benjamina roya ana kondre oko, lowa Felesete'bai ro kate lämu wairo wairo. 17 Ndi Saulo atate kyila'bai se nda be kai ri ekye: “Mìti lidri ago mìndre kode a'di yi ni i'do ama lako ya.” Ondro ànya kotiyi lidri te oko, Jonatana ndi lakazà kyila ro ndaro uŋgyi'bana be i'do 'de lau. 18 Ago Saulo atate kohani Aija ri ekye: “Nyezi Sänduku Tao'baro Lu ro noŋwa.” (Tana tu ana si Sänduku Tao'baro oyite kyila ya lidri Yisaraele robe). 19 Ondro Saulo kadri ata kohani ri oko, amo gawa Felesete'bai roya ugu a'dote ndra ago ndra; ago Saulo atate kohani ri ekye: “Nyedre!” 20 'Dooko Saulo ndi lidri se cini nda be otoyikalate ago oyiyite kyila ya. Ànya usuyi Felesete'bai te kpeye wiriwiriro, ago ànya kayi ugu azi ànyaro u'dina bando modo ànyaro rosi. 21 Ago Ebere'bai azaka se kyeno a'dote Felesete'bai zele tu ana si, ago se koyibe gawa ya ànya be kai zaruyite telesi ago dro'beyi iyi te Yisaraele'bai se Saulo ndi Jonatana be zele kai yibe. 22 Ago Yisaraele'bai se cini kada'dorube 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya keriyi tate ekye Felesete'bai kayite umu oko, ànya soyi kpate ànya vo ago gotayi ànya te. 23 Ago kyila lävute le Betavena kundu si. Tu ana si OPI pa Yisaraele te.
Tase a'dobe kyila vosi
24 Yisaraele'bai a'dote rritiro tu gi ana si; tana Saulo äṛurute lidri ri ekye: “Latri a'dona ndi mano se kabe ŋgaonya aza onya teinye vo ri uniako 'do dri ago märi teinye votaro logo ako kyila'baazii maro dri 'do dri.” Tana ta'doro alo aza kyila'bai ro nya ŋgaonya aza kote. 25 Ago lidri cini ikyite vocowa ya, ago ndreyi epe loti te gyini dri lau. 26 Ànya ndreyi epe te lotivoya lau vocowa ya, caoko 'diaza mbe kote, tana lidri turi ta ruäṛu Saulo ro. 27 Oko Jonatana eri tase täpi ndaro kota lidri be ta ruäṛu rosi ana ko; nda ozo dofo se drì ndaro ya ana te, ago sote epe mäŋgäni ya, ago nya epe te ndi adri nda te. 28 Oko ndi mano alo aza atate ndäri ekye: “Täpi miro ta lidri te mbara ruäṛu si, ekye: ‘Latri a'dona ndi mano se kabe ŋgaonya onya tu gi ono si ono dri.’ Ta'doro ni lidri te inini täbiri robe wo.”
29 'Dooko Jonatana atate ekye: “Täpi maro ye lidri te koziro, mindre yauono madrite, toto epe ono tembena si. 30 Aba ono a'dona ṛo kadopara ndra lidri konya ŋgaonya se ànya kotopayi be ni kyila'baazii ànyaro rigyesi ondro ono gwo owo. Tana aba mago mùtufuna Felesete'bai ro amba.”
31 Tu ana si Yisaraele'bai tufuyi Felesete'bai teni Mikemasa ya le Aijalona ya. Ago 'do vosi Yisaraele'bai te orivoya mbara ako ni täbiri ri. 32 Lidri mute ŋgase otopabe iyi dri, ago ruyi timele ndi tii be te, ago tufuyi ànya te gyini dri, ago nyàyi iza na te kari be. 33 'Dooko iti tate Saulo ri ekye: “Mindre, lidri kate ugu takozi oye OPI lomvo ugu iza se kari drigba kigye ono onya si.”
Ago Saulo atate ekye: “Mìye tate taomaako si; nyèreṛi kuni 'desi märi noŋwa.” 34 Ndi Saulo atate ekye: “Nyèpere andivo amiro lidri lakosi, ago nyàta ànyari 'dicini kezi ti kode timele ndaro mare noŋwa, ago kutufu ago konya ànya noŋwa; beṛo ko ànyari takozi oyene OPI lomvo iza se kari drigba kigye onyana si.” Ago ŋgäkyi se ana si ànya cini eziyi tii ànyaro te ago fuyi ànya te lau. 35 Ndi Saulo be vo tori oloro te OPI ri; se ni orivoya vo tori oloro käti se nda kobebe OPI ri owo.
36 'Dooko Saulo atate kyila'bai ndaro ri ekye: “Mì'de mòyi Felesete'bai vo ŋgäkyi si ago motopa ŋga ànyaro madale vo kiwi gwo; ago mì'de mèbe mano alo aza ànyaro ko lidriidriro.”
Ago ànya atayite ekye: “Ŋgase nyusu tavona be kado 'do miye ri.”
Oko kohani atate ekye: “Mì'de mèji Lu käti.”
37 Ndi Saulo eji Lu te ekye: “Maso ri Felesete'bai vo ya? Inye'do nyozona ànya ndi drì Yisaraele'bai ro ya ya?” Oko tu ana si ana Lu zatadri ndaro kote. 38 Ago Saulo atate dri'bai cini kyila'bai ndaro ri ekye: “Nyìkyi noŋwa, mì'de musu takozi se ayebe tu ono si ono. 39 Ma ruäṛu OPI se kabe ori lidriidriro ago kabe Yisaraele opa ni ono si, a'dona ca Jonatana ŋgwa maro koye takozi ni, beṛo ndäri odrane.” Oko 'dialo aza ni lidri lakosi zatadri ndaro kote. 40 'Dooko Saulo atate Yisaraele'bai cini ri ekye: “Ami cini nyèdre telesi lau, ago ma ndi Jonatana ŋgwa maro be medrene noŋwa.” Ndi lidri atate Saulo ri ekye: “Ŋgase nyusu tavona be kado 'do miye ri.”
41 Ta'doro Saulo mätute OPI Lu Yisaraele ro ri ekye: “Tana e'di mizatadri ma ruindu'ba miro ro kote tuse ono si niya? Ondro taenji se ono ka'dote maro kode Jonatana ŋgwa maro ro, äye OPI Lu Yisaraele ro mizatadrina Urima si, oko ondro taenji se ono ka'dote lidri miro Yisaraele roya, mizatadrina Tumima si.” Ndi vodo vo Jonatana ndi Saulo be te, anjoko lidri ro a'dote dritai ro. 42 'Dooko Saulo atate ekye: “Mivo vodo lakole amaro ŋgwa maro Jonatana be ya.” Ago vodo vo Jonatana te.
43 'Dooko Saulo atate Jonatana ri ekye: “Tase miyebe ono nyiti tana märi.” Ago Jonatana iti tana te ndäri ekye: “Metembe epe giṛiŋwa te drî dofo drì maro ya ono rosi; ma begi ono, ma ṛo nja odrane.”
44 Ago Saulo atate ekye: “Endaro mäṛurute Lu si, beṛo miri endaro odrane Jonatana.”
45 'Dooko lidri atate Saulo ri ekye: “Inye'do Jonatana nda se koye ŋgaopeṛe 'desi te Yisaraele ya ono odrana ndi ya? Mà ruäṛu OPI se kabe ori lidriidriro ono si, a'done inye i'do; drikyiri alodi ni drî ndaro yasi e'dene gyini dri i'do Tana tase nda ye be ondro ono nda yete ŋgaopa Lu rosi.” Ago lidri pa Jonatana teni odra yasi, ago äfu nda kote. 46 'Do vosi Saulo edrete ni osovoya Felesete'bai vo; ago Felesete'bai oyiyite wari modo ànyaro ro ya.
Ŋgamiri Saulo ro ndi Katidri Ndaro be
47 Ondro Saulo korite 'bädri'ba ro Yisaraele dri oko, nda ye kyila te kyila'baazii cini ndaro be lamadri cini yasi, Moaba be, Amona'bai be, Edoma be, 'bädri'bai Zoba robe, ndi Felesete'bai be; vose cini Saulo zarute kigyesi nda ye ànya te koziro. 48 Nda ye kyila te mbara amba si, ago fu Amaleka'bai te, ago nda pa Yisaraele teni drì ànya se kabe ŋga ànyaro topana ro yasi.
49 Ŋgwàagoro Saulo ro ni Jonatana, Yisevi, ago Malekisu a; ago ävuru ndiriŋwa ritu ndaro ro ni kwoi: Meraba se 'desiŋwa ro, Mikale se giṛiŋwa ro. 50 Ävuru toko Saulo ro ro ni Ainoama ŋguti Aimaza ro. Ago ävuru otaozo'ba kyila'bai ndaro ro ni Abinera ŋgwa Nera, täpiazi Saulo ro ro. 51 Täpi Saulo ro ni Kisi, ago täpi Abinera ro ni Nera se ni ŋgwàagoro Abiele ro owo.
52 Tu cini ori Saulo ro rosi kyila oye a'dote orivoya rritiro amba Felesete'bai be. Ago ondoalo ondro Saulo kondre mano aza te mbara ro, kode mano turiako yi, nda loci anya te kyila'bai ndaro lako.
1-3 and Saul was in Geba with his 600 men. Saul's own tent was set up under a fruit tree by the threshing place at the edge of town. Ahijah was serving as priest, and one of his jobs was to get answers from the Lord for Saul. Ahijah's father was Ahitub, and his father's brother was Ichabod. Ahijah's grandfather was Phinehas, and his great-grandfather Eli had been the Lord's priest at Shiloh.
One day, Jonathan told the soldier who carried his weapons that he wanted to attack the Philistine camp on the other side of the valley. So they slipped out of the Israelite camp without anyone knowing it. Jonathan didn't even tell his father he was leaving.
4-5 Jonathan decided to get to the Philistine camp by going through the pass that led between Shiny Cliff and Michmash to the north and Thornbush Cliff and Geba to the south.
6 Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons talked as they went toward the Philistine camp. “It's just the two of us against all those godless men,” Jonathan said. “But the Lord can help a few soldiers win a battle just as easily as he can help a whole army. Maybe the Lord will help us win this battle.”
7 “Do whatever you want,” the soldier answered. “I'll be right there with you.”
8 “This is what we will do,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let them see us. 9 If they agree to come down the hill and fight where we are, then we won't climb up to their camp. 10 But we will go if they tell us to come up the hill and fight. That will mean the Lord is going to help us win.”
11-12 Jonathan and the soldier stood at the bottom of the hill where the Philistines could see them. The Philistines said, “Look! Those worthless Israelites have crawled out of the holes where they've been hiding.” Then they yelled down to Jonathan and the soldier, “Come up here, and we will teach you a thing or two!”
Jonathan turned to the soldier and said, “Follow me! The Lord is going to let us win.”
13 Jonathan crawled up the hillside with the soldier right behind him. When they got to the top, Jonathan killed the Philistines who attacked from the front, and the soldier killed those who attacked from behind. 14 Before they had gone 30 meters, they had killed about 20 Philistines.
15 The whole Philistine army panicked—those in camp, those on guard duty, those in the fields, and those on raiding patrols. All of them were afraid and confused. Then God sent an earthquake, and the ground began to tremble.
Israel Defeats the Philistines
16 Saul's lookouts at Geba saw that the Philistine army was running in every direction, like melted wax. 17 Saul told his officers, “Call the roll and find out who left our camp.” When they had finished, they found out that Jonathan and the soldier who carried his weapons were missing.
18 At that time, Ahijah was serving as priest for the army of Israel, and Saul told him, “Come over here! Let's ask God what we should do.” 19 Just as Saul finished saying this, he could see that the Philistine army camp was getting more and more confused, and he said, “Ahijah, never mind!”
20 Saul quickly called his army together, then led them to the Philistine camp. By this time the Philistines were so confused that they were killing each other.
21 There were also some hired soldiers in the Philistine camp, who now switched to Israel's side and fought for Saul and Jonathan.
22 Many Israelites had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim. And when they heard that the Philistines were running away, they came out of hiding and joined in chasing the Philistines.
23-24 So the Lord helped Israel win the battle that day.
Saul's Curse on Anyone Who Eats
Saul had earlier told his soldiers, “I want to get even with those Philistines by sunset. If any of you eat before then, you will be under a curse!” So he made them swear not to eat.
By the time the fighting moved past Beth-Aven, the Israelite troops were weak from hunger. 25-26 The army and the people who lived nearby had gone into a forest, and they came to a place where honey was dripping on the ground. But no one ate any of it, because they were afraid of being put under the curse.
27 Jonathan did not know about Saul's warning to the soldiers. So he dipped the end of his walking stick in the honey and ate some with his fingers. He felt stronger and more alert. 28 Then a soldier told him, “Your father swore that anyone who ate food today would be put under a curse, and we agreed not to eat. That's why we're so weak.”
29 Jonathan said, “My father has caused you a lot of trouble. Look at me! I ate only a little of this honey, but already I feel strong and alert. 30 I wish you had eaten some of the food the Philistines left behind. We would have been able to kill a lot more of them.”
31 By evening the Israelite army was exhausted from killing Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. 32 They grabbed the food they had captured from the Philistines and started eating. They even killed sheep and cows and calves right on the spot and ate the meat without draining the blood. 33 Someone told Saul, “Look! The army is disobeying the Lord by eating meat before the blood drains out.”
“You're right,” Saul answered. “They are being unfaithful to the Lord! Hurry! Roll a big rock over here. 34 Then tell everyone in camp to bring their cattle and lambs to me. They can kill the animals on this rock, then eat the meat. That way no one will disobey the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.”
That night the soldiers brought their cattle over to the big rock and killed them there. 35 It was the first altar Saul had built for offering sacrifices to the Lord.
The Army Rescues Jonathan
36 Saul said, “Let's attack the Philistines again while it's still dark. We can fight them all night. Let's kill them and take everything they own!”
The people answered, “We will do whatever you want.”
“Wait!” Ahijah the priest said. “Let's ask God what we should do.”
37 Saul asked God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you help us win?”
This time God did not answer. 38 Saul called his army officers together and said, “We have to find out what sin has kept God from answering. 39 I swear by the living Lord that whoever sinned must die, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan.”
No one said a word.
40 Saul told his army, “You stand on that side of the priest, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other side.”
Everyone agreed.
41 Then Saul prayed, “Our Lord, God of Israel, why haven't you answered me today? Please show us who sinned. Was it my son Jonathan and I, or was it your people Israel?”
The answer came back that Jonathan or Saul had sinned, not the army. 42 Saul told Ahijah, “Now ask the Lord to decide between Jonathan and me.”
The answer came back that Jonathan had sinned. 43 “Jonathan,” Saul exclaimed, “tell me what you did!”
“I dipped the end of my walking stick in some honey and ate a little. Now you say I have to die!”
44 “Yes, Jonathan. I swear to God that you must die.”
45 “No!” the soldiers shouted. “God helped Jonathan win the battle for us. We won't let you kill him. We swear to the Lord that we won't let you kill him or even lay a hand on him!” So the army kept Saul from killing Jonathan.
46 Saul stopped hunting down the Philistines, and they went home.
Saul Fights His Enemies
47-48 When Saul became king, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, the kings of Zobah, the Philistines, and the Amalekites had all been robbing the Israelites. Saul fought back against these enemies and stopped them from robbing Israel. He was a brave commander and always won his battles.
Saul's Family
49-51 Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. They had three sons: Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. They also had two daughters: The older one was Merab, and the younger one was Michal.
Abner, Saul's cousin, was the commander of the army. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
War with the Philistines
52 Saul was at war with the Philistines for as long as he lived. Whenever he found a good warrior or a brave man, Saul made him join his army.