| 1 . | 1 When he began to reign, Saul was the son of one year, and he reigned over Israel for two years. |
| 2 Saul si scelse tremila uomini da Israele; duemila si appostarono con Saul a Michmas e sulla montagna di Bethel; mille con Gionata a Gabaa di Beniamin; il resto del popolo lo rimandò ciascuno alle sue tende. | 2 And Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. And two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and at mount Bethel. Then one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the remainder of the people, he sent back, each one to his own tent. |
| 3 Ora, Gionata uccise il capo dei Filistei che era a Gheba e i Filistei lo seppero. Saul poi fece suonare la tromba in tutto il paese, che essi interpretarono: « Gli Ebrei si sono rivoltati ». | 3 And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines, which was in Gibeah. And when the Philistines had heard about it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews listen.” |
| 4 Tutto Israele udì e disse: « Saul ha ucciso il capo dei Filistei e, certo, Israele si è inimicato irremissibilmente i Filistei ». Allora il popolo si radunò dietro Saul a Galgala. | 4 And all of Israel heard this report, that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines. And Israel raised himself up against the Philistines. Then the people cried out to Saul at Gilgal. |
| 5 I Filistei si adunarono per fronteggiare Israele: tremila carri tirati, seimila cavalieri e gente numerosa come la sabbia che è sulla spiaggia del mare. Salirono ad accamparsi a Michmas, a oriente di Bethoron. | 5 And the Philistines gathered to do battle against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and the remainder of the common people, who were very many, like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. And ascending, they encamped at Michmash, toward the east of Bethaven. |
| 6 Gli uomini di Israele si accorsero di essere in difficoltà poichè l’esercito filisteo si avvicinava e andarono a nascondersi nelle grotte, nelle cavità, fra le rocce, nelle fosse e nelle cisterne. | 6 And when the men of Israel had seen themselves to be in a narrowed position, they hid themselves in caves, and in out of the way places, and in rocks, and in hollows, and in pits (for the people were distressed). |
| 7 Molta gente anzi passò il Giordano verso la terra di Gad e di Galaad. Saul intanto continuava a rimanere a Galgala e tutto il popolo, preso da paura, si allontanava da lui. | 7 Then some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan, into the land of Gad and Gilead. And while Saul was still at Gilgal, the entire people who followed him were terrified. |
| 8 Aspettò dunque sette giorni, secondo il termine stabilito da Samuele, ma Samuele non giungeva a Galgala. Intanto il popolo continuava ad allontanarsi da lui. | 8 But he waited for seven days, in accord with what was agreed with Samuel. But Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, for the people were scattering away from him. |
| 9 Allora Saul ordinò: « Portatemi l’olocausto e le vittime pacifiche! ». E offrì l’olocausto. | 9 Therefore, Saul said, “Bring me the holocaust and the peace offerings.” And he offered the holocaust. |
| 10 Aveva appena finito di offrire l’olocausto, quand’ecco arrivare Samuele e Saul gli mosse incontro per salutarlo. | 10 And when he had completed the offering of the holocaust, behold, Samuel arrived. And Saul went out to meet him, so that he might greet him. |
| 11 Ma Samuele disse: «Che cosa hai fatto? ». Rispose Saul: « Poichè il popolo si allontanava da me e tu non arrivavi entro i giorni convenuti, mentre i Filistei si erano radunati a Michmas, | 11 And Samuel said to him, “What have you done?” Saul responded: “Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and you had not arrived after the agreed upon days, and yet the Philistines had gathered together at Michmash, |
| 12 mi sono detto: “ Ora i Filistei piomberanno su di me a Galgala e io non ho ancora implorato l’aiuto di Jahve! ”. Perciò, mi sono fatto forza e ho offerto l’olocausto ». | 12 I said: ‘Now the Philistines will descend to me at Gilgal. And I have not appeased the face of the Lord.’ Compelled by necessity, I offered the holocaust. |
| 13 Samuele disse a Saul: « Sei stato uno stolto! Se tu avessi osservato l’ordine che Jahve tuo Dio ti aveva dato! Senza dubbio ora egli avrebbe reso stabile il tuo regno su Israele per sempre. | 13 And Samuel said to Saul: “You have acted foolishly. You have not kept the commandments of the Lord your God, which he instructed to you. And if you had not acted in this way, the Lord would, here and now, have prepared your kingdom over Israel forever. |
| 14 Ora invece il tuo regno non resisterà. Jahvesi è già cercato un uomo secondo il suo cuore e lo ha costituito principe sopra il suo popolo, poichè non hai osservato l’ordine di Jahve! ». | 14 But by no means shall your kingdom rise up any more. The Lord has sought for himself a man according to his own heart. And him the Lord has instructed to be the leader over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord has instructed.” |
| 15 Poi Samuele si alzò e salì da Galgala andando per la sua strada. Il resto del popolo salì dietro Saul incontro agli uomini di guerra e giunse da Galgala a Gabaa di Beniamin. Saul passò in rassegna la gente che era con lui: erano circa seicento uomini. | 15 Then Samuel rose up and ascended from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And the remainder of the people ascended after Saul, to meet the people who were fighting against them, going from Gilgal into Gibeah, to the hill of Benjamin. And Saul took a census of the people, who had been found to be with him, about six hundred men. |
| 16 Saul e Gionata suo figlio e la gente che si trovava con loro stavano a Gabaa di Beniamin. I Filistei invece erano accampati a Michmas. | 16 And Saul, and his son Jonathan, and the people who had been found to be with them, were at Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had settled in at Michmash. |
| 17 Intanto, dall’accampamento dei Filistei uscivano i guastatori in tre schiere: una si volgeva in direzione di Ofra, verso la terra di Shual; l’altra in direzione di Bethoron; | 17 And three companies went out from the camp of the Philistines, in order to plunder. One company was traveling toward the way of Ophrah, to the land of Shual. |
| 18 la terza in direzione di Gheba, che cade a strapiombo sulla valle di Zeboim verso il deserto. | 18 Then another entered along the way of Beth-horon. But the third turned itself to the way of the border, overhanging the valley of Zeboim, opposite the desert. |
| 19 Non si trovava un fabbro in tutta la terra di Îsraele, perchè i Filistei avevano detto: « Gli Ebrei non si facciano nè spada nè lancia! ». | 19 Now there was no worker of iron to be found in all the land of Israel. For the Philistines had been cautious, lest perhaps the Hebrews might make swords or spears. |
| 20 Così che tutto Israele doveva scendere dai Filistei a farsi arrotare chi il vomere o la zappa, chi la scure o la falce. | 20 Therefore, all of Israel descended to the Philistines, so that each man could sharpen his plowshare, or pick axe, or hatchet, or hoe. |
| 21 Il prezzo estorto era un paim per vomeri e zappe; un terzo di siclo per affilare le scuri e per raddrizzare il pungolo. | 21 For their plow blades, and pick axes, and pitch forks, and axes had become blunt, and even the handles needed to be repaired. |
| 22 Così, nella giornata della battaglia di Michmas, non si trovò spada o lancia in mano a tutto il popolo che era con Saul e Gionata; se ne trovò soltanto in possesso di Saul e di Gionata suo figlio. | 22 And when the day of battle had arrived, there was found neither sword nor spear in the hand of the entire people who were with Saul and Jonathan, except for Saul and his son Jonathan. |
| 23 Then the army of the Philistines went out in order to go across Michmash. |
