1 Samuel 13

13 ¹Saul don reach thirty years wey e become king, and e rule Israel for forty-two years. ^a a v1 Di numbers wey dey dis verse don comot for di Hebrew, wey talk say "Saul be one year old… and e rule for two years." Di figures wey dey here follow di way most modern Bibles read am. ²Saul pick 3,000 men for Israel: 2,000 dey with am for Michmash and di hill country of Bethel, 1,000 dey with Jonathan for Gibeah of Benjamin. Di rest wey remain, e send dem go house, each one go im own tent. ³Jonathan strike down di Philistine soldiers wey dey Geba, and di Philistine people hear am. Den Saul blow trumpet go round di whole land: "Make all di Hebrew people hear!" ⁴All Israel hear say Saul don strike down di Philistine soldiers, and say Israel don turn to something wey dey smell bad for di Philistine people. So di people gada come meet Saul for Gilgal. ⁵Di Philistine people gada come fight Israel—3,000 chariot, 6,000 men wey dey ride horse, and soldiers wey plenty like sand for di seaside. Dem come up and camp for Michmash, for di east side of Beth-aven. ⁶Wen di men of Israel see say dem don enter trouble—say pressure don plenty for di people—dem hide inside cave, inside bush, inside rock, inside hole, and inside water-hole. ^b b v6 Water-hole na underground tank wey dem dig for rock to catch and keep rain-water. ⁷Some Hebrew people even cross di River Jordan go Gad and Gilead. But Saul stay for Gilgal, and all di people wey dey follow am dey shake for body.

Saul Do Am Without our Papa Word

⁸E wait for seven days, di time wey Samuel talk; but Samuel no come Gilgal, and di people begin scatter comot from am. ⁹Saul talk say, "Bring di burnt offering and di peace offerings give me." And e offer di burnt offering.

¹⁰As e just finish di burnt offering, na so Samuel come, and Saul go out to meet am and greet am. ¹¹"Wetin be dis wey you do?" Samuel ask. Saul answer say, "I see di people dey scatter comot from me, you no come for di time wey we set, and di Philistine people dey gada for Michmash,

¹²so I think say, 'Di Philistine people go come attack me for Gilgal, and I never go find our Papa favor.' So I force myself and I offer di burnt offering."

¹³"Wetin you do na foolish thing," Samuel tell Saul. "You no keep di command wey your Papa give you. If you for keep am, our Papa for don set your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴But now your kingdom no go last. Our Papa don find one man for imself wey follow im own heart and e don appoint am make e rule over im people, because you no keep wetin e command you."

¹⁵Samuel comot for Gilgal and e go up to Gibeah for Benjamin. Saul count di people wey dey with am—about 600 men.

Israel No Get Weapon Again

¹⁶Saul, im son Jonathan, and di people wey dey with dem stay for Geba for Benjamin; di Philistine people camp for Michmash. ¹⁷Raiders comot for di Philistine camp for three groups. One group turn go Ophrah, for di land of Shual; ¹⁸anoda one turn go Beth-horon; di third one turn go di border wey dey look down di Valley of Zeboim, wey face di wilderness. ¹⁹Dem no fit find any blacksmith for all Israel, because di Philistine people don talk say, "Otherwise di Hebrew people go make sword or spear." ²⁰So all Israel dey go down go meet di Philistine people to sharpen dem plough-iron, dem pick, dem axe, and dem sickle. ²¹Di charge na about quarter ounce of silver to sharpen plough-iron, pick, and fork, and about eighth of one ounce to sharpen axe and to sharpen di goad again. ^c c v21 Goad na long stick wey get sharp metal for di point, wey dem dey use jab cattle make dem waka. ²²For di day of battle no sword or spear dey among all di people wey dey with Saul and Jonathan; na only Saul and im son Jonathan get dem.

²³One group of di Philistine people comot go di pass for Michmash.