The First Book of Samuel
13 Saul dey . . .* years when e start to rule as king, and e rule Israel for two years. 2 Then Saul choose 3,000 men from Israel; 2,000 of them dey with Saul for Mich′mash and for the area wey mountains dey for Beth′el, and 1,000 dey with Jon′a·than for Gib′e·ah wey dey the land of Benjamin. E come tell the rest of the people say make them go, each one of them come go im tent. 3 Then Jon′a·than fight the group of Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers wey dey Ge′ba, and win them, and Phi·lisʹti·a people hear about-am. Saul come talk say make them blow horn for the whole land, and de talk say: “Make Hebrew people hear!” 4 All Israel people come hear the news say: “Saul don fight the group of Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers and win them, this one don make Phi·lisʹti·a people really hate Israel people.” So them gather the people together to go join Saul for Gil′gal.
5 Phi·lisʹti·a people too come gather to fight Israel people. Them come with 30,000 war chariots, and 6,000 soldiers wey de use horse, plus other soldiers wey plenty like the sand wey dey the side of sea. Them come go up go set their camp for Mich′mash wey face the east side for Beth-a′ven. 6 The men of Israel come see say them don enter trouble, because everywhere don tight for them, so the people come de hide inside caves, holes, rocks, rooms wey dey underground, and wells. 7 Some of the Hebrew people even cross River Jordan go the land of Gad and Gil′e·ad. But Saul still dey for Gil′gal, and all the people wey de follow-am de shake because of fear. 8 E continue to wait for seven days until the time wey Samuel fix reach, but Samuel no come Gil′gal, and the people don de leave-am de go. 9 At last, Saul come talk say: “Make una bring the animals wey we want take do the sacrifice wey them de burn and the peace sacrifice them.” E come do the sacrifice wey them de burn.
10 But as e just do the sacrifice wey them de burn finish, Samuel come come. So Saul go meet-am and greet-am.* 11 Then Samuel ask-am say: “Wetin you do so?” Saul come answer-am say: “I see say the people de leave me de go, and you no come for the time wey you fix and Phi·lisʹti·a people de gather together for Mich′mash. 12 So I tell myself say, ‘Now Phi·lisʹti·a people go come down come fight me for Gil′gal, and I never do wetin go make Jehovah support me.’ So I come think say wetin I suppose do na to do the sacrifice wey them de burn.”
13 So Samuel come tell Saul say: “Na foolish thing you don do so. You no obey the commandment wey Jehovah your God give you. If to say you obey-am, Jehovah for make your kingdom stand for Israel forever. 14 But now, your kingdom no go last. Jehovah go find person wey de make-am happy, and Jehovah go choose the person as leader for im people, because you no obey wetin Jehovah command you.”
15 Then Samuel comot from Gil′gal go Gib′e·ah wey dey the land of Benjamin. Saul come count the people, and the people wey still dey with-am na around 600 men. 16 Saul and im son Jon′a·than, and the people wey still dey with them be de stay for Ge′ba wey dey the land of Benjamin, and that time, Phi·lisʹti·a people don set their camp for Mich′mash. 17 Three groups of soldiers go comot from the camp of Phi·lisʹti·a people to attack Israel people. One group go enter the road wey de go Oph′rah, wey de go the land of Shu′al, 18 another group go enter the road wey de go Beth-ho′ron, and the third group go enter the road wey de go the boundary wey person fit stand de see the lowland* of Ze·bo′im, for the side wey wilderness dey.
19 That time, them no get one single person for the whole land of Israel wey fit use iron make things, because Phi·lisʹti·a people talk say: “We no want make Hebrew people make sword or spear.” 20 So na Phi·lisʹti·a people all Israel people de go meet to fit sharp their plowshares,* diggers, axe, or their farm knives. 21 The money wey them de pay to sharp plowshares, diggers, rakes wey get three teeth, axe, and to repair rod wey get sharp mouth,* na one pim.* 22 And anytime wey them de fight war, you no go see sword or spear for the hand of any of the people wey dey with Saul and Jon′a·than. Na only Saul and im son Jon′a·than get wetin them take de fight war.
23 Now, one group of Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers don go stand for the road wey cross the lowland* wey dey Mich′mash.