1 Samuel 11

1 Soon Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

And it was don as aftir a monethe, Naas of Amon stiede, and bigan to fiyte ayens Jabes of Galaad. And alle the men of Jabes seiden to Naas, Haue thou vs boundun in pees, and we schulen serue thee.

2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”

And Naas of Amon answeride to hem, In this Y schal smyte boond of pees with you, that Y putte out the riyt iyen of alle you, and that Y sette you schenschip in al Israel.

3 “Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”

And the eldere men of Jabes seiden to him, Graunte thou to vs seuene daies, that we senden messangeris to alle the termes of Israel; and if noon be that defende vs, we schulen go out to thee.

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.

Therfor messangeris camen in to Gabaad of Saul, and spaken these wordis, `while the puple herde; and al the puple reiside her vois, and wepte.

5 Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.

6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.

And the Spirit of the Lord skippide in to Saul, whanne he hadde herd these wordis, and his woodnesse was `wrooth greetli.

7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man.

And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man.

8 And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.

And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde.

9 So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad,

10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”

and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you.

11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis `in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai `was hoot; `forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!”

And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem.

13 But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”

And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel.

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”

Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme.

15 So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.

And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord `in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli.