1 Samuel 11

1 Nahash the Ammonite came with his army and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to him, “Make a peace treaty with us, and we will be your subjects.”

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 But Nahash the Ammonite responded, “I'll make a peace treaty with you on one condition: that I gouge out everyone's right eye to bring shame on all Israelites.”

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this [condition] will I make [a covenant] with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it [for] a reproach upon all Israel.

3 “Let us have seven days so we can send messengers all over Israel,” replied the town elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to help us, we will surrender to you.”

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days respit, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel: and then, if [there is] no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

4 When the messengers arrived in Gibeah of Saul and gave the message as the people listened, they all wept out loud.

Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

5 Right then Saul was coming back from ploughing a field with his oxen. “Why is everyone so upset?” he asked. They told him what the men from Jabesh had said.

And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What [aileth] the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

6 The Spirit of God came on Saul in power when he heard about this, and he grew very angry.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. Then he sent them by messenger to every part of Israel with the message, “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” The Lord made the people anxious to do so, and they came out as one.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent [them] throughout all the borders of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9 They said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow you'll be rescued, by the time the sun is hot.’” The people of Jabesh were so happy when the messengers arrived and told them this.

And they said to the messengers that came, thus shall ye say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, To-morrow by [the time] the sun is hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and showed [it] to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10 They told the Ammonites, “We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do to us whatever you want.”

Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To-morrow we will come out to you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good to you.

11 The next day Saul organized the army into three divisions. They attacked the Ammonite camp before dawn and went on killing them until the day grew hot. The survivors were so scattered that not even two of them were left together.

And it was [so] on the morrow, that Saul disposed the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning-watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 Then the people asked Samuel, “Who was saying, ‘Why should we have Saul as our king?’ Hand these men over so we can execute them.”

And the people said to Samuel, Who [is] he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

13 But Saul replied, “No one's going to be executed today, for this is the day that the Lord saved Israel.”

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to-day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come with me—let's go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom.”

Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

15 Everyone went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king before the Lord. They sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord, and Saul together with all the Israelites had a great celebration.

And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal: and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.