1 Samuel 11

1 And Nahash the Ammonite comes up, and encamps against Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh say to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we serve you.”

And, about a month afterward, it happened that Nahash the Ammonite ascended and began to fight against Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Consider a pact with us, and we will serve you.”

2 And Nahash the Ammonite says to them, “For this I cut [a covenant] with you, in picking out every right eye of yours—and I have set it [for] a reproach on all Israel.”

And Nahash the Ammonite responded to them, “With this will I strike a pact with you: if I may pluck out all your right eyes, and set you as a disgrace against all of Israel.”

3 And [the] elderly of Jabesh say to him, “Leave us alone [for] seven days, and we send messengers into all the border of Israel: and if there is none saving us—then we have come out to you.”

And the elders of Jabesh said to him: “Grant to us seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel. And if there is no one who may defend us, we will go out to you.”

4 And the messengers come to Gibeah of Saul, and speak the words in the ears of the people, and all the people lift up their voice and weep;

Therefore, the messengers arrived at Gibeah of Saul. And they spoke these words in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voice and wept.

5 and behold, Saul has come out of the field after the herd, and Saul says, “What [is that] to the people, that they weep?” And they recount the words of the men of Jabesh to him.

And behold, Saul arrived, following oxen from the field. And he said, “What has happened to the people that they would weep?” And they explained to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

6 And the Spirit of God prospers over Saul, in his hearing these words, and his anger burns greatly,

And the Spirit of the Lord rose up within Saul when he had heard these words, and his fury was enraged exceedingly.

7 and he takes a couple of oxen, and cuts them in pieces, and sends [them] through all the border of Israel, by the hand of the messengers, saying, “He who is not coming out after Saul and after Samuel—thus it is done to his oxen”; and the fear of YHWH falls on the people, and they come out as one man.

And taking both the oxen, he cut them into pieces, and he sent them into all the borders of Israel, by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever will not go out and follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Therefore, the fear of the Lord entered into the people, and they went out like one man.

8 And he inspects them in Bezek, and the sons of Israel are three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

And he took a census of them at Bezek. And there were three hundred thousand of the sons of Israel. And there were thirty thousand of the men of Judah.

9 And they say to the messengers who are coming, “Thus you say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: Tomorrow you have safety—by the heat of the sun”; and the messengers come and declare [it] to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoice;

And they said to the messengers who had arrived: “So shall you say to the men who are of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, when the sun will be hot, you shall have salvation.’” Therefore, the messengers went and announced it to the men of Jabesh, who became joyful.

10 and the men of Jabesh say [to the Ammonites], “Tomorrow we come out to you, and you have done to us according to all that [is] good in your eyes.”

And they said, “In the morning, we will go out to you. And you may do whatever you please with us.”

11 And it comes to pass, on the next day, that Saul puts the people in three detachments, and they come into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and strike Ammon until the heat of the day; and it comes to pass that those left are scattered, and there have not been left two of them together.

And it happened that, when the next day had arrived, Saul arranged the people into three parts. And he entered into the middle of the camp at the early morning watch, and he struck down the Ammonites until the day grew hot. Then the remainder were dispersed, so much so that not even two of them were left together.

12 And the people say to Samuel, “Who is he that says, Saul reigns over us? Give up the men, and we put them to death.”

And the people said to Samuel: “Who is the one who said, ‘Should Saul reign over us?’ Present the men, and we will put them to death.”

13 And Saul says, “There is no man put to death on this day, for today YHWH has worked salvation in Israel.”

And Saul said: “No one shall be killed on this day. For today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”

14 And Samuel says to the people, “Come and we go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there”;

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

15 and all the people go to Gilgal, and cause Saul to reign there before YHWH in Gilgal, and sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings there before YHWH, and Saul rejoices there—and all the men of Israel—very greatly.

And all the people traveled to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king, in the sight of the Lord at Gilgal. And there they immolated victims of peace, before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly.