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.”

Then came up Nahash the Ammonite, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead, —and all the man of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Solemnise with us a covenant, that we may serve thee.

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 said unto them, Hereby, will I solemnise [a covenant] with you by digging out for you, every one’s right eye, —and laying it for a reproach, upon all 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 unto him—Give us a respite of seven days, that we may send messengers throughout all the bounds of Israel, —and then, if there is none to save us, we will come out unto thee.

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;

And, when the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spake the words in the ears of the people, 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.

But lo! Saul, came in, following the oxen, out of the field, and Saul said, What aileth the people, that they should weep? Then were recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

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

And the Spirit of God came suddenly upon Saul, when he heard these words, —and his anger raged furiously.

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.

So he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout all the bounds of Israel by the hand of messengers—saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul, and after Samuel, so, shall it be done unto his oxen. Then felt the dread of Yahweh, upon the people, and they came forth, as 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, when he numbered them in Bezek, the sons of Israel were found to be—three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

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;

So they said unto the messengers who had come—Thus, shall ye surely say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, To-morrow, shall ye have deliverance, about the time the son is hot. And, when the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

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.”

So the men of Jabesh said, To-morrow, will we come out unto you, —Then shall ye do with us, according to all that is good in your eyes.

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 came to pass on the morrow, that Saul set the people in three companies, and they entered into the midst of the host, during the morning watch, and smote Ammon until the day was hot. And it came to pass that, they who were left, were scattered, so that there were not left among them, two 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.”

Then said the people unto Samuel, Who is he that was saying, Shall, Saul, reign over us? Give up the men, that we may 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.”

But Saul said, There shall not be put to death a man, this day, —for, to-day, hath Yahweh wrought deliverance in Israel.

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

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

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.

So all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king there, before Yahweh, in Gilgal, and offered there sacrifices of peace-offerings before Yahweh, —and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced there, exceedingly.