1 Samuel 11

1 Then Nahash the Ammonite went and laid seige to Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”

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

2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “On this condition will I make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all of your right eyes, and in this way bring disgrace on all Israel.”

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 Then the elders of Jabesh replied to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”

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

4 The messengers came to Gibeah, where Saul lived, and told the people what had happened. All the people wept loudly.

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 Now Saul was following the oxen out of the field. Saul said, “What is wrong with the people that they are weeping?” They told Saul what the men of 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 When Saul heard what they said, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he was 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 yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel with the messengers. He said, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen.” Then the terror of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out together as one man.

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

8 When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

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 that came, “You will tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.'” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

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

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

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

11 The next day Saul put the people in three groups. They came into the middle of the camp during the morning watch, and they attacked and defeated the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

And it was [so] on the morrow, that Saul put 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 which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it who said, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, so we can put them to death.”

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

13 But Saul said, “No one must be put to death this day, because today Yahweh has rescued 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, let us go to Gilgal and renew the monarchy there.”

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

15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

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.