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.”

And Nahash the Ammonite cometh up, and encampeth against Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh say unto Nahash, 'Make with us a covenant, and we 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 saith unto them, 'For this I covenant with you, by picking out to you every right eye — and I have put it a reproach on 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 say to him, 'Let us alone seven days, and we send messengers into all the border of Israel: and if there is none saving us — then we have come out unto thee.'

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

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;

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 lo, Saul hath come after the herd out of the field, and Saul saith, 'What — to the people, that they weep?' and they recount to him the words 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 doth prosper over Saul, in his hearing these words, and his anger burneth 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 taketh a couple of oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth 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 Jehovah falleth on the people, and they come out as one man.

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

And he inspecteth them in Bezek, and the sons of Israel are 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 say to the messengers who are coming, 'Thus do ye say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow ye have safety — by the heat of the sun;' and the messengers come and declare to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoice;

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.”

and the men of Jabesh say [to the Ammonites], 'To-morrow we come out unto you, and ye have done to us according to all that [is] good in your eyes.'

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 cometh to pass, on the morrow, that Saul putteth the people in three detachments, and they come into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and smite Ammon till the heat of the day; and it cometh to pass that those left are scattered, and there have not been left of them two 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 say unto Samuel, 'Who is he that saith, Saul doth reign over us! give ye up the men, and we 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 saith, 'There is no man put to death on this day, for to-day hath Jehovah wrought salvation in Israel.'

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

And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Come and we 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 go to Gilgal, and cause Saul to reign there before Jehovah in Gilgal, and sacrifice there sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah, and there Saul rejoiceth — and all the men of Israel — very greatly.