1 Samuel 11
1 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 you.”
And it was don as aftir a monethe, Naas of Amon stiede, and bigan to fiyte ayens Jabes of Galaad. And alle the men of Jabes seiden to Naas, Haue thou vs boundun in pees, and we schulen serue thee.
2 Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will make this dishonor all Israel.”
And Naas of Amon answeride to hem, In this Y schal smyte boond of pees with you, that Y putte out the riyt iyen of alle you, and that Y sette you schenschip in al Israel.
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”
And the eldere men of Jabes seiden to him, Graunte thou to vs seuene daies, that we senden messangeris to alle the termes of Israel; and if noon be that defende vs, we schulen go out to thee.
4 Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice and wept.
Therfor messangeris camen in to Gabaad of Saul, and spaken these wordis, `while the puple herde; and al the puple reiside her vois, and wepte.
5 Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, “What ails the people that they weep?” They told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.
6 God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot.
And the Spirit of the Lord skippide in to Saul, whanne he hadde herd these wordis, and his woodnesse was `wrooth greetli.
7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, then sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man.
8 He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde.
9 They said to the messengers who came, “Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad,
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you.”
and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you.
11 On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis `in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai `was hoot; `forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem.
12 The people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, that we may put them to death!”
And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem.
13 Saul said, “No man shall be put to death today; for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”
And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel.
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.”
Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme.
15 All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord `in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli.
