11 One month later, Nahash went with his army to attack Jabesh, a town in Gilead region. Nahash was an Ammonite. [ a ] The people in Jabesh said to him, ‘Make an agreement with us so that we will serve you.’ 2 Nahash said, ‘I will make an agreement with you only if you let me do this. I must cut out the right eye of every person in your town. I want to bring shame on all Israel's people.’
3 The leaders of Jabesh said to him, ‘Wait for seven more days. We will send a message to all the people in Israel. We will ask them to rescue us. If nobody comes to save us, we will agree to whatever you say.’
4 Men took the message to Gibeah, the town where Saul lived. When they told the news to the people there, the people started to weep loudly. 5 Saul had been out on his farm. As he was returning home with his cows, he asked, ‘What has happened here? Why are the people weeping?’ They told Saul what the men from Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard the news, God's Spirit came on him with power. He became very angry. 7 He killed two of his oxen. He cut their bodies into pieces. He sent men with the pieces to all the towns in Israel. In each town, the men said, ‘Everyone must join Saul and Samuel to fight in their army. If you do not agree to join them, they will cut up your oxen just like this!’ The people became very afraid of what the Lord would do. So they all came together as one army. 8 They met together at Bezek. Saul counted 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah. [ b ]
9 Saul said to the men who had brought the news from Jabesh, ‘Return to Jabesh. Tell the people, “We will come to rescue you tomorrow, before midday.” ’
So the men took the message to the people in Jabesh. The people were very happy. 10 The men there said to Nahash, ‘Tomorrow we will come out of the town to you. Then you can do anything that you want to us.’
11 Early the next day, Saul put his soldiers into three groups. At dawn, they attacked the camp of the Ammonite soldiers. The Israelite soldiers continued to kill the Ammonites until midday. The Ammonite soldiers who were still alive ran away in different directions. Each man ran off by himself.
12 The Israelite people said to Samuel, ‘Bring to us those men who said, “We do not want Saul to rule over us.” We must kill them!’
13 Saul said, ‘No, you must not kill anyone today. It is the day when the Lord has rescued Israel's people.’
14 Samuel said to the people, ‘Now we will all go to Gilgal. We must all agree that Saul will continue to be our king.’ 15 So everyone went to Gilgal. They went to the place where they worshipped the Lord . They all agreed that Saul would be their king. They offered peace offerings to the Lord . Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
11 About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite and his army surrounded Jabesh Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, “If you will make a treaty with us, we will serve you.”
2 But he answered, “I will make a treaty with you people only if I can poke out the right eye of each person. Then all Israel will be ashamed.”
3 The leaders of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Let us have seven days. We will send messengers through all Israel. If no one comes to help us, we will come up to you and surrender to you.”
4 The messengers came to Gibeah where Saul lived. They told the news to the people. The people cried loudly. 5 Saul had been out in the field with his oxen. When he came in from the field he heard the people crying and asked, “What’s wrong with the people? Why are they crying?”
Then the people told Saul what the messengers from Jabesh said. 6 Saul listened to their story. Then God’s Spirit came on him with great power. Saul became very angry. 7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them in pieces. Then he gave the pieces of the oxen to messengers. He ordered the messengers to carry the pieces throughout the land of Israel. He told them to give this message to the Israelites: “Come follow Saul and Samuel. If anyone doesn’t come and help them, this same thing will happen to his oxen.”
A great fear from the Lord came on the people. They all came together like one person. 8 Saul gathered the men together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.
9 Saul and his army told the messengers from Jabesh, “Tell the people at Jabesh in Gilead that by noon tomorrow, you will be saved.”
The messengers told Saul’s message to the people at Jabesh, and they were very happy. 10 Then the people of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will come to you, and you can do whatever you want to us.”
11 The next morning Saul separated his soldiers into three groups. At sunrise, Saul and his soldiers entered the Ammonite camp. Saul attacked while they were changing guards that morning. He and his soldiers defeated the Ammonites before noon. The Ammonite soldiers all ran away in different directions—no two soldiers stayed together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Where are the people who said they didn’t want Saul to rule as king? Bring them here, and we will kill them.”
13 But Saul said, “No, don’t kill anyone today! The Lord saved Israel today.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal. At Gilgal we will again make Saul the king.”
15 All the people went to Gilgal. There, in front of the Lord , the people made Saul king. They offered fellowship offerings to the Lord . Saul and all the Israelites had a great celebration.
11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
2 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 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 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 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 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7 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 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, 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 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 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 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 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 said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.
15 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.
11 Now ( A ) Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged ( B ) Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make ( C ) a covenant with us and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, ( D ) that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and thereby I will inflict ( E ) a disgrace on all Israel.” 3 So ( F ) the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Allow us seven days to send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” 4 Then the messengers came ( G ) to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people ( H ) raised their voices and wept.
5 Now behold, Saul was coming from the field ( I ) behind the oxen, and Saul said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they reported to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 Then ( J ) the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and [ a ] he became very angry. 7 He then took a yoke of oxen and ( K ) cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “ ( L ) Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ( M ) as one person. 8 He [ b ] counted them in ( N ) Bezek; and the ( O ) sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah, thirty thousand. 9 They said to the messengers who had come, “This is what you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be saved.’” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they rejoiced. 10 Then the men of Jabesh said, “ ( P ) Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good [ c ] to you.” 11 The next morning Saul put the people ( Q ) in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “ ( R ) Who is he that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ [ d ] ( S ) Bring the men, so that we may put them to death!” 13 But Saul said, “ ( T ) Not a single person shall be put to death this day, for today ( U ) the Lord has brought about [ e ] victory in Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to ( V ) Gilgal and ( W ) renew the kingdom there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king ( X ) before the Lord in Gilgal. There they also ( Y ) offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord ; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
11 Nahash [ a ] ( A ) the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. ( B ) And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty ( C ) with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition ( D ) that I gouge ( E ) out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace ( F ) on all Israel.”
3 The elders ( G ) of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue ( H ) us, we will surrender ( I ) to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah ( J ) of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept ( K ) aloud. 5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit ( L ) of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 7 He took a pair of oxen, ( M ) cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, ( N ) proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone ( O ) who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. ( P ) 8 When Saul mustered ( Q ) them at Bezek, ( R ) the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10 They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender ( S ) to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; ( T ) during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites ( U ) and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 The people then said to Samuel, “Who ( V ) was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, ( W ) for this day the Lord has rescued ( X ) Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal ( Y ) and there renew the kingship. ( Z ) ” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal ( AA ) and made Saul king ( AB ) in the presence of the Lord . There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord , and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
