扫罗打败亚扪人

11 亚扪人拿辖率军上来围困基列·雅比,城内的居民对拿辖说:“你与我们立约吧!我们愿意服从你。” 亚扪人拿辖说:“好,但有一个条件,我要挖去你们每一个人的右眼作为对全体以色列人的羞辱。” 雅比的长老说:“请宽限我们七天,我们好派遣使者去以色列全境。要是没有人来营救我们,我们就向你投降。” 雅比的使者来到扫罗的家乡基比亚,把他们的情况告诉众人,大家听了放声大哭。 那时扫罗刚好赶着牛从田间回来,便问道:“发生了什么事?为什么大家都在哭?”百姓把雅比的情况告诉了他。 扫罗听后,上帝的灵降在他身上,他勃然大怒, 牵来两头牛,把它们切成碎块,然后派使者把碎块分发到以色列全境,并且宣布:“谁拒绝跟随扫罗和撒母耳出战,他的牛就要被砍成这样。”上帝使百姓充满恐惧,他们都同心合意地响应。 扫罗在比色统计以色列人,共有三十万,从犹大来的有三万。 他们让雅比的使者回去告诉基列·雅比人,说:“明天中午,你们必得拯救。”使者回去告诉雅比人,他们非常欢喜, 10 便对亚扪人说:“明天我们会出来归顺你们,你们怎样对待我们都可以。” 11 第二天,扫罗把以色列人分成三队,在黎明时分突袭亚扪人的军营,把他们杀得大败,直到中午才收兵。亚扪人的残兵四散奔逃。

12 以色列人对撒母耳说:“是谁说扫罗不该做王?把他们带来,我们要处死他们。” 13 扫罗却说:“今天不可杀人,因为今天耶和华拯救了以色列。” 14 撒母耳对民众说:“来吧,我们到吉甲去,在那里重新立国。” 15 于是,他们来到吉甲,在耶和华面前立扫罗为王,又向耶和华献上平安祭。扫罗和全体以色列人都非常欢喜。

亚扪王拿辖威胁雅比人

11 亚扪人拿辖上来,安营攻击基列.雅比。所有的雅比人都对拿辖说:“你与我们立约,我们就服事你。” 亚扪人拿辖对他们说:“这是我与你们立约的条件:我要剜出你们各人的右眼,用来羞辱以色列众人。” 雅比的长老对他说:“请你宽限我们七天,好让我们派遣使者到以色列的全境去;如果没有人拯救我们,我们就出来向你投降。” 使者到了扫罗住的基比亚,把这些话说给众民听,众民就都放声大哭。 那时,扫罗正从田里赶牛回来,问说:“甚么事啊?为甚么人都在哭呢?”于是有人把雅比人的话告诉他。

扫罗击败亚扪人

扫罗听了这些话, 神的灵大大感动他,他就非常忿怒。 他牵来一对牛,把牠们切成碎块,交给使者,送到以色列的全境去,说:“不出来跟从扫罗和撒母耳的,他的牛也必受到这样的对待。”因众民惧怕耶和华,他们就都出来,如同一人。 扫罗在比色数点他们。以色列人共有三十万,犹大人有三万。 扫罗对前来的使者说:“你们要这样对基列.雅比人说:‘明天中午,你们必得拯救。’”使者回去告诉基列.雅比人,他们就欢喜了。 10 雅比人对亚扪人说:“明天我们出来向你们投降,你们看怎么好,就怎么待我们吧。” 11 第二天,扫罗把众人分成三队。在晨更的时候,他们进了亚扪人的营中,击杀他们,直到中午;残余的人都星散了,他们中间没有两个人留在一起的。

人民在吉甲立扫罗为王

12 众民对撒母耳说:“那说‘扫罗怎能作我们的王’的是谁呢?把那些人交出来,我们好杀死他们。” 13 扫罗说:“今天不可以杀人,因为今天是耶和华在以色列中施行拯救的日子。”

14 撒母耳对众民说:“来吧,我们往吉甲去,好在那里重新建立王国。” 15 众民就都到吉甲去,在那里在耶和华面前立扫罗为王,又在那里在耶和华面前献平安祭。扫罗和以色列众民都在那里,非常欢喜。

Saul’s First Victory

11 Now Nahash the Ammonite marched up and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. Then all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “Only on this condition will I make a treaty with you—by gouging out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will bring disgrace on all Israel.”

So the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite, so we may send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. If no one comes to deliver us, we will surrender to you.”

When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, all the people lifted up their voice and wept. Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, so Saul asked, “Why are the people weeping?” Then they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Ruach of God suddenly rushed upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger blazed. So he took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen.” So the dread of Adonai fell on the people, and they came out as one man. He numbered them in Bezek, and Bnei-Yisrael were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.

So they said to the messengers who came, “Thus will you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

10 Then the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 So it was on the following day that Saul divided the people into three columns; they penetrated into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of day. It came about that the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it who said, ‘Should Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, so we may put them to death.”[a]

13 But Saul replied, “No man will be put to death this day, for today Adonai has brought deliverance to Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Adonai in Gilgal. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before Adonai, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 11:12 cf. Luke 19:27.

Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

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.”

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.”

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.”

When the messengers came to Gibeah(J) of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept(K) aloud. 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.

When Saul heard their words, the Spirit(L) of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 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) When Saul mustered(Q) them at Bezek,(R) the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

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.

Saul Confirmed as King

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.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 11:1 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls gifts. Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, Nahash