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Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11 So after a month,[a] Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to[b] Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh told Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”

Nahash the Ammonite told them, “I’ll make a covenant with you on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

The elders of Jabesh told him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then if no one delivers us, we will come out to you and surrender.”[c] When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported the terms to the people,[d] all the people cried loudly.[e]

Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind the oxen and he said, “What’s with the people? Why are they crying?” They reported to him what the men of Jabesh had said.[f]

When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God came on him, and he was very angry. He took a yoke of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent the pieces[g] by messengers through all the territory of Israel: “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not come out and join[h] Saul and Samuel!” The fear of the Lord fell on the people and they came out as one man.

Saul[i] mustered them at Bezek, and there were 300,000 Israelis and 30,000 men of Judah. They told the messengers who had come, “You are to say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be delivered.’” The messengers went and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.

10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and surrender.[j] Then you can do whatever you want to us.”

11 The next day Saul separated the people into three companies. They came into the camp during the morning watch, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered so that no two of them remained together.

12 The people told Samuel, “Who said, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Bring them to us[k] and we will put them to death!”

13 But Saul said, “Let no one be put to death this day, because today the Lord has delivered Israel.”

14 Then Samuel told the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king in the Lord’s presence in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings in the Lord’s presence, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 11:1 So LXX and DSS 4QSama; the Heb. lacks after a month
  2. 1 Samuel 11:1 Lit. camped against
  3. 1 Samuel 11:3 The Heb. lacks and surrender
  4. 1 Samuel 11:4 Lit. in the ears of the people
  5. 1 Samuel 11:4 Lit. lifted their voices and wept
  6. 1 Samuel 11:5 Lit. the words of the men of Jabesh
  7. 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. sent
  8. 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. out after
  9. 1 Samuel 11:8 Lit. He
  10. 1 Samuel 11:10 The Heb. lacks and surrender
  11. 1 Samuel 11:12 Lit. Give the men

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11 Now Nahash the Ammonite went up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us[a] and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty[b] with you, by gouging out the right eye of each of you, so that I can make it a disgrace for all Israel.” So the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers in all the territory of Israel, and if there is no deliverer for us, then we will come out to you.” When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported these things to[c] the people. Then all the people lifted up their voices and wept. Just then,[d] Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, “What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?” So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.[e] So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them into pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever is not going out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen.” Then the fear of Yahweh fell on the people and they went out as one man. He mustered them at Bezek; the Israelites[f] were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah were thirty thousand. They said to the messengers who had come, “Thus you will say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance for you will come when the sun is hot.’”[g] When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced. 10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”[h] 11 And the[i] next day Saul placed the people in three divisions. Then they came into the middle of the camp at the early morning watch[j] and struck down the Ammonites[k] until the heat of the day. It happened that the remainder were scattered so that no two among them remained together.[l] 12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is the one who asked, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Give the men to us that we may kill them.” 13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death on this day, because today[m] Yahweh has provided deliverance in Israel.”

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal, and let us renew the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and they made Saul king there before Yahweh in Gilgal. They sacrificed fellowship offerings there before Yahweh. Then Saul rejoiced there greatly along with all the men of Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 11:1 Literally “Cut with us a covenant”
  2. 1 Samuel 11:2 Literally “I will cut”
  3. 1 Samuel 11:4 Literally “they spoke the words in the ears of”
  4. 1 Samuel 11:5 Literally “And look/behold”
  5. 1 Samuel 11:6 Literally “his nose became very hot”
  6. 1 Samuel 11:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  7. 1 Samuel 11:9 Literally “at the heating of the sun”
  8. 1 Samuel 11:10 Literally “as all of the good that is in your eyes”
  9. 1 Samuel 11:11 Literally “and it happened the”
  10. 1 Samuel 11:11 Literally “at the night watch of the morning”
  11. 1 Samuel 11:11 Literally “Ammon”
  12. 1 Samuel 11:11 Literally “and they did not remain among them two together”
  13. 1 Samuel 11:13 Literally “the day”