1 Samuel 11

New International Version

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.”

²But 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.”

³The 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.”

⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah^(J) of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept^(K) aloud. ⁵Just 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.

⁶When Saul heard their words, the Spirit^(L) of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. ⁷He 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) ⁸When Saul mustered^(Q) them at Bezek,^(R) the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹They 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. ¹⁰They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender^(S) to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”

¹¹The 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

¹²The 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.”

¹³But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today,^(W) for this day the Lord has rescued^(X) Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal^(Y) and there renew the kingship.^(Z)” ¹⁵So 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 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, ¹Nahash

Job 28

New International Version

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

28 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.^(A)
²Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.^(B)
³Mortals put an end to the darkness;^(C)
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.^(D)
⁴Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,^(E)
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
⁵The earth, from which food comes,^(F)
    is transformed below as by fire;
⁶lapis lazuli^(G) comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.^(H)
⁷No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.^(I)
⁸Proud beasts^(J) do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.^(K)
⁹People assault the flinty rock^(L) with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.^(M)
¹⁰They tunnel through the rock;^(N)
    their eyes see all its treasures.^(O)
¹¹They search^[a] the sources of the rivers^(P)
    and bring hidden things^(Q) to light.

¹²But where can wisdom be found?^(R)
    Where does understanding dwell?^(S)
¹³No mortal comprehends its worth;^(T)
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.^(U)
¹⁴The deep^(V) says, “It is not in me”;
    the sea^(W) says, “It is not with me.”
¹⁵It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.^(X)
¹⁶It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,^(Y)
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.^(Z)
¹⁷Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,^(AA)
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.^(AB)
¹⁸Coral^(AC) and jasper^(AD) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.^(AE)
¹⁹The topaz^(AF) of Cush^(AG) cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold.^(AH)

²⁰Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?^(AI)
²¹It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.^(AJ)
²²Destruction^[b]^(AK) and Death^(AL) say,
    “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
²³God understands the way to it
    and he alone^(AM) knows where it dwells,^(AN)
²⁴for he views the ends of the earth^(AO)
    and sees everything under the heavens.^(AP)
²⁵When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,^(AQ)
²⁶when he made a decree for the rain^(AR)
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AS)
²⁷then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.^(AT)
²⁸And he said to the human race,
    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil^(AU) is understanding.”^(AV)

Footnotes

Job 28:11 Septuagint, Aquila and Vulgate; Hebrew They dam up
Job 28:22 Hebrew Abaddon

Revelation 5

New International Version

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^(A) a scroll with writing on both sides^(B) and sealed^(C) with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel^(D) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(E) of the tribe of Judah,^(F) the Root of David,^(G) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶Then I saw a Lamb,^(H) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures^(I) and the elders.^(J) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,^(K) which are the seven spirits^[a]^(L) of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.^(M) ⁸And when he had taken it, the four living creatures^(N) and the twenty-four elders^(O) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^(P) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers^(Q) of God’s people. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying:^(R)

“You are worthy^(S) to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood^(T) you purchased^(U) for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.^(V)
¹⁰You have made them to be a kingdom and priests^(W) to serve our God,
    and they will reign^[b] on the earth.”^(X)

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.^(Y) They encircled the throne and the living creatures^(Z) and the elders.^(AA) ¹²In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb,^(AB) who was slain,^(AC)
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”^(AD)

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth^(AE) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne^(AF) and to the Lamb^(AG)
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”^(AH)

¹⁴The four living creatures^(AI) said, “Amen,”^(AJ) and the elders^(AK) fell down and worshiped.^(AL)