1 Samuel 11
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Saul’s Deliverance of Jabesh-gilead
11 Nahash[a](A) the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead.(B) All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty(C) with us, and we will serve you.”
2 Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye(D) and humiliate all Israel.”(E)
3 “Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah,(F) Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to[b] the people, all wept aloud.(G) 5 Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
6 When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly took control of him,(H) and his anger burned furiously. 7 He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces,(I) and sent them throughout the land of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.”(J) As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united.(K)
8 Saul counted them at Bezek.(L) There were 300,000[c](M) Israelites and 30,000[d] men from Judah. 9 He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.
10 Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want[e] to us.”
11 The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions.(N) During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
Saul’s Confirmation as King
12 Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not[f] reign over us?(O) Give us those men so we can kill them!”(P)
13 But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.”(Q)
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord’s presence(R) they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings(S) in the Lord’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 11:1 DSS, LXX read About a month later, Nahash
- 1 Samuel 11:4 Lit in the ears of
- 1 Samuel 11:8 LXX reads 600,000
- 1 Samuel 11:8 DSS, LXX read 70,000
- 1 Samuel 11:10 Lit do what is good in your eyes
- 1 Samuel 11:12 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss omit not
1 Samuel 11
Revised Geneva Translation
11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will be your servants.”
2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you: that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring that shame upon all Israel.”
3 To whom the elders of Jabesh said, “Give us seven days respite, so that we may send messengers to all the territories of Israel. and then if no man delivers us, we will come out to you.”
4 Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told this news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And behold, Saul came following the cattle out of the field. And Saul said, “What ails the people, so that they weep?” And they told him the news of the men of Jabesh.
6 Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard that news. And he was exceedingly angry
7 and took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territories of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come forth with Saul, and with Samuel, so shall his oxen be served.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the people; and they came out as one man.
8 And when he counted them in Bezek, the children of Israel numbered three hundred thousand men, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 Then they said to the messengers who came, “So say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow by the time the Sun is hot, you shall have help.’” And the messengers came and told it to the men of Jabesh, who were glad.
10 Therefore, the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you; and you shall do with us all that pleases you.”
11 And when the next day had come, Saul put the people in three bands. And they came in upon the army during the morning watch and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who remained were scattered, so that not even two of them were left together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring those men, so that we may kill them.”
13 “But,” said Saul, “no man shall die this day. For today the LORD has saved Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, so that we may go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”
15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king there, before the LORD in Gilgal. And they offered Peace Offerings before the LORD there. And Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly there.
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