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1 Samuel 11
New Catholic Bible
1 Samuel 11
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 11[a]
Victory over the Ammonites. 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped outside of Jabesh-gilead. All of the men in Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will be subject to you.” 2 But Nahash answered, “I will only make a covenant with you if I gouge out your right eyes[b] so that you might bring shame upon all of Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh answered, “Give us a reprieve of seven days so that we can send messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. If no one comes to save us, then we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers arrived at Gibeah, Saul’s city, and they proclaimed these things in the hearing of the people, all the people cried out and wept. 5 Saul was just then coming back from the field behind his oxen, and asked, “What is wrong that the people are weeping?” So they told him what the men from Jabesh had said.
6 When he heard this report, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Saul and he burned with rage.[c] 7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent them by messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. He said, “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel will have this done to his oxen.” The fear of the Lord came upon the people so that they came out as if they were one man.
8 When Saul counted the Israelites who were in Bezek, there were three hundred thousand of them, and thirty thousand from Judah. 9 They said to the messengers who had come to them, “Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, before the sun warms up, you will have help.’ ” The messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh who were elated. 10 So the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us what you see fit.”
11 The next day Saul divided his people into three groups. During the morning watch they attacked the camp of the Ammonites and continued to strike them down until the day was hot. Even those who survived were scattered, so that not two of them remained together.
12 Saul Proclaimed King. The people said to Samuel, “Who is it who asked, ‘Is Saul to reign over us?’ Bring those men out so that we can put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for today the Lord delivered Israel.” 14 Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” 15 All of the people went to Gilgal, and they confirmed Saul as king before the Lord in Gilgal. They sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all of the Israelites greatly rejoiced there.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 11:1 The final part of this section, in which Samuel is not even mentioned, comes from a different tradition about Saul’s election; it speaks of his election as being reaffirmed and thus is made to harmonize with what has gone before.
- 1 Samuel 11:2 Gouge out your right eyes: the shame of this was that it would render them unfit for military service.
- 1 Samuel 11:6 Burned with rage: linking the Spirit of the Lord with Saul’s anger confirms that justifiable anger can be used by God to right a wrong, in this case, to overcome those who were persecuting the Israelites.
1 Samuel 11
The Voice
1 Samuel 11
The Voice
11 So after a month had passed, Nahash the Ammonite besieged Jabesh-gilead. 2 The men of Jabesh tried to make a treaty with Nahash, telling him they would serve him.
Nahesh: I will make this treaty with you on one condition: I will put out the right eye of every one of you and so humiliate Israel.
Elders: 3 Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel. If no one comes to deliver us, we will surrender to you.
4 When the messengers reached Gibeah, where Saul was ruling, they told the people about Nahash and his cruelty, and it made them weep out loud. 5 Now Saul was just coming in from plowing in the fields when he heard the commotion.
Saul: What has happened? Why is everyone so sad?
So they told the king about the predicament and request from the people of Jabesh. 6 When he heard their story, the Spirit of the True God moved upon Saul, and he was furious. 7 He took a team of oxen, just like the one he had just been plowing the fields with, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces throughout the land of Israel with his first royal decree: “May those who refuse to answer this call from Saul and Samuel have their oxen torn apart like this!” Because they were afraid of making the Eternal One angry, people from every tribe came forward to fight as one.
8 Saul gathered them at Bezek, and the Israelites numbered 300,000 fighting men, with Judah providing 30,000. 9 The messengers who had come from Jabesh were sent back to tell the people in Jabesh-gilead to look for deliverance before the heat of the next day. They were thrilled by the news.
10 So the citizens of Jabesh sent a message to Nahash.
People of Jabesh: Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you may do whatever you wish to us.
11 The next morning Saul divided the people into three regiments; they entered the Ammonite camp that night under the cloak of darkness during the morning watch and slaughtered the soldiers until the next afternoon. The survivors were so few and so scattered you could not find two Ammonites together.
People (to Samuel): 12 Who are those people who jeered, “Is Saul going to be our king?” Where are they now? Hand them over so we can kill them!
Saul: 13 No. Not one man will be executed today because the Eternal One has given a great victory to Israel.
Samuel (to the people): 14 Come with me to Gilgal. There we will renew the kingdom and crown Saul as our king.
15 So representatives from all the tribes went to Gilgal. There Saul was installed as king of Israel before the Eternal One; then they joyfully offered peace offerings to the Eternal, and Saul and all the Israelites celebrated.
1 Samuel 11
New International Version
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.”
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.
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 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, 1 Nahash
1 Samuel 11
New King James Version
1 Samuel 11
New King James Version
Saul Saves Jabesh Gilead
11 Then (A)Nahash the Ammonite came up and [a]encamped against (B)Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, (C)“Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
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 (D)reproach on all Israel.”
3 Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to [b]save us, we will come out to you.”
4 So the messengers came (E)to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And (F)all the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 (G)Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. 7 So he took a yoke of oxen and (H)cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, (I)“Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.”
And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out [c]with one consent. 8 When he numbered them in (J)Bezek, the children (K)of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.”
11 So it was, on the next day, that (L)Saul put the people (M)in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, (N)“Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ (O)Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”
13 But Saul said, (P)“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today (Q)the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go (R)to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king (S)before the Lord in Gilgal. (T)There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 11:1 besieged
- 1 Samuel 11:3 deliver
- 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. as one man
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.