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Saul besegrar ammoniterna

11 Vid den här tiden ledde Nahas ammoniternas armé mot Israel och belägrade staden Jabes-Gilead. Invånarna i Jabes bad om fred: Slut fred med oss, så ska vi bli era tjänare, bad de.

Det ska ni få bli, sa Nahas. Men bara på det villkoret att jag får sticka ut höger öga på varenda en av er, så att hela Israel blir förolämpat.

Låt oss få sju dagar på oss så att vi kan ta reda på om vi får någon hjälp! svarade Jabes äldste. Om inte våra bröder kommer och räddar oss, ska vi gå med på dina villkor.

När budbärarna kom till Sauls hemstad Gibea och berättade hur läget var började alla att gråta.

Saul hade varit ute och plöjt på åkern, och när han återvände till staden frågade han: Vad är det som har hänt? Varför gråter alla? När de berättade för honom vad budbärarna från Jabes hade sagt,

kom Guds Ande med stor kraft över Saul och han brann av vrede.

Han tog två oxar, styckade dem och sände ut styckena med budbärare över hela Israel.Så här ska det gå med oxarna som tillhör den som vägrar att följa Saul och Samuel i strid, sa han. Fruktan föll över folket, och de ställde upp till sista man.

Han räknade dem i Besek och fann att de var 300.000, förutom 30.000 män från Juda.

Då skickade han budbärare tillbaka till Jabes-Gilead med beskedet: Vi kommer att rädda er när det är som hetast i morgon!Givetvis blev det en oerhörd glädje i staden när budskapet nådde fram.

10 Männen i Jabes meddelade sedan sina fiender: Vi ger oss! I morgon kan ni komma och göra med oss som ni vill.

11 Men under natten kom Saul. Han hade delat upp sin armé i tre grupper. Före gryningen överrumplade de ammoniterna och dödade dem nästan allesammans under förmiddagens lopp. Resten av deras armé blev så grundligt skingrad, att inte ens två personer kom undan tillsammans.

12 Senare sa folket till Samuel: Var finns de män som sa att Saul inte skulle bli vår kung? För hit dem, så ska vi döda dem!

13 Men Saul svarade: Ingen ska avrättas i dag när Herren har räddat Israel!

14 Då sa Samuel till folket: Kom, låt oss alla gå till Gilgal och än en gång bekräfta att Saul är vår kung.

15 De gick därför till Gilgal, och vid en högtidlig ceremoni inför Herren krönte de Saul till kung. Sedan offrade de tackoffer till Herren, och Saul och hela Israel firade den lyckliga utgången.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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. 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. (G)Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. 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. When he numbered them in (J)Bezek, the children (K)of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 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. 1 Samuel 11:1 besieged
  2. 1 Samuel 11:3 deliver
  3. 1 Samuel 11:7 Lit. as one man

11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.

14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11 (A)Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged (B)Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, (C)“Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, (D)that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus (E)bring disgrace on all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” When the messengers came to (F)Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, (G)and all the people wept aloud.

Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. (H)And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen (I)and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, (J)“Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out (K)as one man. When he mustered them at (L)Bezek, (M)the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have (N)salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, (O)“Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 (P)And the next day Saul put the people (Q)in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

The Kingdom Is Renewed

12 Then the people said to Samuel, (R)“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ (S)Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, (T)“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today (U)the Lord has worked (V)salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to (W)Gilgal, and there they made Saul king (X)before the Lord in Gilgal. There (Y)they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.