Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11 Now ^(A)Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged ^(B)Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make ^(C)a covenant with us and we will serve you.” ² But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, ^(D)that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and thereby I will inflict ^(E)a disgrace on all Israel.” ³ So ^(F)the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Allow us seven days to send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” ⁴ Then the messengers came ^(G)to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people ^(H)raised their voices and wept.

⁵ Now behold, Saul was coming from the field ^(I)behind the oxen, and Saul said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they reported to him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ Then ^(J)the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and ^[a]he became very angry. ⁷ He then took a yoke of oxen and ^(K)cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “^(L)Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ^(M)as one person. ⁸ He ^[b]counted them in ^(N)Bezek; and the ^(O)sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah, thirty thousand. ⁹ They said to the messengers who had come, “This is what you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be saved.’” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they rejoiced. ¹⁰ Then the men of Jabesh said, “^(P)Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good ^[c]to you.” ¹¹ The next morning Saul put the people ^(Q)in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹² Then the people said to Samuel, “^(R)Who is he that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ ^[d](S)Bring the men, so that we may put them to death!” ¹³ But Saul said, “^(T)Not a single person shall be put to death this day, for today ^(U)the Lord has brought about ^[e]victory in Israel.”

¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to ^(V)Gilgal and ^(W)renew the kingdom there.” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king ^(X)before the Lord in Gilgal. There they also ^(Y)offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Deep Concern for Israel

9 ^(A)I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. ³ For ^(B)I could ^[a]wish that I myself were ^(C)accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen ^(D)according to the flesh, ⁴ who are ^(E)Israelites, to whom belongs ^(F)the adoption as sons and daughters, ^(G)the glory, ^(H)the covenants, ^(I)the giving of the Law, ^(J)the temple service, and ^(K)the promises; ⁵ whose are ^(L)the fathers, and ^(M)from whom is the ^[b]Christ according to the flesh, ^(N)who is over all, ^(O)God ^(P)blessed ^[c]forever. Amen.

⁶ But it is not as though ^(Q)the word of God has failed. ^(R)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; ⁷ nor are they all children ^(S)because they are Abraham’s ^[d](T)descendants, but: “^[e](U)through Isaac your ^[f]descendants shall be named.” ⁸ That is, it is not the children of the flesh ^[g]who are ^(V)children of God, but the ^(W)children of the promise are regarded as ^[h](X)descendants. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: “^(Y)At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” ^10 (Z)And not only that, but there was also ^(AA)Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; ¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that ^(AB)God’s purpose according to His choice would ^[i]stand, not ^[j]because of works but ^[k]because of Him who calls, ¹² it was said to her, “^(AC)The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written: “^(AD)Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

^14 (AE)What shall we say then? ^(AF)There is no injustice with God, is there? ^[l](AG)Far from it! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “^(AH)I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” ¹⁶ So then, it does not depend on the person who ^[m]wants it nor the one who ^[n](AI)runs, but on ^(AJ)God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “^(AK)For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed ^[o]throughout the earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(AL)hardens whom He desires.

^19 (AM)You will say to me then, “^(AN)Why does He still find fault? For ^(AO)who has resisted His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, ^[p](AP)you foolish person, who ^(AQ)answers back to God? ^(AR)The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? ²¹ Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object ^[q]for honorable use, and another ^[r]for common use? ^22 [s]What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great ^(AS)patience objects of wrath ^(AT)prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known ^(AU)the riches of His glory upon ^(AV)objects of mercy, which He ^(AW)prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ namely us, whom He also ^(AX)called, ^(AY)not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, ²⁵ as He also says in Hosea:

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “^(BC)Though the number of the sons of Israel may be ^(BD)like the sand of the sea, only ^(BE)the remnant will be saved; ^28 (BF)for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, ^[t]thoroughly and ^[u]quickly.” ²⁹ And just as Isaiah foretold:

^30 (BK)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but ^(BL)the righteousness that is ^[y]by faith; ³¹ however, Israel, ^(BM)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not ^(BN)arrive at that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it ^[z]by faith, but as though they could ^[aa]by works. They stumbled over ^(BO)the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written: