1 Samuel 11
1 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.
2 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. 3 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.
4 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.
5 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. 6 And the
Spirit of
God came upon
Saul when he
heard those
tidings, and his
anger was
kindled greatly. 7 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. 8 And when he
numbered them in
Bezek, the
children of
Israel were
three hundred thousand, and the
men of
Judah thirty thousand. 9 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.