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.

1. One month later, Nahash the Ammonite went to Jabesh-gilead and surrounded the city. The people of Jabesh told Nahash, "Make an agreement with us and we will serve you."

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.

2. Nahash answered, "I will make an agreement with you on this condition: I will pluck out the right eye of all of you, so that Israel will be left disgraced."

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.

3. The elders of Jabesh then told him, "Give us seven days so we may send messengers through all the territories of Israel. If none of them comes to save us, we will surrender to you."

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.

4. So the messengers went to Gibeah of Saul, breaking the news to the people. And all the people wept aloud.

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.

5. Just then Saul came from the field with his oxen. He asked, "What has happened to make the people weep?" And they told him what the men of Jabesh had said.

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

6. At once, the spirit of God seized Saul and he was greatly angered.

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.

7. He took a yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces and gave them to the messengers to be taken through all the territories of Israel with this warning, "I will do the same with the oxen of anyone who does not come out after Saul and Samuel." Then a holy fear came upon the people and they set out as one man.

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

8. When Saul inspected them at Bezek, the men of Israel were three hundred thousand; those 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.

9. And they sent the messengers with this answer to the people of Jabesh, "Tomorrow, by noontime, we shall come to you." When the messengers returned, the people of Jabesh were very comforted

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.

10. and they told Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender and you may do to us whatever you please."

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.

11. The following morning, Saul divided the people into three groups. They broke into the enemy camp early in the morning and slew the Ammonites until noontime. Those who could escape were scattered, each one running his own way.

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.

12. Then the people asked Samuel, "Who are these who said: Saul will never reign over us? Bring the men and we shall 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.

13. But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death today, for this day Yahweh has saved Israel."

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

14. Samuel told the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and officially proclaim the kingdom."

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.

15. So all the people went to Gilgal and there they proclaimed Saul king before Yahweh. They sacrificed peace offerings and Saul and all Israel celebrated.