1 Samuel, 11

1. About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite marched up and laid siege to Jabesh in Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, 'Make a treaty with us and we will be your subjects.'

1. Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Ja'besh-gil'ead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."

2. Nahash the Ammonite replied, 'I shall make a treaty with you only on this condition, that I put out all your right eyes, and I will make it a taunt to the whole of Israel.'

2. But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus put disgrace upon all Israel."

3. The elders of Jabesh said to him, 'Give us seven days' grace while we send messengers throughout the territory of Israel, and if no one comes to our help, we will come out to you.'

3. 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."

4. The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and reported this to the people, and all the people wept aloud.

4. When the messengers came to Gib'e-ah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people; and all the people wept aloud.

5. Now Saul was just then coming in from the fields behind his oxen, and he said, 'What is wrong? Why are the people weeping?' They explained to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

5. Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said, "What ails the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

6. And the spirit of Yahweh seized on Saul when he heard these words, and he fell into a fury.

6. And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.

7. He took a yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces and sent these by messengers throughout the territory of Israel with these words, 'Anyone who will not march with Saul will have the same done to his oxen!' At this, a panic from Yahweh swept on the people and they marched out as one man.

7. He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "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 as one man.

8. Saul inspected them at Bezek; there were three hundred thousand of Israel and thirty thousand of Judah.

8. When he mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9. Then he said to the messengers who had come, 'This is what you are to say to the people of Jabesh in Gilead, "Tomorrow, by the time that the sun is hot, help will reach you." ' The messengers went and reported this to the people of Jabesh who were overjoyed;

9. And they said to the messengers who had come, "Thus shall you say to the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead: `Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.'" When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad.

10. they said to Nahash, 'Tomorrow we shall come out to you and you can do whatever you like to us.'

10. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."

11. The next day, Saul disposed the army in three contingents, which burst into the middle of the camp during the dawn watch and slaughtered the Ammonites until high noon. The survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

11. And on the morrow Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12. The people then said to Samuel, 'Who said, "Must we have Saul reigning over us?" Hand the men over, for us to put them to death.'

12. Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, `Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death."

13. 'No one must be put to death today,' Saul said, 'for today Yahweh has intervened to rescue Israel.'

13. But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has wrought deliverance in Israel."

14. Samuel then said to the people, 'Let us now go to Gilgal and reaffirm the monarchy there.'

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

15. The people then all went to Gilgal. And there, at Gilgal, they proclaimed Saul king before Yahweh; they offered communion sacrifices before Yahweh, and there Saul and all the people of Israel gave themselves over to great rejoicing.

15. So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.