1 Samuel 11

1Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”

2Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you: that every right eye of yours be gouged out, and I will make it a disgrace upon all Israel.”

3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, and we will send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”

4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

5And behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle, and Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

6And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly.

7Then he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

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

9They said to the messengers who were coming, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: Tomorrow, by the heat of the sun, you will have deliverance.” So the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.

10So the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good in your eyes.”

11And it happened on the next day that Saul set the people in three groups, and they came into the midst of the camp during the morning watch and struck Ammon until the heat of the day. And it happened that the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Hand over the men, and we will put them to death.”

13But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death on this day, for today Yahweh has brought salvation in Israel.”

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

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