1 Samuel 11

1Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

2But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition: that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people what had happened, all the people wept aloud.

5Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. He asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him what the men of Jabesh had said.

6When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and his anger burned fiercely.

7He took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout the territory of Israel, with this message: “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not come out and follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

8When Saul mustered them at Bezek, there were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty thousand from Judah.

9They told the messengers who had come, “Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were overjoyed.

10Then the men of Jabesh said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you think best.”

11The next day Saul divided his men into three companies. They broke into the camp during the last watch of the night and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. The survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

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

13But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”

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

15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there at Gilgal they made Saul king in the presence of Yahweh. There they offered fellowship offerings before Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel celebrated with great joy.