1 Samuel 11

Saul’s Deliverance of Jabesh-gilead

11Nahash ^ghthe Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. ⁱAll the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty ^jwith us, and we will serve you.”

²Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye ^kand humiliate all Israel.” ^l

³“Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah, ^mSaul’s hometown, and told the terms to ⁿthe people, all wept aloud. ^o5Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

⁶When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, ^pand his anger burned furiously. ⁷He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, ^qand sent them throughout the land of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.” ^rAs a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united. ^s

⁸Saul counted them at Bezek. ^tThere were 300,000 ^uvIsraelites and 30,000 ^wmen from Judah. ⁹He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’ ” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.

¹⁰Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want ^xto us.”

¹¹The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. ^yDuring the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

Saul’s Confirmation as King

¹²Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not ^zreign over us? ^aGive us those men so we can kill them!” ^b

¹³But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the Lord has provided deliverance in Israel.” ^c

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.” ¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the Lord’s presence ^dthey made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings ^ein the Lord’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced.