11Now Nahash the Ammonite went up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us^a and we will serve you.” ²But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty^b with you, by gouging out the right eye of each of you, so that I can make it a disgrace for all Israel.” ³So the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers in all the territory of Israel, and if there is no deliverer for us, then we will come out to you.” ⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported these things to^c the people. Then all the people lifted up their voices and wept. ⁵Just then,^d Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, “What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?” So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

⁶Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.^e ⁷So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them into pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever is not going out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen.” Then the fear of Yahweh fell on the people and they went out as one man.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “Cut with us a covenant”
bLiterally “I will cut”
cLiterally “they spoke the words in the ears of”
dLiterally “And look/behold”
eLiterally “his nose became very hot”