1 Samuel 11:1–10

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

¹Now ^aNahash the Ammonite came up and ¹besieged ^bJabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make ^ca covenant with us and we will serve you.”

²But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, ^athat I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it ^ba reproach on all Israel.”

^3aThe elders of Jabesh said to him, “Let us alone for seven days, that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.”

⁴Then the messengers came ^ato Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people ^blifted up their voices and wept.

⁵Now behold, Saul was coming from the field ^abehind the oxen, and ¹he said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

⁶Then ^athe Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and ¹he became very angry.

⁷He took a yoke of oxen and ^acut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “^bWhoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ^cas one man.

⁸He ¹numbered them in ^aBezek; and the ^bsons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000.

⁹They said to the messengers who had come, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.’ ” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

¹⁰Then the men of Jabesh said, “^aTomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good ¹to you.”