1 Samuel 11:1–7

¹And Nahash the Ammonite cometh up, and encampeth against Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh say unto Nahash, ‘Make with us a covenant, and we serve thee.’ ²And Nahash the Ammonite saith unto them, ‘For this I covenant with you, by picking out to you every right eye—and I have put it a reproach on all Israel.’ ³And the elders of Jabesh say to him, ‘Let us alone seven days, and we send messengers into all the border of Israel: and if there is none saving us—then we have come out unto thee.’ ⁴And the messengers come to Gibeah of Saul, and speak the words in the ears of the people, and all the people lift up their voice and weep.

⁵And lo, Saul hath come after the herd out of the field, and Saul saith, ‘What—to the people, that they weep?’ and they recount to him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶And the Spirit of God doth prosper over Saul, in his hearing these words, and his anger burneth greatly, ⁷and he taketh a couple of oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth through all the border of Israel, by the hand of the messengers, saying, ‘He who is not coming out after Saul and after Samuel—thus it is done to his oxen;’ and the fear of Jehovah falleth on the people, and they come out as one man.