1 Now A1 Sam 12:12Nahash the Ammonite came up and 1Lit camped againstbesieged BJudg 21:8; 1 Sam 31:11Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make CGen 26:28; 1 Kin 20:34; Job 41:4; Ezek 17:13a covenant with us and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, ANum 16:14that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it B1 Sam 17:26; Ps 44:13a reproach on all Israel.” 3 A1 Sam 8:4The 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.” 4 Then the messengers came A1 Sam 10:26; 15:34to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people BGen 27:38; Judg 2:4; 20:23, 26; 21:2; 1 Sam 30:4lifted up their voices and wept.

5 Now behold, Saul was coming from the field A1 Kin 19:19behind the oxen, and 1Lit Saulhe said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 6 Then AJudg 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6; 1 Sam 10:10; 16:13the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and 1Lit his anger burned exceedinglyhe became very angry. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and AJudg 19:29cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “BJudg 21:5, 8Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Loʀᴅ fell on the people, and they came out CJudg 20:1as one man. 8 He 1Lit musterednumbered them in AJudg 1:5Bezek; and the BJudg 20:2sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. 9 They 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. 10 Then the men of Jabesh said, “A1 Sam 11:3Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good 1Lit in your sightto you.” 11 The next morning Saul put the people AJudg 7:16, 20in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, “A1 Sam 10:27Who is he that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ 1Lit GiveBLuke 19:27Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “A1 Sam 10:27; 2 Sam 19:22Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today BEx 14:13, 30; 1 Sam 19:5the Loʀᴅ has accomplished deliverance in Israel.”

14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come and let us go to A1 Sam 7:16; 10:8Gilgal and B1 Sam 10:25renew the kingdom there.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king A1 Sam 10:17before the Loʀᴅ in Gilgal. There they also B1 Sam 10:8offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Loʀᴅ; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.