1 Samuel 11:1-15
11 And Naʹhash the Amʹmon·ite+ proceeded to go up and camp against Jaʹbesh+ in Gilʹe·ad.* At that all the men of Jaʹbesh said to Naʹhash: “Conclude a covenant with us that we may serve you.”+
2 Then Naʹhash the Amʹmon·ite said to them: “On this condition I shall conclude it with YOU, on the condition of boring+ out every right eye of YOURS, and I must put it as a reproach upon all Israel.”+
3 In turn the older men of Jaʹbesh said to him: “Give us seven days’ time, and we will send messengers into all the territory of Israel and, if there is no savior+ of us, we must then go out to you.”
4 In time the messengers came to Gibʹe·ah+ of Saul and spoke the words in the ears of the people, and all the people began raising their voice and weeping.+
5 But here is Saul coming after the herd from the field, and Saul proceeded to say: “What is the matter with the people, that they should weep?” And they began relating to him the words of the men of Jaʹbesh.
6 And the spirit+ of God* became operative upon Saul on his hearing these words, and his anger got very hot.+
7 So he took a pair of bulls and cut them in pieces and sent these into all the territory of Israel+ by the hand of the messengers, saying: “Whoever of us is not going out as a follower of Saul and of Samuel, this is the way it will be done to his cattle!”+ And the dread+ of Jehovah+ began to fall upon the people so that they came out as one man.+
8 Then he took the sum+ of them in Beʹzek, and the sons of Israel amounted to three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They* now said to the messengers that had come: “This is what YOU will say to the men of Jaʹbesh in Gilʹe·ad, ‘Tomorrow salvation will take place for YOU when the sun gets hot.’”+ With that the messengers came and told the men of Jaʹbesh, and they gave way to rejoicing.
10 Accordingly the men of Jaʹbesh said: “Tomorrow we shall come out to YOU people, and YOU must do to us in harmony with all that is good in YOUR eyes.”+
11 And it came about on the next day that Saul+ proceeded to put the people into three bands;+ and they made their way into the middle of the camp during the morning watch*+ and went striking down the Amʹmon·ites*+ till the day grew hot. When there proved to be some that were left over, then they were sent scattering and there were not left over among them two together.+
12 And the people began to say to Samuel: “Who is it saying, ‘Saul—is he to be king* over us?’+ GIVE the men over, that we may put them to death.”+
13 However, Saul* said: “Not a man should be put to death on this day,+ because today Jehovah has performed salvation in Israel.”+
14 Later Samuel said to the people: “Come and let us go to Gilʹgal+ that we may there make the kingship anew.”+
15 So all the people went to Gilʹgal, and there they proceeded to make Saul king* before Jehovah in Gilʹgal. Then they rendered up communion sacrifices there before Jehovah,+ and there Saul and all the men of Israel continued rejoicing to a great degree.+
Footnotes
^ Or, “Jabesh-gilead.”
^ “Spirit of God.” Heb., ru·ach-ʼElo·himʹ; TLXXVg and two Heb. mss, “spirit of Jehovah.”
^ “They,” MVg; LXXSy, “He.”
^ “Ammon,” MVg; TLXXSy and three Heb. mss, “the sons of Ammon.”
^ “Saul—is he to be king?” MVgc; LXXSy, “Saul—he should not be king.”
^ “Saul,” MSyVg; LXXB and other Gr. mss, “Samuel.”
^ “And there Samuel anointed Saul to be king,” LXX.
