Nahash Troubles Jabesh Gilead
11 About a month later[a] Nahash the Ammonite and his army ·surrounded [attacked and besieged] the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, “·Make [L Cut] a ·treaty [covenant] with us, and we will ·serve [be subject to] you.”
2 But Nahash the Ammonite answered, “I will ·make a treaty [L cut] with you only if I’m allowed to ·poke [gouge] out the right eye of each of you. Then all Israel will be ·ashamed [disgraced]!”
3 The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Give us seven days to send messengers through all [L the borders/territories of] Israel. If no one comes to ·help [rescue; deliver] us, we will ·give ourselves up [surrender] to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah where Saul lived and told the people the news, they ·cried loudly [L raised their voices and wept]. 5 Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, “What’s wrong with the people that they are crying?” Then they told Saul what the ·messengers [L men] from Jabesh had said. 6 When Saul heard their words, God’s Spirit ·rushed upon him with power [came mightily/powerfully on Saul], and he ·became very angry [burned with anger]. 7 So he took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. Then he gave the pieces of the oxen to messengers and ordered them to carry them through all the land of Israel [C a ritual to curse an enemy].
The messengers said, “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not ·follow [march with; C into battle] Saul and Samuel.” So the ·people became very afraid of the Lord [L terror/dread of the Lord fell on the people]. They all ·came together [marched out] as if they were one person. 8 Saul ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] the people together at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty[b] thousand men from Judah.
9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the people at Jabesh Gilead this: ‘·Before the day warms up tomorrow [By the time the sun is hot], you will be ·saved [rescued; delivered].’” So the messengers went and reported this to the people at Jabesh, and they were ·very happy [elated; overjoyed]. 10 The people said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will ·come out to meet [surrender to] you. Then you can do ·anything you want to us [to us whatever seems good to you].”
11 The next morning Saul divided his soldiers into three ·groups [companies; divisions]. At dawn they entered the Ammonite camp and defeated them ·before [until] the heat of the day. The Ammonites who ·escaped [survived] were scattered; no two of them were still together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who ·didn’t want Saul as king [was it that questioned, ‘Will Saul rule/reign over us]?’ Bring them here and we will kill them!”
13 But Saul said, “No! No one will be put to death today. Today the Lord has ·saved [rescued; delivered] Israel!”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal. There we will ·again promise to obey the king [renew the kingdom].” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there, before the Lord, the people made Saul king. They offered ·fellowship [peace; communion] offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites ·had a great celebration [rejoiced greatly].
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 11:1 About a month later This phrase is lacking in Hebrew copies, but appears in some Greek copies.
- 1 Samuel 11:8 thirty Some ancient copies read “seventy.”