11About a month later King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the town of Jabesh in the territory of Gilead and besieged it. The men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will accept you as our ruler."H5176H5984H5927H2583H3003H1568H582H3003H559H5176H3772H1285H56472Nahash answered, "I will make a treaty with you on one condition: I will put out everyone's right eye and so bring disgrace on all Israel."H5176H5984H559H2063H3772H5365H3225H5869H7760H2781H34783The leaders of Jabesh said, "Give us seven days to send messengers throughout the land of Israel. If no one will help us, then we will surrender to you."H2205H3003H559H7651H3117H7503H7971H4397H1366H3478H3467H33184The messengers arrived at Gibeah, where Saul lived, and when they told the news, the people started crying in despair.H935H4397H1390H7586H1696H1697H241H5971H5971H5375H6963H10585Saul was just then coming in from the field with his oxen, and he asked, "What's wrong? Why is everyone crying?" They told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported.H7586H935H310H1241H7704H7586H559H5971H1058H5608H1697H582H30036When Saul heard this, the spirit of God took control of him, and he became furious.H7307H430H6743H7586H8085H1697H639H2734H39667He took two oxen, cut them in pieces, and had messengers carry the pieces throughout the land of Israel with this warning: "Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle will have this done to his oxen!" The people of Israel were afraid of what the LORD might do, and all of them, without exception, came out together.H3947H6776H1241H5408H7971H1366H3478H3027H4397H559H3318H310H7586H310H8050H6213H1241H6343H3068H5307H5971H3318H259H3768Saul gathered them at Bezek: there were 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.H6485H966H1121H3478H7969H3967H505H376H3063H7970H5059They said to the messengers from Jabesh, "Tell your people that before noon tomorrow they will be rescued." When the people of Jabesh received the message, they were overjoyedH559H4397H935H559H376H3003H1568H4279H8121H2527H8668H4397H935H5046H582H3003H805510and said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do with us whatever you wish."H582H3003H559H4279H3318H6213H5869H289611That night Saul divided his men into three groups, and at dawn the next day they rushed into the enemy camp and attacked the Ammonites. By noon they had slaughtered them. The survivors scattered, each man running off by himself.H4283H7586H7760H5971H7969H7218H935H8432H4264H1242H821H5221H5983H2527H3117H7604H6327H8147H7604H316212Then the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Where are the people who said that Saul should not be our king? Hand them over to us, and we will kill them!"H5971H559H8050H559H7586H4427H5414H582H419113But Saul said, "No one will be put to death today, for this is the day the LORD rescued Israel."H7586H559H376H4191H3117H3117H3068H6213H8668H347814And Samuel said to them, "Let us all go to Gilgal and once more proclaim Saul as our king."H559H8050H5971H3212H3212H1537H2318H441015So they all went to Gilgal, and there at the holy place they proclaimed Saul king. They offered fellowship sacrifices, and Saul and all the people of Israel celebrated the event.H5971H3212H1537H7586H4427H6440H3068H1537H2076H2077H8002H6440H3068H7586H582H3478H8055H3966
