11About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."H5176H5984H5927H2583H3003H1568H582H3003H559H5176H3772H1285H56472But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, namely that I gouge out everyone's right eye, and thus put disgrace upon all Israel."H5176H5984H559H2063H3772H5365H3225H5869H7760H2781H34783The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you."H2205H3003H559H7651H3117H7503H7971H4397H1366H3478H3467H33184When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the hearing of the people; and all the people wept aloud.H935H4397H1390H7586H1696H1697H241H5971H5971H5375H6963H10585Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said, "What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the message from the inhabitants of Jabesh.H7586H935H310H1241H7704H7586H559H5971H1058H5608H1697H582H30036And the spirit of God came upon Saul in power when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.H7307H430H6743H7586H8085H1697H639H2734H39667He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!" Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one.H3947H6776H1241H5408H7971H1366H3478H3027H4397H559H3318H310H7586H310H8050H6213H1241H6343H3068H5307H5971H3318H259H3768When he mustered them at Bezek, those from Israel were three hundred thousand, and those from Judah seventy thousand.H6485H966H1121H3478H7969H3967H505H376H3063H7970H5059They said to the messengers who had come, "Thus shall you say to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.'" When the messengers came and told the inhabitants of Jabesh, they rejoiced.H559H4397H935H559H376H3003H1568H4279H8121H2527H8668H4397H935H5046H582H3003H805510So the inhabitants of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."H582H3003H559H4279H3318H6213H5869H289611The next day Saul put the people in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.H4283H7586H7760H5971H7969H7218H935H8432H4264H1242H821H5221H5983H2527H3117H7604H6327H8147H7604H316212The people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Give them to us so that we may put them to death."H5971H559H8050H559H7586H4427H5414H582H419113But Saul said, "No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought deliverance to Israel."H7586H559H376H4191H3117H3117H3068H6213H8668H347814Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship."H559H8050H5971H3212H3212H1537H2318H441015So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the LORD, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.H5971H3212H1537H7586H4427H6440H3068H1537H2076H2077H8002H6440H3068H7586H582H3478H8055H3966