11Soafteramonth, Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you."H5176H5984H5927H2583H3003H1568H582H3003H559H5176H3772H1285H56472Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "I'll make a covenant with you on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel."H5176H5984H559H2063H3772H5365H3225H5869H7760H2781H34783The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then if no one delivers us, we will come out to you and surrender."H2205H3003H559H7651H3117H7503H7971H4397H1366H3478H3467H33184When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported the terms to the people, all the people cried loudly.H935H4397H1390H7586H1696H1697H241H5971H5971H5375H6963H10585Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind the oxen and he said, "What's with the people?Why are they crying?" They reported to him what the men of Jabesh had said.11H7586H935H310H1241H7704H7586H559H5971H1058H5608H1697H582H30036When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God came on him, and he was very angry.H7307H430H6743H7586H8085H1697H639H2734H39667He took a yoke of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers through all the territory of Israel: "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not come out and join Saul and Samuel!" The fear of the Lord fell on the people and they came out as one man.H3947H6776H1241H5408H7971H1366H3478H3027H4397H559H3318H310H7586H310H8050H6213H1241H6343H3068H5307H5971H3318H259H3768Saul mustered them at Bezek, and there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.H6485H966H1121H3478H7969H3967H505H376H3063H7970H5059They told the messengers who had come, "You are to say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be delivered.'" The messengers went and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.H559H4397H935H559H376H3003H1568H4279H8121H2527H8668H4397H935H5046H582H3003H805510The men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you and surrender. Then you can do whatever you want to us."H582H3003H559H4279H3318H6213H5869H289611The next day Saul separated the people into three companies. They came into the camp during 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 remained together.H4283H7586H7760H5971H7969H7218H935H8432H4264H1242H821H5221H5983H2527H3117H7604H6327H8147H7604H316212The people said to Samuel, "Who said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring them to us and we will put them to death!"H5971H559H8050H559H7586H4427H5414H582H419113But Saul said, "Let no one be put to death this day, because today the Lord has delivered Israel."H7586H559H376H4191H3117H3117H3068H6213H8668H347814Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingship there." 15So all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king in the Lord's presence in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings in the Lord's presence, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.H559H8050H5971H3212H3212H1537H2318H4410