1Samuel 11

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11About a month later

, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. "Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants," they pleaded.H5176H5984H5927H2583H3003H1568H582H3003H559H5176H3772H1285H56472"All right," Nahash said, "but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!"H5176H5984H559H2063H3772H5365H3225H5869H7760H2781H34783"Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!" replied the elders of Jabesh. "If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms."H2205H3003H559H7651H3117H7503H7971H4397H1366H3478H3467H33184When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears.H935H4397H1390H7586H1696H1697H241H5971H5971H5375H6963H10585Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh.H7586H935H310H1241H7704H7586H559H5971H1058H5608H1697H582H30036Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry.H7307H430H6743H7586H8085H1697H639H2734H39667He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: "This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!" And the LORD made the people afraid of Saul's anger, and all of them came out together as one.H3947H6776H1241H5408H7971H1366H3478H3027H4397H559H3318H310H7586H310H8050H6213H1241H6343H3068H5307H5971H3318H259H3768When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000

men from Judah.H6485H966H1121H3478H7969H3967H505H376H3063H7970H5059So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, "We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!" There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!H559H4397H935H559H376H3003H1568H4279H8121H2527H8668H4397H935H5046H582H3003H805510The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish."H582H3003H559H4279H3318H6213H5869H289611But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.H4283H7586H7760H5971H7969H7218H935H8432H4264H1242H821H5221H5983H2527H3117H7604H6327H8147H7604H316212Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, "Now where are those men who said, 'Why should Saul rule over us?' Bring them here, and we will kill them!"H5971H559H8050H559H7586H4427H5414H582H419113But Saul replied, "No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!"H7586H559H376H4191H3117H3117H3068H6213H8668H347814Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom."H559H8050H5971H3212H3212H1537H2318H441015So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.H5971H3212H1537H7586H4427H6440H3068H1537H2076H2077H8002H6440H3068H7586H582H3478H8055H3966