1 Samuel 11

Then Nahash king of the Ammonites led his army to attack the city of Jabesh in the region of Gilead. The leaders of the people who lived in that city went to speak with Nahash. They told him, “We want to make a peace treaty with you. We are all willing to become your subjects.”

Nahash replied, “I will make a peace treaty with you on one condition. You must allow my soldiers to gouge out your right eyes. This will bring shame on all the Israelites {because it will show that they were not able to defend you}.” \*

The leaders of Jabesh replied, “Please do not attack us for the next seven days. During that time, we will send messengers throughout the land of Israel {to ask for help}. If no one comes to help us, then we will surrender to you.” \*

{Nahash agreed, and} the messengers went {throughout Israel, including to} to Gibeah, the city where Saul lived, and they told the people there about the situation. Everyone started to cry loudly.

Just then Saul returned home. He had been plowing his field with his oxen. {He heard the noise and} he asked, “Why are all the people crying so loudly?” Then someone told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported. \*

Then God’s Spirit influenced Saul powerfully. He became extremely angry when he heard what Nahash wanted to do.

Saul took two of his oxen and killed them and cut them into pieces. Then he sent messengers carrying those pieces throughout the land of Israel to tell people this message: “Saul says that if anyone refuses to come with him and Samuel to fight against the Ammonite army, he will cut that person’s oxen into pieces, just as he has cut these oxen into pieces!” The men of Israel realized that God wanted them to go and fight the Ammonites and that God would be angry with them and punish them if they did not. So the Israelite men all agreed to fight.

Saul assembled his army at the city of Bezek. When he counted the troops, he learned that there were 30, 000 soldiers there from the tribe of Judah and 300, 000 soldiers from the other Israelite tribes. \*

So Saul and Samuel sent the messengers back to the people at Jabesh Gilead to tell them, “We will come and rescue you tomorrow by the middle of the morning.” The messengers went and told this to the people of Jabesh. They became very happy when they heard this news.

Then the leaders of Jabesh told Nahash, “We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do to us whatever you want.” \*

That night Saul divided his troops into three groups. They marched all night and arrived at the city before the sun rose the next morning. They attacked the camp of the Ammonite soldiers {from three different directions}. By noontime they had killed most of them. Those who survived ran away, and none of them regrouped to continue fighting. \*

Then the soldiers said to Samuel, “Now who were those men who said that they did not want Saul to be our king? Bring them here so that we can kill them!”

But Saul replied, “No, we are not going to execute anyone today, because on this day God has saved us Israelite people from our enemies. {This is a day to rejoice, not to kill anyone.}” \*

Then Samuel said to the people, “Let us all go to Gilgal, and there we will proclaim again that Saul is our king.”

So they went to Gilgal. In that place where people worshiped God and considered that he was present, they proclaimed again that Saul was their king. Then they offered sacrifices there to show God how grateful they were for his help. And Saul and all the other Israelite people at the gathering were very happy. \*