1 Samuel 11 Saul defeats the Ammonites

 1 Samuel 11

Saul defeats the Ammonites

1 Then Naas, an ammonite, went up and besieged Jabes of Gilead: and all the men of Jabas said to Nahas, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.

2 But Amnonite Nahash said to them, With this condition I will make a covenant with you: that I may pluck out your right eye to you all, and so put this affront on all Israel.

3 Then the elders of Jabes said to him, Leave us for seven days, so that we may send messengers throughout all of Israel, and if there is no one to deliver us, then we will come out to you.

4 And when the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they spoke these words in the ears of the people. Then all the people raised their voices, and wept.

5 And, behold, Saul came from the field, after the oxen; and Saul said, What about the people, who weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabes.

6 Then the spirit of God came upon Saul, hearing these words: and his wrath was kindled in a great way.

7 And he took a pair of oxen, and cut them into pieces, and sent them to all the land of Israel by the hands of the messengers, saying, Whoever does not go after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen . Then the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one man.

8 And he counted them in Bezek: and there were of the children of Israel three hundred thousand, and of the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9 Then they said to the messengers who came, So you will say to the men of Jabesh of Gilead: Tomorrow, in warming the sun, deliverance will come to you. So when the messengers came and announced it to the men of Jabes, they rejoiced.

10 And the men of Jabes said, Tomorrow we will go out to you; then you will do us according to everything that seems right to your eyes.

11 And it came to pass that the next day Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the camp by the morning candle, and smote Ammon, until the day was warm: and it came to pass that the rest were scattered, that not two of them remained. together.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, Who is he who said that Saul would not reign over us? Give those men here, and we will kill them.

13 But Saul said, “No one will die today, for today the Lord has done a deliverance in Israel.

14 And Samuel said to the people, Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.

15 And all the people left for Gilgal, and there they raised up king Saul there before the Lord in Gilgal, and offered peace offerings there before the Lord: and Saul was very happy there with all the men of Israel.