The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Samuel 11
1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up
and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and
all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash,
“Make a covenant with us, and we will
serve you.”
2 Nahash the Ammonite said to them,
“On this condition I will make it with you,
that all your right eyes be gouged out. I will
make this dishonor all Israel.”
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give
us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then,
if there is no one to save us, we will come
out to you.”
4 Then the messengers came to Gibeah
of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears
of the people, then all the people lifted up
their voice and wept.
5 Behold, Saul came following the oxen
out of the field; and Saul said, “What ails
the people that they weep?” They told him
the words of the men of Jabesh.
6 God’s Spirit came mightily on Saul
when he heard those words, and his anger
burned hot.
7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in
pieces, then sent them throughout all the
borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out
after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be
done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh
fell onthepeople, andthey came out as one
man.
8 He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand,
and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They said to the messengers who came,
“Tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow,
by the time the sun is hot, you will be
rescued.’ ” The messengers came and told
the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you
shall do with us allthat seems good to you.”
11 On the next day, Saul put the people
in three companies; and they came into
the middle of the camp in the morning
watch, and struck the Ammonites until the
heat of the day. Those who remained were
scattered, so that no two of them were left
together.
12 The people said to Samuel, “Who is
he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’
Bring those men, that we may put them to
death!”
13 Saul said, “No man shall be put to
death today;for today Yahweh has rescued
Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people,
“Come! Let’s go to Gilgal, and renew the
kingdom there.”
15 Allthe people wentto Gilgal; and there
they made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace
offerings before Yahweh; and there Saul
and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly