Shared Word Translation
1 Samuel 11
Nahash Besieges Jabesh-Gilead
Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped against Jabesh-Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make it with you: by gouging out every right eye of yours, and I will make it a reproach upon all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite so that we may send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. Then if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.”
Saul Hears the News
The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke the words in the ears of the people. All the people lifted their voices and wept. And look, Saul was coming after the cattle from the field. Saul said, “What is with the people that they are weeping?” So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh. The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, thus shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
Israel Musters for Battle
He mustered them at Bezek. The children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. They said to the messengers who had come, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: ‘Tomorrow there will be salvation for you when the sun is hot.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever is good in your eyes.”
Saul Defeats the Ammonites
And it happened the next day that Saul placed the people in three companies. They came into the midst of the camp during the morning watch and struck Ammon until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Saul Refuses Revenge
Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is the one who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Give the men, and we will put them to death.” But Saul said, “No man shall be put to death on this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
The Kingship Is Renewed at Gilgal
Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD at Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.