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 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition I will make a covenant with you, to bore out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.3 And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.4 So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke the words in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.5 And behold, Saul was coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, What is with the people, that they weep? And they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger burned greatly.7 And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen. And the fear of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man.8 And when he numbered them at Bezek, the sons of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.9 And they said to the messengers who came, Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever is good in your eyes.11 So it was, the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.12 And the people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Set forth the men, that we may put them to death.13 But Saul said, Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today Jehovah has worked 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 went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal. There they slaughtered sacrifices of peace offerings before Jehovah, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

1 And it was don as aftir a monethe, Naas of Amon stiede, and bigan to fiyte ayens Jabes of Galaad. And alle the men of Jabes seiden to Naas, Haue thou vs boundun in pees, and we schulen serue thee.2 And Naas of Amon answeride to hem, In this Y schal smyte boond of pees with you, that Y putte out the riyt iyen of alle you, and that Y sette you schenschip in al Israel.3 And the eldere men of Jabes seiden to him, Graunte thou to vs seuene daies, that we senden messangeris to alle the termes of Israel; and if noon be that defende vs, we schulen go out to thee.4 Therfor messangeris camen in to Gabaad of Saul, and spaken these wordis, `while the puple herde; and al the puple reiside her vois, and wepte.5 And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.6 And the Spirit of the Lord skippide in to Saul, whanne he hadde herd these wordis, and his woodnesse was `wrooth greetli.7 And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man.8 And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde.9 And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad,10 and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you.11 And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis `in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai `was hoot; `forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem.12 And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem.13 And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel.14 Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme.15 And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord `in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli.