1 Samuel 11 YLT
Summary: Nahash the Ammonite besieges Jabesh-gilead and offers its people a humiliating treaty, agreeing to spare them only if he can gouge out the right eye of every man as a disgrace on all Israel; the desperate city requests seven days to seek help. When messengers reach Saul plowing his fields and report the crisis, the Spirit of God rushes upon him in anger, and he cuts up a pair of oxen, sending the pieces throughout Israel as a summons to war, threatening the same fate for the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow him and Samuel. Saul rallies a massive army, launches a surprise dawn attack, and thoroughly defeats the Ammonites, scattering them so that "no two of them were left together" (v. 11). In the wake of this decisive victory, the people gather at Gilgal and formally confirm Saul as king with sacrifices and great rejoicing.
1And Nahash the Ammonite cometh up, and encampeth against Jabesh-Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh say unto Nahash, `Make with us a covenant, and we serve thee.'
2And Nahash the Ammonite saith unto them, `For this I covenant with you, by picking out to you every right eye--and I have put it a reproach on all Israel.'
3And the elders of Jabesh say to him, `Let us alone seven days, and we send messengers into all the border of Israel: and if there is none saving us--then we have come out unto thee.'
4And the messengers come to Gibeah of Saul, and speak the words in the ears of the people, and all the people lift up their voice and weep;
5and lo, Saul hath come after the herd out of the field, and Saul saith, `What--to the people, that they weep?' and they recount to him the words of the men of Jabesh.
6And the Spirit of God doth prosper over Saul, in his hearing these words, and his anger burneth greatly,
7and he taketh a couple of oxen, and cutteth them in pieces, and sendeth through all the border of Israel, by the hand of the messengers, saying, `He who is not coming out after Saul and after Samuel--thus it is done to his oxen;' and the fear of Jehovah falleth on the people, and they come out as one man.
8And he inspecteth them in Bezek, and the sons of Israel are three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9And they say to the messengers who are coming, `Thus do ye say to the men of Jabesh-Gilead: To-morrow ye have safety--by the heat of the sun;' and the messengers come and declare to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoice;
10and the men of Jabesh say to the Ammonites, `To-morrow we come out unto you, and ye have done to us according to all that is good in your eyes.'
11And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that Saul putteth the people in three detachments, and they come into the midst of the camp in the morning-watch, and smite Ammon till the heat of the day; and it cometh to pass that those left are scattered, and there have not been left of them two together.
12And the people say unto Samuel, `Who is he that saith, Saul doth reign over us! give ye up the men, and we put them to death.'
13And Saul saith, `There is no man put to death on this day, for to-day hath Jehovah wrought salvation in Israel.'
14And Samuel saith unto the people, `Come and we go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there;'
15and all the people go to Gilgal, and cause Saul to reign there before Jehovah in Gilgal, and sacrifice there sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah, and there Saul rejoiceth--and all the men of Israel--very greatly.
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