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Chapter 11 |
| 1 | Then Nahash
the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of
Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
|
| 2 | And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a
covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a
reproach upon all Israel. |
|
3 | And the elders of Jabesh said unto him,
Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of
Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to
thee. |
| 4 |
Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the
tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices,
and wept. |
| 5
| And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field;
and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the
tidings of the men of Jabesh. |
|
6 | And the Spirit of God came upon Saul
when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. |
| 7 | And he
took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the
coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth
after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of
the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. |
| 8 |
And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred
thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. |
| 9 | And they said
unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead,
To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers
came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. |
| 10 |
Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye
shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. |
| 11 | And it was
so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came
into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until
the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were
scattered, so that two of them were not left together. |
| 12 | And the
people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring
the men, that we may put them to death. |
|
13 | And Saul said, There shall
not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation
in Israel. |
| 14
| Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and 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 the LORD in Gilgal; and there they
sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and
all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. |
