11:1¹ Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.”

11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way that I will make a treaty with you is if I can gouge out the right eye of everyone and in so doing bring reproach on all Israel.”

11:3 The elders of Jabesh Gilead said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come forth voluntarily to you.”

11:4 When the messengers went to Gibeah of Saul and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly.² 11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the³ oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him the matter concerning the men of Jabesh.

11:6 The Spirit of God rushed on Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. 11:7 He took a yoke of cattle and cut them up and sent the pieces throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers saying, “Whoever does not go forth after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his cattle!” Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they went forth as though they were a single individual. 11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000⁴ strong and the men of Judah were 30,000.⁵

11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up. When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were very pleased. 11:10 The men of Jabesh Gilead said, “Tomorrow we will come forth to you, and you can do with us whatever you wish.”⁶

11:11 On the next day Saul put the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them⁷ down till the hot part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.

11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will it be Saul who reigns over us?’ Deliver over those men so that we may kill them!” 11:13 But Saul said, “Let no one be killed on this day. For today the LORD has given deliverance in Israel.” 11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in Gilgal they established Saul as king in the LORD’s presence. They sacrificed peace offerings there in the LORD’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very pleased.