Saul Defeats the Ammonites 1 UEB Then Nahash the Ammonite went and laid seige to Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you." BSB BSB: Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”
2 UEB Nahash the Ammonite replied, "On this condition will I make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all of your right eyes, and in this way bring disgrace on all Israel." BSB BSB: But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”
3 UEB Then the elders of Jabesh replied to him, "Leave us alone for seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you." BSB BSB: “Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
4 UEB The messengers came to Gibeah, where Saul lived, and told the people what had happened. All the people wept loudly. BSB BSB: When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.
5 UEB Now Saul was following the oxen out of the field. Saul said, "What is wrong with the people that they are weeping?" They told Saul what the men of Jabesh had said. BSB BSB: Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
6 UEB When Saul heard what they said, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he was very angry. BSB BSB: When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
7 UEB He took a yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel with the messengers. He said, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen." Then the terror of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out together as one man. BSB BSB: He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out together as one man.
8 UEB When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. BSB BSB: And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.
9 UEB They said to the messengers that came, "You will tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.'" So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. BSB BSB: So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.
10 UEB Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you." BSB BSB: Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”
11 UEB The next day Saul put the people in three groups. They came into the middle of the camp during the morning watch, and they attacked and defeated the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. BSB BSB: The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
Saul Confirmed as King 12 UEB Then the people said to Samuel, "Who was it who said, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, so we can put them to death." BSB BSB: Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here so we can kill them!”
13 UEB But Saul said, "No one must be put to death this day, because today Yahweh has rescued Israel." BSB BSB: But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
14 UEB Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the monarchy there." BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15 UEB So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. BSB BSB: So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.