Saul Defeats the Ammonites 1 ULT Now Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh Gilead. And all of the men of Jabesh said to Nahash,“Cut a covenant for 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 ULT And Nahash the Ammonite said to them,“By this I will cut for you, in the gouging of every right eye of you. And I will set it{ as} a disgrace against all of 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 ULT And the elders of Jabesh said to him,“Leave us alone seven days, and let us send messengers through all of the border of Israel. And if{ there is} no one saving us, then we will go out 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 ULT And the messengers came{ to} Gibeah of Saul, and they spoke the words in the ears of the people. And all of the people lifted up their voice and wept. 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 ULT And behold, Saul was coming behind the oxen from the field. And Saul said,“What{ is} to the people, that they are weeping?” And they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh. 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 ULT And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul in his hearing these words. And his nose burned greatly. BSB BSB: When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
7 ULT And he took a pair of cattle and cut it into pieces, and he sent through all of the border of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying,“Whoever is not going out behind Saul and behind Samuel, thus shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of Yahweh fell on the people, and they went out 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 ULT And he mustered them at Bezek. And the sons of Israel were 300, 000, and the men of Judah{ were} 30, 000. BSB BSB: And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.
9 ULT And they said to the messengers having come,“Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead,‘Tomorrow deliverance will be for you, at the heat of the sun.’” And the messengers went and declared{ this} to the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. 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 ULT And the men of Jabesh said,“Tomorrow we will go out to you. And you may do to us according to all of the good in your eyes.” 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 ULT And it happened on the next day that Saul put the people{ into} three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp during the watch of the morning, and they struck Ammon until the heat of the day. And it happened that the{ ones} being left scattered, and two among them were not 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 ULT And the people said to Samuel,“Who{ are} the{ ones} having said,‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Give the men, that we may make them die.” 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 ULT But Saul said,“A man shall not be made to die on this day. For today Yahweh has done deliverance in 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 ULT And Samuel said to the people,“Come, and let us go{ to} Gilgal, and let us renew the kingship there.” BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15 ULT And all of the people went{ to} Gilgal, and there they caused Saul to reign to the face of Yahweh at Gilgal. And there they sacrificed sacrifices, peace offerings, to the face of Yahweh. And Saul and all of the men of Israel rejoiced there unto abundance. 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.
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