Saul Defeats the Ammonites 1 UST Then Nahash king of the Ammonites led his army to attack the city of Jabesh in the region of Gilead. The leaders of the people who lived in that city went to speak with Nahash. They told him,“We want to make a peace treaty with you. We are all willing to become your subjects.” 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 UST Nahash replied,“I will make a peace treaty with you on one condition. You must allow my soldiers to gouge out your right eyes. This will bring shame on all the Israelites{ because it will show that they were not able to defend you}.” 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 UST The leaders of Jabesh replied,“Please do not attack us for the next seven days. During that time, we will send messengers throughout the land of Israel{ to ask for help}. If no one comes to help us, then 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 UST { Nahash agreed, and} the messengers went{ throughout Israel, including to} to Gibeah, the city where Saul lived, and they told the people there about the situation. Everyone started to cry 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 UST Just then Saul returned home. He had been plowing his field with his oxen.{ He heard the noise and} he asked,“Why are all the people crying so loudly?” Then someone told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported. 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 UST Then God’ s Spirit influenced Saul powerfully. He became extremely angry when he heard what Nahash wanted to do. BSB BSB: When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
7 UST Saul took two of his oxen and killed them and cut them into pieces. Then he sent messengers carrying those pieces throughout the land of Israel to tell people this message:“Saul says that if anyone refuses to come with him and Samuel to fight against the Ammonite army, he will cut that person’ s oxen into pieces, just as he has cut these oxen into pieces!” The men of Israel realized that Yahweh wanted them to go and fight the Ammonites and that Yahweh would be angry with them and punish them if they did not. So the Israelite men all agreed to fight. 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 UST Saul assembled his army at the city of Bezek. When he counted the troops, he learned that there were 30, 000 soldiers there from the tribe of Judah and 300, 000 soldiers from the other Israelite tribes. BSB BSB: And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.
9 UST So Saul and Samuel sent the messengers back to the people at Jabesh Gilead to tell them,“We will come and rescue you tomorrow by the middle of the morning.” The messengers went and told this to the people of Jabesh. They became very happy when they heard this news. 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 UST Then the leaders of Jabesh told Nahash,“We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do to us whatever you want.” 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 UST That night Saul divided his troops into three groups. They marched all night and arrived at the city before the sun rose the next morning. They attacked the camp of the Ammonite soldiers{ from three different directions}. By noontime they had killed most of them. Those who survived ran away, and none of them regrouped to continue fighting. 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 UST Then the soldiers said to Samuel,“Now who were those men who said that they did not want Saul to be our king? Bring them here so that we can kill them!” 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 UST But Saul replied,“No, we are not going to execute anyone today, because on this day Yahweh has saved us Israelite people from our enemies.{ This is a day to rejoice, not to kill anyone.}” BSB BSB: But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
14 UST Then Samuel said to the people,“Let us all go to Gilgal, and there we will proclaim again that Saul is our king.” BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15 UST So they went to Gilgal. In that place where people worshiped Yahweh and considered that he was present, they proclaimed again that Saul was their king. Then they offered sacrifices there to show Yahweh how grateful they were for his help. And Saul and all the other Israelite people at the gathering were very happy. 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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