1 Samuel 11 (NASB1995) (2024)

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11Now ^(A)Nahash the Ammonite came up and ^[a]besieged ^(B)Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make ^(C)a covenant with us and we will serve you.” ²But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, ^(D)that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will make it ^(E)a reproach on all Israel.” ^3(F)The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Let us alone for seven days, that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.” ⁴Then the messengers came ^(G)to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, and all the people ^(H)lifted up their voices and wept.

⁵Now behold, Saul was coming from the field ^(I)behind the oxen, and ^[b]he said, “What is the matter with the people that they weep?” So they related to him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶Then ^(J)the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and ^[c]he became very angry. ⁷He took a yoke of oxen and ^(K)cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “^(L)Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” Then the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ^(M)as one man. ⁸He ^[d]numbered them in ^(N)Bezek; and the ^(O)sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. ⁹They said to the messengers who had come, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.’” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. ¹⁰Then the men of Jabesh said, “^(P)Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good ^[e]to you.” ¹¹The next morning Saul put the people ^(Q)in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹²Then the people said to Samuel, “^(R)Who is he that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ ^[f](S)Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” ¹³But Saul said, “^(T)Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today ^(U)the Lord has accomplished deliverance in Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come and let us go to ^(V)Gilgal and ^(W)renew the kingdom there.” ¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king ^(X)before the Lord in Gilgal. There they also ^(Y)offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Saul Saves Jabesh Gilead

11Then ^(A)Nahash the Ammonite came up and ^[a]encamped against ^(B)Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ^(C)“Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”

²And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring ^(D)reproach on all Israel.”

³Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to ^[b]save us, we will come out to you.”

⁴So the messengers came ^(E)to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And ^(F)all the people lifted up their voices and wept. ⁵Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. ^6(G)Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. ⁷So he took a yoke of oxen and ^(H)cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, ^(I)“Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.”

And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out ^[c]with one consent. ⁸When he numbered them in ^(J)Bezek, the children ^(K)of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ⁹And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. ¹⁰Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.”

¹¹So it was, on the next day, that ^(L)Saul put the people ^(M)in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹²Then the people said to Samuel, ^(N)“Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ ^(O)Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”

¹³But Saul said, ^(P)“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today ^(Q)the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go ^(R)to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.” ¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king ^(S)before the Lord in Gilgal. ^(T)There they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.