1 About|strong="H5921" a|strong="H3772" month later, Nahash|strong="H5176" the|strong="H3605" Ammonite|strong="H5984" and|strong="H0376" his|strong="H3605" army|strong="H5927" surrounded Jabesh|strong="H3003" Gilead|strong="H1568". All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Jabesh|strong="H3003" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Nahash|strong="H5176", “If|strong="H0376" you|strong="H3605" will|strong="H0376" make|strong="H3772" a|strong="H3772" treaty|strong="H1285" with|strong="H0413" us|strong="H0413", we|strong="H3605" will|strong="H0376" serve|strong="H5647" you|strong="H3605".”
2 But|strong="H3225" he|strong="H5921" answered|strong="H0559", “I|strong="H7760" will|strong="H3478" make|strong="H7760" a|strong="H3772" treaty with|strong="H0413" you|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5869" only|strong="H3605" if|strong="H7760" I|strong="H7760" can|strong="H5869" poke out|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" right|strong="H3225" eye|strong="H5869" of|strong="H5869" each|strong="H3605" person|strong="H0413". Then|strong="H0559" all|strong="H3605" Israel|strong="H3478" will|strong="H3478" be|strong="H3478" ashamed.”
3 The|strong="H3605" leaders|strong="H2205" of|strong="H3117" Jabesh|strong="H3003" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Nahash, “Let|strong="H7971" us|strong="H0413" have|strong="H0369" seven|strong="H7651" days|strong="H3117". We|strong="H0518" will|strong="H3478" send|strong="H7971" messengers|strong="H4397" through|strong="H3605" all|strong="H3605" Israel|strong="H3478". If|strong="H0518" no|strong="H0369" one|strong="H0369" comes|strong="H3318" to|strong="H0413" help|strong="H3467" us|strong="H0413", we|strong="H0518" will|strong="H3478" come|strong="H3318" up|strong="H0853" to|strong="H0413" you|strong="H0518" and|strong="H3478" surrender|strong="H3318" to|strong="H0413" you|strong="H0518".”
4 The|strong="H3605" messengers|strong="H4397" came|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0935" Gibeah|strong="H1390" where Saul|strong="H7586" lived. They|strong="H0935" told|strong="H1696" the|strong="H3605" news|strong="H6963" to|strong="H0935" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971". The|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" cried|strong="H1058" loudly|strong="H6963".
5 Saul|strong="H7586" had|strong="H3588" been out|strong="H4480" in|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" field|strong="H7704" with|strong="H0935" his|strong="H0376" oxen|strong="H1241". When|strong="H3588" he|strong="H3588" came|strong="H0935" in|strong="H0935" from|strong="H4480" the|strong="H0853" field|strong="H7704" he|strong="H3588" heard|strong="H3588" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971" crying|strong="H1058" and|strong="H0935" asked|strong="H0559", “What’s|strong="H4100" wrong with|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971"? Why|strong="H4100" are|strong="H4100" they|strong="H3588" crying|strong="H1058"?”
6 Saul|strong="H7586" listened|strong="H8085" to|strong="H5921" their|strong="H5921" story. Then|strong="H0853" God’s|strong="H0430" Spirit|strong="H7307" came|strong="H7307" on|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5921" with|strong="H5921" great|strong="H3966" power. Saul|strong="H7586" became|strong="H2734" very|strong="H3966" angry|strong="H2734".
7 He|strong="H0834" took|strong="H3947" a|strong="H3947" pair|strong="H6776" of|strong="H0376" oxen|strong="H1241" and|strong="H3068" cut|strong="H5408" them|strong="H5921" in|strong="H5921" pieces|strong="H5408". Then|strong="H3318" he|strong="H0834" gave|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" pieces|strong="H5408" of|strong="H0376" the|strong="H3605" oxen|strong="H1241" to|strong="H0559" messengers|strong="H4397". He|strong="H0834" ordered|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" messengers|strong="H4397" to|strong="H0559" carry|strong="H3318" the|strong="H3605" pieces|strong="H5408" throughout|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" land|strong="H1366" of|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478". He|strong="H0834" told|strong="H0559" them|strong="H5921" to|strong="H0559" give|strong="H5307" this|strong="H3541" message|strong="H3068" to|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478": “Come|strong="H3318" follow|strong="H0310" Saul|strong="H7586" and|strong="H3068" Samuel|strong="H8050". If|strong="H0834" anyone|strong="H3605" doesn’t come|strong="H3318" and|strong="H3068" help|strong="H5971" them|strong="H5921", this|strong="H3541" same|strong="H0259" thing|strong="H0259" will|strong="H3068" happen to|strong="H0559" his|strong="H3605" oxen|strong="H1241".”
8 Saul gathered|strong="H6485" the|strong="H1961" men|strong="H0376" together at|strong="H3478" Bezek|strong="H0966". There|strong="H1961" were|strong="H1961" 300,000 men|strong="H0376" from|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478" and|strong="H1121" 30,000 men|strong="H0376" from|strong="H0376" Judah|strong="H3063".
9 Saul|strong="H0559" and|strong="H0935" his|strong="H1961" army told|strong="H5046" the|strong="H0559" messengers|strong="H4397" from|strong="H0935" Jabesh|strong="H3003", “Tell|strong="H5046" the|strong="H0559" people|strong="H0376" at|strong="H1961" Jabesh|strong="H3003" in|strong="H0935" Gilead|strong="H1568" that|strong="H0559" by|strong="H0935" noon tomorrow|strong="H4279", you|strong="H5046" will|strong="H1961" be|strong="H1961" saved.”
10 Then|strong="H3318" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Jabesh|strong="H3003" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Nahash the|strong="H3605" Ammonite, “Tomorrow|strong="H4279" we|strong="H3605" will|strong="H0376" come|strong="H3318" to|strong="H0413" you|strong="H3605", and|strong="H5869" you|strong="H3605" can|strong="H6213" do|strong="H6213" whatever|strong="H3605" you|strong="H3605" want to|strong="H0413" us|strong="H0413".”
11 The|strong="H0853" next|strong="H4283" morning|strong="H1242" Saul|strong="H7586" separated his|strong="H7760" soldiers|strong="H5971" into|strong="H0935" three|strong="H7969" groups|strong="H7218". At|strong="H3117" sunrise, Saul|strong="H7586" and|strong="H0935" his|strong="H7760" soldiers|strong="H5971" entered|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" Ammonite|strong="H5983" camp|strong="H4264". Saul|strong="H7586" attacked|strong="H5221" while|strong="H5704" they|strong="H3117" were|strong="H1961" changing guards that|strong="H3117" morning|strong="H1242". He|strong="H5704" and|strong="H0935" his|strong="H7760" soldiers|strong="H5971" defeated|strong="H5221" the|strong="H0853" Ammonites|strong="H5983" before|strong="H5704" noon|strong="H3117". The|strong="H0853" Ammonite|strong="H5983" soldiers|strong="H5971" all|strong="H3162" ran|strong="H1961" away|strong="H0935" in|strong="H0935" different directions—no|strong="H3808" two|strong="H8147" soldiers|strong="H5971" stayed together|strong="H3162".
12 Then|strong="H5414" the|strong="H0559" people|strong="H5971" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Samuel|strong="H8050", “Where|strong="H0413" are|strong="H0376" the|strong="H0559" people|strong="H5971" who|strong="H4310" said|strong="H0559" they|strong="H5921" didn’t want Saul|strong="H7586" to|strong="H0413" rule|strong="H4427" as|strong="H0376" king|strong="H4427"? Bring|strong="H5414" them|strong="H0413" here|strong="H4191", and|strong="H0376" we|strong="H4191" will|strong="H4310" kill|strong="H4191" them|strong="H0413".”
13 But|strong="H3588" Saul|strong="H7586" said|strong="H0559", “No|strong="H3808", don’t|strong="H3808" kill|strong="H4191" anyone|strong="H0376" today|strong="H3117"! The|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" saved Israel|strong="H3478" today|strong="H3117".”
14 Then|strong="H0559" Samuel|strong="H8050" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" people|strong="H5971", “Come, let’s go to|strong="H0413" Gilgal|strong="H1537". At|strong="H0413" Gilgal|strong="H1537" we|strong="H8033" will|strong="H8033" again make Saul|strong="H0559" the|strong="H0559" king|strong="H4410".”
15 All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" went|strong="H0376" to|strong="H5704" Gilgal|strong="H1537". There|strong="H8033", in|strong="H3068" front|strong="H6440" of|strong="H0376" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068", the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" made|strong="H8055" Saul|strong="H7586" king|strong="H4427". They|strong="H8033" offered|strong="H2076" fellowship offerings|strong="H8002" to|strong="H5704" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068". Saul|strong="H7586" and|strong="H3068" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" had|strong="H3068" a|strong="H2076" great|strong="H3966" celebration.