Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1 Samuel 11Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “I will make one with y’all on this condition: that I gouge out each of y’all’s right eyes, and so bring dishonor on all Israel.”
The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people, then all the people lifted up their voice and wept.
Just then Saul came following the oxen out of the field, and Saul said, “What ails the people that they weep?” They told him the words of the men of Jabesh. the Spirit of God came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger burned hot. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, then sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen.” The dread of YHWH fell on the people, and they came out as one. He counted them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. They said to the messengers who came, “Y’all are to tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, y’all will have deliverance.’” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to y’all, and y’all can do with us whatever seems good to y’all.” On the next day, Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the middle of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Saul Confirmed as King
The people said to Samuel, “Who was it that said, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Y’all give us those men, so we can put them to death!”
Saul said, “No man will be put to death today, because today YHWH has rescued Israel.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come y’all! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.” All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before YHWH in Gilgal. There they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before YHWH; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.