Nahash offereth them of Jabesh-gilead a reproachful condition.

1 ¶ Then Nahashº the Ammoniteº came up,ºª and encampedºª against² Jabeshgilead:ºº and all² the men¹² of Jabeshº saidºª unto² Nahash,º Makeºª a covenantº with us, and we will serveºª thee. 2 And Nahashº the Ammoniteº answeredºª² them, On thisº [condition] will I makeºª [a covenant] with you, that I may thrust outºª all² your rightº eyes,º and layºª it [for] a reproachº upon² all² Israel.º 3 And the eldersº of Jabeshº saidºª unto² him, Give us sevenº days'º respite,ºª that we may sendºª messengersº unto all² the coastsº of Israel:º and then, if² [there be] no man² to saveºª us, we will come outºª to² thee.

They send messengers, and are delivered by Saul.

4 ¶ Then cameºª the messengersº to Gibeahº of Saul,º and toldºª the tidingsº in the earsº of the people:º and all² the peopleº lifted upºª² their voices,º and wept.ºª 5 And, behold,² Saulº cameºª afterº the herdº out of² the field;º and Saulº said,ºª What² [aileth] the peopleº that² they weep?ºª And they toldºª him² the tidingsº of the men¹² of Jabesh.º 6 And the Spiritº of Godº cameºª upon² Saulº when he heardºª² those² tidings,º and his angerº was kindledºª greatly.º 7 And he tookºª a yokeº of oxen,º and hewed them in pieces,ºª and sentºª [them] throughout all² the coastsº of Israelº by the handsº of messengers,º saying,ºª Whosoever² cometh not forthºª² afterº Saulº and afterº Samuel,º so² shall it be doneºª unto his oxen.º And the fearº of the LORDº fellºª on² the people,º and they came outºª with oneº consent.º 8 And when he numberedºª them in Bezek,º the childrenº of Israelº were² threeº hundredº thousand,º and the menº of Judahº thirtyº thousand.º 9 And they saidºª unto the messengersº that came,ºª Thus² shall ye sayºª unto the menº of Jabeshgilead,ºº To morrow,º by [that time] the sunº be hot,º ye shall have² help.º And the messengersº cameºª and shewedºª [it] to the men¹² of Jabesh;º and they were glad.ºª 10 Therefore the men¹² of Jabeshº said,ºª To morrowº we will come outºª unto² you, and ye shall doºª with us all² that seemethº goodº unto you. 11 And it was² [so] on the morrow,º² that Saulº putºª² the peopleº in threeº companies;º and they cameºª into the midstº of the hostº in the morningº watch,º and slewºª² the Ammonitesº until² the heatº of the day:º and it came to pass,² that they which remainedºª were scattered,ºª so that twoº of them were not² leftºª together.º

Saul thereby is confirmed, and his kingdom renewed.

12 ¶ And the peopleº saidºª unto² Samuel,º Who² [is] he that said,ºª Shall Saulº reignºª over² us? bringºª the men,¹² that we may put them to death.ºª 13 And Saulº said,ºª There shall not² a manº be put to deathºª this² day:º for² to dayº the LORDº hath wroughtºª salvationº in Israel.º 14 Then saidºª Samuelº to² the people,º Come,¹ª² and let us go¹ª² to Gilgal,º and renewºª the kingdomº there.² 15 And all² the peopleº went¹ª² to Gilgal;º and there² they made Saul¹ kingºª²² beforeº the LORDº in Gilgal;º and there² they sacrificedºª sacrificesº of peace offeringsº beforeº the LORD;º and there² Saulº and all² the men¹² of Israelº rejoicedºª greatly.º