Saul Strikes Down the Ammonites
1 Kingdoms 11, verse 1. It came to be, about a month later, Nahash the Ammonite marched up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 2. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “I will make a covenant with you on this one condition, that I should put out all your right eyes, and I will lay a reproach upon Israel.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 3. Then the men of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off seven days for us, so we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And if then there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 4. So the messengers came to Saul at Gibeah, and in the hearing of the people they told the news. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 5. And behold, after the early morning, Saul came forth from the field and said, “What makes the people weep?” So they explained to him in detail the words of the sons of Jabesh. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 6. And as Saul heard these words, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and his anger was greatly aroused. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 7. Then he took two oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the people of Israel, and they cried out as one man. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 8. When Saul numbered them in Bezek on the high place, the men of Israel were six hundred thousand, and the men of Judah seventy thousand. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 9. And they said to the messengers who came, “Thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.’” So the messengers came into the city and reported it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 10. Therefore the men of Jabesh said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do with us whatever seems good to you.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 11. And it came about on the next day that Saul first divided the people of the army into three companies, and then in the morning watch they entered into the midst of the camp and struck the sons of Ammon until the heat of the day. And those who survived scattered, so no two of them were left together. 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 12. Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was saying, ‘Saul shall not reign over us’? Bring the men so we may put them to death.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 13. But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 14. Then Samuel said to the people, “Let us go to Gilgal and restore the kingdom there.” 1 Kingdoms 11, verse 15. So all the people went to Gilgal, and there Samuel anointed Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. And there they sacrificed the meat offering and the peace offerings before the Lord, and Samuel rejoiced, as did all Israel, exceedingly.