1 Samuel

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

1Nahash was a leader of the Ammonites, a people who lived nearby. He brought his army and camped around the town of Jabesh-gilead. The men of Jabesh said to him, "Make a deal with us. We will work for you."

2And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

2Nahash said, "I will only make a deal one way. I will put out the right eye of every one of you. That will shame all of Israel."

3And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

3The leaders of Jabesh said, "Give us seven days. Let us send messengers all over Israel. If nobody comes to save us, we will give ourselves up to you."

NoteThe KJV says "all the coasts of Israel." Here "coasts" means borders or land, not the seashore.

4Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

4The messengers came to Gibeah, the town where Saul lived. They told the people what had happened. All the people cried out loud.

5And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

5Just then Saul came in from the field, walking behind his oxen. Saul asked, "What is wrong? Why are the people crying?" So they told him what the men of Jabesh had said.

6And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

6When Saul heard this, the Spirit of God came on him. Saul became very angry.

7And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

7Saul took two oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent the pieces all over Israel with messengers. The message said, "Anyone who does not come out and follow Saul and Samuel will lose his oxen like this." Then a great fear from the LORD came over the people. They all came out together.

NoteThe KJV says the people "came out with one consent." That means they all agreed and came together as one group.

8And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

8Saul counted the men at a place called Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.

9And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

9They told the messengers, "Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead. Tomorrow, before the day gets hot, help will come." The messengers went back and told the men of Jabesh. The men were glad.

10Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

10So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will come out to you. Then you may do whatever you want with us."

11And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

11The next day Saul split his men into three groups. Early in the morning they went into the enemy camp. They fought the Ammonites until the hottest part of the day. The ones who lived ran away in every direction. No two of them were left together.

12And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

12Then the people said to Samuel, "Who was it that said Saul should not be our king? Bring those men here. We will put them to death."

13And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

13But Saul said, "No one will be put to death today. Today the LORD has saved Israel."

14Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

14Then Samuel said to the people, "Come with me to the town of Gilgal. There we will start Saul's rule again."

15And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

15So all the people went to Gilgal. There they made Saul king before the LORD. They gave peace offerings to the LORD, which are gifts of animals shared in a happy meal. Saul and all the men of Israel were full of joy.