Saul Defeats the Ammonites

1Then Nahas ye Ammonite came vp, & besieged Iabes in Gilead: And all the men of Iabes sayd vnto Nahas, Make a couenaut with vs, and we wilbe thy seruauntes. 2And Nahas the Ammonite aunswered them: In this will I make a couenaunt with you, if I may thrust out al your right eyes, and bring that shame vpon all Israel. 3To whom the elders of Iabes sayde: Geue vs seuen dayes respite, that we may sende messengers vnto all ye coastes of Israel: and then if there be no man to deliuer vs, we will come out to thee. 4Then came the messengers to Gibea of Saul, and tolde this tydinges in the eares of the people: And all the people lift vp their voyces, and wept.

5And beholde, Saul came folowing the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul sayde: what alyeth this people that thei wepe? And they tolde him the tydinges of the men of Iabes. 6And the spirite of God came vpon Saul when he heard those tydinges, & he was exceeding angrie. 7And toke a yoke of oxen, & hewed them in peeces, and sent them thorowout all the coastes of Israel by the handes of messengers, saying: Whosoeuer cometh not foorth after Saul and after Samuel, so shal his oxen be serued. And the feare of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. 8And whe he numbred them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand men, and the men of Iuda thirtie thousande. 9And they sayd vnto the messengers that came: So say vnto the men of Iabes in Gilead, To morowe by that time ye sunne be hotte ye shal haue helpe. And the messengers came, and shewed it to the men of Iabes, which were glad. 10Therfore the men of Iabes sayde: To morowe we will come out vnto you, and ye shall do with vs all that pleaseth you. 11And on the morowe Saul put the people in three partes, & they came in vpon the hoast in the morning watche, and slue the Ammonites vntill the heate of the day: And they that remayned, were skattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Saul Confirmed as King

12And the people sayd vnto Samuel: Who is he that sayde, shal Saul raigne ouer vs? bring those men, that we may slay them. 13And Saul sayde: There shall no man dye this day: For to day the Lorde hath saued Israel.

14Then sayde Samuel vnto the people: Come, that we may go to Gilgal, and renue the kingdome there. 15And all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king there before the Lord in Gilgal, and there they offred peace offringes before the Lorde: And there Saul and al the men of Israel reioyced exceedingly.