Saul Defeats the Ammonites

1Nahas ye Ammonite wete vp & layed sege vnto Iabes in Gilead. And all the men of Iabes sayde vnto Nahas: Be at one with vs, & we wyll serue the. 2But Nahas ye Ammonite answered them: I wil make a couenauut with you, of this condicion, that I maye thrust out all youre right eyes, and put you to shame amonge all Israel. 3Then sayde all the Elders of Iabes vnto him: Geue vs seuen dayes respyte, that we maye sende messaungers into all ye coastes of Israel: Yf there be then no sauioure, we wyl go forth vnto the. 4So the messaungers came vnto Gibea of Saul, and spake this before the eares of the people. Then all ye people lifte vp their voyce, and wepte.

5And beholde, Saul came after the oxen out of the felde, and sayde: What ayleth the people that they wepe? So they tolde him the earande of the men of Iabes. 6Then came the sprete of God vpon him, whan he had herde these wordes, and his wrath was sore moued, 7and he toke a couple of oxen, and hewed them in sunder, and sent them in to all the coastes of Israel by the messaungers, sayenge: Who so euer goeth not forth after Saul and Samuel, his oxen shalbe thus dealte withall. Then fell the feare of the LORDE vpon the people, so that they wente forth like as one man, 8and they were tolde at Basek, and of the childre of Israel there were thre hundreth thousande men, and thirtie thousande of the children of Iuda. 9And they spake vnto the messaungers that were come: Saye thus to the men of Iabes in Gilead: Tomorow shal ye haue helpe, whan ye Sonne is at the whotest. Whan ye messaungers came and tolde this to the men of Iabes, they were glad. 10And the men of Iabes sayde: Tomorow wyll we come forth vnto you, that ye maye do vnto vs, what so euer it pleaseth you. 11And on ye nexte morow Saul set the people in thre partes, and came in to the hoost aboute the mornynge watch, and smote the Ammonites tyll the daye was at the whotest. As for those yt remayned, they were so scatred, that two of them abode not together.

Saul Confirmed as King

12Then sayde the people vnto Samuel: Where are they that sayde: Shulde Saul raigne ouer vs? Delyuer vs here the men, that we maye put them to death. 13But Saul sayde: There shal noman dye this daye, for to daye hath the LORDE geuen health in Israel.

14Samuel sayde vnto the people: Come, let vs go vnto Gilgall, and renue the kyngdome there. 15Then wente all the people vnto Gilgall, and there they made Saul kinge before the LORDE at Gilgal, and offred deedofferinges before the LORDE. And Saul with all the men of Israel reioysed there greatly.