| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Nahash the Ammonite marched against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us and we will serve you." | 1About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. “Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants,” they pleaded. |
| 2But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!" | 2“All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!” |
| 3The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you." | 3“Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.” |
| 4When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly. | 4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. |
| 5Now Saul was walking behind the oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, "What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?" So they told him about the men of Jabesh. | 5Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, “What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?” So they told him about the message from Jabesh. |
| 6The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. | 6Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. |
| 7He took a pair of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, "Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!" Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they went out as one army. | 7He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!” And the LORD made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one. |
| 8When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. | 8When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah. |
| 9They said to the messengers who had come, "Here's what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: 'Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.'" When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. | 9So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, “We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!” There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived! |
| 10The men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you and you can do with us whatever you wish." | 10The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” |
| 11The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together. | 11But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together. |
| 12Then the people said to Samuel, "Who were the ones asking, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Hand over those men so we may execute them!" | 12Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!” |
| 13But Saul said, "No one will be killed on this day. For today the LORD has given Israel a victory!" | 13But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!” |
| 14Samuel said to the people, "Come on! Let's go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there." | 14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” |
| 15So all the people went to Gilgal, where they established Saul as king in the LORD's presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the LORD's presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy. | 15So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy. |
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