1 Samuel 11
Saul Defeats the
Ammonites |
1 |
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and
encamped against Ja'besh-gil'e-ad: and all the men of Jabesh said
unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve
thee.
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2 |
And 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.
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3 |
And 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.
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4 |
Then came the messengers to Gib'e-ah of
Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the
people lifted up their voices, and wept.
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5 |
And, 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.
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6 |
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when
he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
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7 |
And 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.
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8 |
And when he numbered them in Bezek, the
children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah
thirty thousand.
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9 |
And they said unto the messengers that
came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Ja'besh-gil'e-ad, Tomorrow,
by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the
messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they
were glad.
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10 |
Therefore the men of Jabesh said,
Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that
seemeth good unto you.
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11 |
And 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.
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12 |
And 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.
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13 |
And Saul said, There shall not a man be
put to death this day: for today the LORD hath
wrought salvation in Israel.
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14 |
Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and
let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kindgom there.
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15 |
And 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.
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