| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you." |
| 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!” | 2Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I'll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone's right eye and humiliate all Israel." |
| 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.” | 3"Don't do anything to us for seven days," the elders of Jabesh said to him, "and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you." |
| 4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears. | 4When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul's hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud. |
| 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. | 5Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. "What's the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?" Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh. |
| 6Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. | 6When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and his anger burned furiously. |
| 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. | 7He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the land of Israel by messengers who said, "This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn't march behind Saul and Samuel." As a result, the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they went out united. |
| 8When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah. | 8Saul counted them at Bezek. There were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men from Judah. |
| 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! | 9He told the messengers who had come, "Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.'" So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced. |
| 10The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, “Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.” | 10Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us." |
| 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. | 11The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together. |
| 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!” | 12Afterward, the people said to Samuel, "Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!" |
| 13But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!” | 13But Saul ordered, "No one will be executed this day, for today the LORD has provided deliverance in Israel." |
| 14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us all go to Gilgal to renew the kingdom.” | 14Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there." |
| 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. | 15So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD's presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the LORD's presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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