The Threat of Nahor |
1 Samuel 11:1-15 The Book of 1 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
Nahash, the Ammonite, came up & [set up camp] against Jabesh Gilead & all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant [contract] with us & we will serve you. |
Nahash answered them, On this condition I will make a [contract] with you, that I may [poke] out all your right eyes & [bring a disgrace] upon all [of] Israel. |
The elders of Jabesh said to [Nahash, Leave us alone for] 7 days, [so] we may send messengers to all the coasts of Israel & then, if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you. |
Then, the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul & told [this] to the people, [they all] lifted up their voice & [cried.] [Look,] Saul came out of the field [following] the herd & said, What [is wrong with] the people [who cry?] |
They told [Saul] the [words] of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard [this news] & his anger [grew] greatly. |
[Saul] took a [pair] of oxen & [cut] them [into] pieces & sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel [with the] messengers, saying, [Whoever doesn’t come forward] after Saul & Samuel, [this] shall be done to his oxen. |
The fear of the Lord fell on the people & 300,000 men of Judah [came out united,] when [he counted] them in Bezek. |
They said to the messengers that came, You shall say [this] to the men of Jabesh Gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun [is] hot, you shall have help. |
And the messengers [told] it to the men of Jabesh & they were glad. Therefore, the men of Jabesth said [to Nahor,] Tomorrow we will come out to you & you shall do with us all that seems good to you. |
The [next day,] Saul put the people into 3 companies & they came into the midst of the [army] in the morning watch & [killed] the Ammonites until the heat of the day. |
It [happened, that those who] remained scattered, [so there] weren’t 2 of them left together. The [Israelites asked] Samuel, Who said, Shall Saul [rule] over us? Bring the men, [so] we may put them to death. |
And Saul said, [No] man shall be put to death this day: for the Lord has [brought about] salvation in Israel. |
Then, Samuel said to the people, Come, let’s go to Gilgal & renew the kingdom there. All the people went to Gilgal & they made Saul king there, before the Lord. They [made] sacrifices of Peace Offerings there before the Lord & Saul & all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly there. |