Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh Gilead
1Nahash was the king of Ammon. He and his army went up to Jabesh Gilead. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. All the men of Jabesh spoke to Nahash. They said, “Make a peace treaty with us. Then we’ll be under your control.”
2Nahash, the king of Ammon, replied, “I will make a peace treaty with you. But I’ll do it only on one condition. You must let me put out the right eye of every one of you. I want to bring shame on the whole nation of Israel.”
3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days to report back to you. We’ll send messengers all through Israel. If no one comes to save us, we’ll hand ourselves over to you.”
4The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul. They reported to the people the terms Nahash had required. Then all the people wept out loud. 5Just then Saul was coming in from the fields. He was walking behind his oxen. He asked, “What’s wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” He was told what the men of Jabesh had said.
6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully on him. He became very angry. 7He got a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent the pieces by messengers all through Israel. They announced, “You must follow Saul and Samuel. If you don’t, this is what will happen to your oxen.” The terror of the Lord fell on the people. So all of them came together with one purpose in mind. 8Saul brought his army together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.
9The messengers who had come were told, “Go back and report to the men of Jabesh Gilead. Tell them, ‘By the hottest time of the day tomorrow, you will be rescued.’ ” The messengers went and reported it to the men of Jabesh. It made those men very happy. 10They said to the people of Ammon, “Tomorrow we’ll hand ourselves over to you. Then you can do to us whatever you like.”
11The next day Saul separated his men into three groups. While it was still dark, they broke into the camp of the Ammonite army. They kept killing the men of Ammon until the hottest time of the day. Those who got away were scattered. There weren’t two of them left together anywhere.
The People Agree to Have Saul as King
12The people said to Samuel, “Who asked, ‘Is Saul going to rule over us?’ Turn these men over to us. We’ll put them to death.”
13But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today! After all, this is the day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come on. Let’s go to Gilgal. There we’ll agree again to have Saul as our king.” 15So all the people went to Gilgal. There, with the Lord as witness, they made Saul their king. There they sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. And there Saul and all the Israelites celebrated with great joy.
Sawulo Anunula Ekibuga Yabesi
111:1 a 1Sa 12:12 b Bal 21:8 c 1Bk 20:34; Ez 17:13Awo olwatuuka Nakkasi Omwamoni11:1 Abamoni baali bazzukulu ba Lutti (Lub 19:38; Ma 2:19). Baali baagezaako dda okulumba Isirayiri ku mirembe gy’abalamuzi (Bal 3:13; 11:4-33) n’ayambuka n’azingiza Yabesugireyaadi. Abasajja bonna ab’e Yabesi ne bamugamba nti, “Kola naffe endagaano, tunaakuweerezanga.” 211:2 a Kbl 16:14 b 1Sa 17:26Naye Nakkasi Omwamoni n’abaddamu nti, “Sijja kukola nammwe ndagaano okuggyako nga munzikirizza okuggya mu buli muntu, eriiso lye erya ddyo, olwo nswaze Isirayiri yenna.” 3Abakulu ba Yabesi ne bamugamba nti, “Tuweeyo ebbanga lya nnaku musanvu, tusindike ababaka mu nsi yonna eya Isirayiri. Bwe wataabeewo n’omu anajja okutubeera, kale tuneewaayo gy’oli.”
411:4 a 1Sa 10:5, 26; 15:34 b Bal 2:4; 1Sa 30:4Ababaka bwe baatuuka e Gibea ewa Sawulo, ne bategeeza abantu ebigambo ebyo; bwe baabiwulira bonna ne bakuba ebiwoobe. 5Mu kiseera ekyo Sawulo yali ava mu nnimiro ng’agoberera ente ze ezirima, n’abuuza nti, “Abantu babadde ki? Kiki ekibakaabya?” Ne bamutegeeza obubaka abasajja ab’e Yabesi bwe baali baleese.
611:6 Bal 3:10; 6:34; 13:25; 14:6; 1Sa 10:10; 16:13Awo Sawulo bwe yawulira ebigambo ebyo, Omwoyo wa Katonda n’amukkako mu maanyi, obusungu bwe ne bubuubuuka nnyo. 711:7 a Bal 19:29 b Bal 21:5N’addira ente bbiri, n’azitemaatema, n’aziwa ababaka ne bazitwala okubuna ensi yonna eya Isirayiri ng’agamba nti, “Buli ataagoberere Sawulo ne Samwiri, ente ze ezirima bwe zityo bwe zinaakolebwa.” Entiisa ya Mukama n’egwa ku bantu, ne bakuŋŋaana wamu n’omutima gumu. 811:8 a Bal 20:2 b Bal 1:4Sawulo n’ababalira e Bezeki, abasajja abaava mu Isirayiri nga bawera emitwalo amakumi asatu, n’abaava mu Yuda ne bawera emitwalo esatu.
9Ne bagamba ababaka abaali bazze nti, “Mutegeeze abasajja ab’e Yabesugireyaadi nti, ‘Obudde we bunaatuukira mu ssaawa ez’omu ttuntu, munaaba mulokolebbwa.’ ” Ababaka bwe bazzaayo obubaka obwo e Yabesi, abatuuze baayo ne bassa ekikkowe. 1011:10 nny 3Abatuuze ab’e Yabesi ne bagamba Abamoni nti, “Enkya tujja kwewaayo gye muli, mutukole kye mwagala.” 1111:11 Bal 7:16Enkeera Sawulo yakeera mu matulutulu n’ayawulamu abasajja be ebibinja bisatu; ne balumba olusiisira lw’Abamoni ne babatta okutuusa mu ssaawa ez’omu ttuntu. Abaaluwona ne basaasaana, ne wataba n’omu asigala na munne.
Sawulo Akakasibwa Okuba Kabaka
1211:12 1Sa 10:27; Luk 19:27Awo abantu ne bagamba Samwiri nti, “Ani eyali abuuza nti, ‘Sawulo alitufuga?’ Mubatuwe tubatte.”
1311:13 a 2Sa 19:22 b Kuv 14:13; 1Sa 19:5Naye Sawulo n’addamu nti, “Nedda, tewali muntu anattibwa leero, kubanga olwa leero Mukama alokodde Isirayiri.” 1411:14 a 1Sa 10:8 b 1Sa 10:25Awo Samwiri n’agamba abantu nti, “Mujje, tugende e Girugaali tukakase obwakabaka.” 1511:15 1Sa 10:8, 17Awo abantu bonna ne bagenda e Girugaali mu maaso ga Mukama ne bakakasa Sawulo okuba kabaka. Era mu kifo ekyo ne baweerayo ssaddaaka ez’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe mu maaso ga Mukama, Sawulo n’Abayisirayiri bonna ne basanyuka ne bajaguza nnyo ne bakola n’entujjo ey’amaanyi.
