掃羅打敗亞捫人
1亞捫人拿轄率軍上來圍困基列·雅比，城內的居民對拿轄說：「你與我們立約吧！我們願意服侍你。」 2亞捫人拿轄說：「好，但有一個條件，我要挖去你們每一個人的右眼，作為對全體以色列人的羞辱。」 3雅比的長老說：「請寬限我們七天，我們好派遣使者去以色列全境。要是沒有人來營救我們，我們就向你投降。」 4雅比的使者來到掃羅的家鄉基比亞，把他們的情況告訴眾人，眾人聽了放聲大哭。 5那時掃羅剛好趕著牛從田間回來，便問道：「發生了什麼事？為什麼眾人都在哭？」百姓把雅比的情況告訴了他。 6掃羅聽後，上帝的靈便突然降在他身上，他勃然大怒， 7牽來兩頭牛，把牠們切成碎塊，然後派使者把碎塊分發到以色列全境，並且宣佈：「誰拒絕跟隨掃羅和撒母耳出戰，他的牛就要被砍成這樣。」耶和華使百姓充滿恐懼，他們都同心合意地響應。 8掃羅在比色統計以色列人，共有三十萬，從猶大來的有三萬。 9他們讓雅比的使者回去告訴基列·雅比人，說：「明天中午，你們必得拯救。」使者回去告訴雅比人，他們非常歡喜， 10便對亞捫人說：「明天我們會出來歸順你們，你們怎樣對待我們都可以。」 11第二天，掃羅把以色列人分成三隊，在黎明時分突襲亞捫人的軍營，把他們殺得大敗，直到中午才收兵。亞捫人的殘兵四散奔逃，沒有二人在一處的。
12以色列人對撒母耳說：「是誰說掃羅不該做王？把他們帶來，我們要處死他們。」 13掃羅卻說：「今天不可殺人，因為今天耶和華拯救了以色列。」 14撒母耳對民眾說：「來吧，我們到吉甲去，在那裡重新立國。」 15於是，他們來到吉甲，在耶和華面前立掃羅為王，又向耶和華獻上平安祭。掃羅和全體以色列人都非常歡喜。
Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh
1Nahash11:1 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls gifts. Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 5Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. 8When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
9They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’ ” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
11The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Saul Confirmed as King
12The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
13But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” 15So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
