1 Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will be your subjects."
2 Nahash the Ammonite told them, "I will make a treaty with you on one condition: that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so put disgrace on all Israel."
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Hold off for seven days and let us send messengers throughout Israel's territory. If no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you."
4 The messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told these things in the people's hearing, and all the people raised their voices and wept.
5 And there was Saul coming in from the field behind the oxen. Saul asked, "What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?" They repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 As he heard these words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he burned with fierce anger.
7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers through all Israel's territory with the word: "Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen!" Fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
8 He counted them at Bezek: the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They told the messengers who had come, "Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun grows hot, you will be rescued.'" The messengers came and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they were overjoyed.
10 So the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you."
11 The next day Saul arranged the troops in three units. They broke into the middle of the camp during the morning watch and cut down Ammon until the day grew hot. The survivors were so scattered that not two of them were left together.
12 The people said to Samuel, "Who was it that said, 'Is Saul to reign over us?' Hand the men over, and we will put them to death."
13 But Saul said, "Not a man will be put to death today, for today the LORD has worked deliverance in Israel."
14 Samuel told the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and make the kingship new there."
15 All the people went to Gilgal, and at Gilgal they made Saul king before the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel celebrated with great joy.