1And Naḥash the Ammonite came up and camped against Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ. And all the men of Yaḇĕsh said to Naḥash, “Make a covenant with us, and we shall serve you.”

2Then Naḥash the Ammonite answered them, “For this I make a covenant with you, that I dig out all your right eyes, and I shall bring reproach on all Yisra’ĕl.”

3And the elders of Yaḇĕsh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we send messengers to all the borders of Yisra’ĕl. And then, if there is no one to save us, we shall come out to you.”

4And the messengers came to Giḇ‛ah of Sha’ul and spoke the words in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

5And look, Sha’ul was coming behind the herd from the field. And Sha’ul said, “Why are the people weeping?” And they related to him the words of the men of Yaḇĕsh.

6And the Spirit of Elohim came upon Sha’ul mightily as he heard these words, and his displeasure burned greatly.

7And he took a yoke of cattle and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the border of Yisra’ĕl by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Sha’ul and Shemu’ĕl to battle, let this be done to his cattle.” And the fear of יהוה fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

8And he mustered them in Bezeq, and the children of Yisra’ĕl were three hundred thousand, and the men of Yehuḏah thirty thousand.

9And they said to the messengers who came, “Say this to the men of Yaḇĕsh Gil‛aḏ, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help.’ ” Then the messengers came and informed the men of Yaḇĕsh, and they rejoiced.

10So the men of Yaḇĕsh said, “Tomorrow we come out to you, and you shall do to us whatever seems good to you.”

11And it came to be, on the next day, that Sha’ul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and smote Ammon until the heat of the day. And it came to be that those left were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

12And the people said to Shemu’ĕl, “Who said, ‘Shall Sha’ul reign over us?’ Bring the men, so that we put them to death.”

13But Sha’ul said, “No man is put to death this day, for today יהוה has wrought deliverance in Yisra’ĕl.”

14And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal and renew the reign there.”

15And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they set up Sha’ul to reign before יהוה in Gilgal, and there they made slaughterings of peace offerings before יהוה. And there Sha’ul rejoiced, and all the men of Yisra’ĕl, very greatly.