8
When he mustered them at Bezek, those from Israel were three hundred thousand, and those from Judah seventy thousand.
9
They said to the messengers who had come, "Thus shall you say to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead: "Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.' " When the messengers came and told the inhabitants of Jabesh, they rejoiced.
10
So the inhabitants of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."
11
The next day Saul put the people in three companies. At the morning watch they came into the camp and cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12
The people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, "Shall Saul reign over us?' Give them to us so that we may put them to death."
13
But Saul said, "No one shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel."
14
Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship."
15
So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.