The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Then about a month after this, Nahash the Ammonite came up and put his forces in position for attacking Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make an agreement with us and we will be your servants.
1
About a month later King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the town of Jabesh in the territory of Gilead and besieged it. The men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will accept you as our ruler."
2 And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, I will make an agreement with you on this condition, that all your right eyes are put out; so that I may make it a cause of shame to all Israel.
2
Nahash answered, "I will make a treaty with you on one condition: I will put out everyone's right eye and so bring disgrace on all Israel."
3 Then the responsible men of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days, so that we may send men to every part of Israel: and then, if no one comes to our help, we will come out to you.
3
The leaders of Jabesh said, "Give us seven days to send messengers throughout the land of Israel. If no one will help us, then we will surrender to you."
4 So they sent representatives to Saul's town Gibeah, and these gave the news to the people: and all the people gave themselves to weeping.
4
The messengers arrived at Gibeah, where Saul lived, and when they told the news, the people started crying in despair.
5 Now Saul came from the field, driving the oxen before him; and he said, Why are the people weeping? And they gave him word of what the men of Jabesh had said.
5
Saul was just then coming in from the field with his oxen, and he asked, "What's wrong? Why is everyone crying?" They told him what the messengers from Jabesh had reported.
6 And at their words, the spirit of God came on Saul with power, and he became very angry.
6
When Saul heard this, the spirit of God took control of him, and he became furious.
7 And he took two oxen and, cutting them up, sent them through all the land of Israel by the hand of runners, saying, If any man does not come out after Saul and Samuel, this will be done to his oxen. And the fear of the Lord came on the people and they came out like one man.
7
He took two oxen, cut them in pieces, and had messengers carry the pieces throughout the land of Israel with this warning: "Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel into battle will have this done to his oxen!" The people of Israel were afraid of what the Lord might do, and all of them, without exception, came out together.
8 And he had them numbered in Bezek: the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
8
Saul gathered them at Bezek: there were 300,000 from Israel and 30,000 from Judah.
9 Then he said to the representatives who had come, Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is high, you will be made safe. And the representatives came and gave the news to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
9
They said to the messengers from Jabesh, "Tell your people that before noon tomorrow they will be rescued." When the people of Jabesh received the message, they were overjoyed
10 So the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.
10
and said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do with us whatever you wish."
11 Now on the day after, Saul put the people into three bands, and in the morning watch they came to the tents of the Ammonites, and they went on attacking them till the heat of the day: and those who were not put to death were put to flight in every direction, so that no two of them were together.
11
That night Saul divided his men into three groups, and at dawn the next day they rushed into the enemy camp and attacked the Ammonites. By noon they had slaughtered them. The survivors scattered, each man running off by himself.
12 And the people said to Samuel, Who was it who said, Is Saul to be our king? give the men up, so that we may put them to death.
12
Then the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Where are the people who said that Saul should not be our king? Hand them over to us, and we will kill them!"
13 And Saul said, Not a man is to be put to death today: for today the Lord has made Israel safe.
13
But Saul said, "No one will be put to death today, for this is the day the Lord rescued Israel."
14 Then Samuel said to the people, Come, let us go to Gilgal and there make the kingdom strong in the hands of Saul.
14
And Samuel said to them, "Let us all go to Gilgal and once more proclaim Saul as our king."
15 So all the people went to Gilgal; and there in Gilgal they made Saul king before the Lord; and peace-offerings were offered before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel were glad with great joy.
15
So they all went to Gilgal, and there at the holy place they proclaimed Saul king. They offered fellowship sacrifices, and Saul and all the people of Israel celebrated the event.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.