1 Samuel 11 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Nahash the Ammonite came up and set up camp against Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we'll serve you."

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "I'll make a deal with you on one condition — I gouge out every one of your right eyes. That's how I'll humiliate all of Israel."

The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout all of Israel's territory. If no one comes to rescue us, we'll come out and surrender to you."

When the messengers arrived at Gibeah — Saul's hometown — and reported the situation to the people, everyone broke down crying out loud.

Just then, Saul was coming in from the fields behind his oxen. Saul asked, "What's wrong with everyone? Why are they crying?" So they told him what the men of Jabesh had reported.

When Saul heard their report, the Breath of God rushed over him powerfully, and his anger blazed hot.

He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all of Israel's territory by messengers, saying, "Whoever doesn't march out behind Saul and Samuel — this is what will be done to his oxen!" The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one.

He counted them at Bezek: the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

They told the messengers who had come, "Say this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.'" When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, they were overjoyed.

So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we'll come out to you, and you can do whatever you want to us."

The next day, Saul organized the army into three divisions. They broke into the Ammonite camp during the last watch before dawn and struck them down until the heat of the day. The survivors scattered — no two of them were left together.

Then the people said to Samuel, "Who was it that said, 'Should Saul really be our king?' Hand those men over and we'll put them to death!"

But Saul said, "No one will be put to death today, because today Yahweh has accomplished a rescue in Israel."

Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship."

So all the people went to Gilgal, and there, in Yahweh's presence, they made Saul king. They offered fellowship sacrifices in Yahweh's presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel celebrated with great joy.