1 Samuel 11

1 Then came up Nahash the Ammonite, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead, —and all the man of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Solemnise with us a covenant, that we may serve thee.

And it was don as aftir a monethe, Naas of Amon stiede, and bigan to fiyte ayens Jabes of Galaad. And alle the men of Jabes seiden to Naas, Haue thou vs boundun in pees, and we schulen serue thee.

2 And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, Hereby, will I solemnise [a covenant] with you by digging out for you, every one’s right eye, —and laying it for a reproach, upon all Israel.

And Naas of Amon answeride to hem, In this Y schal smyte boond of pees with you, that Y putte out the riyt iyen of alle you, and that Y sette you schenschip in al Israel.

3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him—Give us a respite of seven days, that we may send messengers throughout all the bounds of Israel, —and then, if there is none to save us, we will come out unto thee.

And the eldere men of Jabes seiden to him, Graunte thou to vs seuene daies, that we senden messangeris to alle the termes of Israel; and if noon be that defende vs, we schulen go out to thee.

4 And, when the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spake the words in the ears of the people, all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Therfor messangeris camen in to Gabaad of Saul, and spaken these wordis, `while the puple herde; and al the puple reiside her vois, and wepte.

5 But lo! Saul, came in, following the oxen, out of the field, and Saul said, What aileth the people, that they should weep? Then were recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.

6 And the Spirit of God came suddenly upon Saul, when he heard these words, —and his anger raged furiously.

And the Spirit of the Lord skippide in to Saul, whanne he hadde herd these wordis, and his woodnesse was `wrooth greetli.

7 So he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent throughout all the bounds of Israel by the hand of messengers—saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul, and after Samuel, so, shall it be done unto his oxen. Then felt the dread of Yahweh, upon the people, and they came forth, as one man.

And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man.

8 And, when he numbered them in Bezek, the sons of Israel were found to be—three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde.

9 So they said unto the messengers who had come—Thus, shall ye surely say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, To-morrow, shall ye have deliverance, about the time the son is hot. And, when the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.

And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad,

10 So the men of Jabesh said, To-morrow, will we come out unto you, —Then shall ye do with us, according to all that is good in your eyes.

and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you.

11 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Saul set the people in three companies, and they entered into the midst of the host, during the morning watch, and smote Ammon until the day was hot. And it came to pass that, they who were left, were scattered, so that there were not left among them, two together.

And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis `in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai `was hoot; `forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem.

12 Then said the people unto Samuel, Who is he that was saying, Shall, Saul, reign over us? Give up the men, that we may put them to death.

And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem.

13 But Saul said, There shall not be put to death a man, this day, —for, to-day, hath Yahweh wrought deliverance in Israel.

And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel.

14 Then said Samuel unto the people, Come and let us go to Gilgal, —and let us there renew the kingdom.

Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme.

15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king there, before Yahweh, in Gilgal, and offered there sacrifices of peace-offerings before Yahweh, —and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced there, exceedingly.

And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord `in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli.