1 Samuel 11

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 at their words, the spirit of God came on Saul with power, and he became very angry.

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

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.

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 he had them numbered in Bezek: the children of Israel were 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 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.

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, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.

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

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.

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 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.

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 And Saul said, Not a man is to be put to death today: for today the Lord has made Israel safe.

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

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 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.

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.