1 Samuel 11

1 Then Nahas the Ammonite came & beseged Iabes in Galaad. And al the people of Iabes sayd vnto Nahas: make a couenaunte wyth vs & we wylbe thy seruauntes. 2 And Nahas 'fee Amonite said: herto will I make a couenaunt wt you, euen to thrust oute all youre ryght eyes, 'fet I may bring 'fet shame vpon al Israel. 3 Then said the elders of Iabes: geue vs .vij. dayes respite 'fet we maye send messengers vnto al the coastes of Israell. And then yf there come no man to help vs, we wyll come out to the. 4 Then came 'fee messengers to Gabaah where Saul dwelte, & tolde his tidinges in the eares of the people. And al the people lyfte vp theyr voyces & wept. 5 And behold Saul came followyng his oxen oute of the felde, & asked what ayled 'fee people to wepe. And they told hym 'fee tydynges of the men of Iabes. 6 Then came 'fee spryte of God vpon Saul, when he hearde those tidinges, & he was exceding angrye. 7 And toke a youke of oxen & hewed them in peces, & sent them thorowout al 'fee coastes of Israel by 'fee handes of messengers saying: whosoeuer cometh not forth after Saul & after Samuel, so shall hys oxen be serued. Then the feare of the Lord fel on the people, & they came out as it had ben but one man. 8 And when they were nombred in Bezek the children of Israel were thre hundred thousand, & the men of Iuda thyrtye thousand. 9 And they sayd vnto the messengers 'fet came, so say vnto the men of Iabes in Galaad: to morow by that tyme, the sunne be hote, ye shall haue helpe. And the messengers came & shewed the men of Iabes, & they were glad. 10 And then the men of Iabes sayde: to morowe we wil come out vnto you, that ye maye do with vs al that pleaseth you. 11 And on the morowe Saul put 'fee people in thre partes. And they came in vpon the host in 'fee morning watche, & slue the Ammonites, vntill 'fee heat of the day. And they 'fet remayned, shattered, so that two of them were not left together. 12 Then saide the people to Samuel: what are they 'fet sayd: shall Saule raigne ouer vs? bryng them 'fet we may slay them. 13 But Saule sayde: there shal no man dye thys daye, for to daye the Lord hath saued Israel. 14 Then sayde Samuel vnto the people: come & let vs go to Galgal, & renewe the kyngdom there. 15 And the people went to Galgal & made Saul kyng there, before the Lorde in Galgal. And there they offered peace offerynges before the Lorde. And there Saul and all the people reioysed excedinglye.