Nahashנָחָשׁthe Ammoniteהָעַמּוֹנִיwent upוַיַּעַלand campedוַיִּחַןagainstעַלJabesh-gilead.יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָדAllכָּלthe menאַנְשֵׁיof JabeshיָבֵישׁsaidוַיֹּאמְרוּtoאֶלNahash,נָחָשׁ“Makeכְּרָתa covenantבְרִיתwith us,לָנוּand we will serve you.”וְנַעַבְדֶךָּ
Nahashנָחָשׁthe Ammoniteהָעַמּוֹנִיsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,אֲלֵיהֶם“On this conditionבְּזֹאתI will make a covenantאֶכְרֹתwith you:לָכֶםby gouging outבִּנְקוֹרeveryכָּלrightיָמִיןeyeעֵיןof yours,לָכֶםand I will put itוְשַׂמְתִּיas a reproachהָ חֶרְפָּהonעַלallכָּלIsrael.”יִשְׂרָאֵל
The eldersזִקְנֵיof Jabeshיָבֵישׁsaidוַיֹּאמְרוּto him,אֵלָיו“Hold offהֶרֶףfrom usלָנוּsevenשִׁבְעַתdays,יָמִיםand let us sendוְנִשְׁלְחָהmessengersמַלְאָכִיםthroughבְּallכֹלthe territoryגְּבוּלof Israel.יִשְׂרָאֵלThen ifוְאִםthere is no oneאֵיןto saveמוֹשִׁיעַus,אֹתָנוּwe will come outוְיָצָאנוּto you.”אֵלֶיךָ
The messengersהַמַּלְאָכִיםcameוַיָּבֹאוּto Gibeahגִּבְעַתof Saulשָׁאוּלand spokeוַיְדַבְּרוּthe wordsהַדְּבָרִיםin the earsבְּאָזְנֵיof the people,הָעָםand allוַ כָלthe peopleהָעָםraisedיִּשְׂאוּtheir voiceאֶת קוֹלָםand wept.וַיִּבְכּוּ
And look,וְהִנֵּהSaulשָׁאוּלwas comingבָּאbehindאַחֲרֵיthe oxenהַבָּקָרfromמִןthe field,הַשָּׂדֶהand Saulשָׁאוּלsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Whatמַהis wrongwith the peopleלָּעָםthatכִּיthey are weeping?”יִבְכּוּAnd they toldוַיְסַפְּרוּhimלוֹthe wordsאֶת דִּבְרֵיof the menאַנְשֵׁיof Jabesh.יָבֵישׁ
The spiritוַ רוּחַof Elohimאֱלֹהִיםcame mightilyתִּצְלַחuponעַלSaulשָׁאוּלwhen he heardכְּשָׁמְעוֹtheseהָאֵלֶּהwords,אֶת הַדְּבָרִיםand his angerוַ אַפּוֹburnedיִּחַרgreatly.מְאֹד
He tookוַיִּקַּחa yokeצֶמֶדof oxenבָּקָרand cut it in piecesוַיְנַתְּחֵהוּand sent themוַיְשַׁלַּחthroughoutבְּallכָלthe territoryגְּבוּלof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלby the handבְּיַדof the messengers,הַמַּלְאָכִיםsaying,לֵאמֹר“Whoeverאֲשֶׁרdoes notאֵינֶנּוּcome outיֹצֵאafterאַחֲרֵיSaulשָׁאוּלand afterוְאַחַרSamuel,שְׁמוּאֵלsoכֹּהshall it be doneיֵעָשֶׂהto his oxen!”לִבְקָרוֹAnd the dreadוַ פַּחַדof YHWHיְהוָהfellיִּפֹּלuponעַלthe people,הָעָםand they came outוַיֵּצְאוּas one man.כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד
He counted themוַיִּפְקְדֵםat Bezek,בְּבָזֶקand the sonsוַ בְנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלwereיִּהְיוּthreeשְׁלֹשׁhundredמֵאוֹתthousand,אֶלֶףand the menוְאִישׁof Judahיְהוּדָהthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםthousand.אָלֶף
They saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto the messengersלַמַּלְאָכִיםwho had come,הַבָּאִים“Thusכֹּהyou shall sayתֹאמְרוּןto the menלְאִישׁof Jabesh-gilead:יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד‘Tomorrowמָחָרyou will haveתִּהְיֶה לָכֶםsalvation,תְּשׁוּעָהwhenכְּthe sunהַשָּׁמֶשׁis hot.’”חֹםThe messengersהַמַּלְאָכִיםcameוַיָּבֹאוּand toldוַיַּגִּידוּthe menלְאַנְשֵׁיof Jabesh,יָבֵישׁand they rejoiced.וַיִּשְׂמָחוּ
The menאַנְשֵׁיof Jabeshיָבֵישׁsaid,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“Tomorrowמָחָרwe will come outנֵצֵאto you,אֲלֵיכֶםand you may doוַעֲשִׂיתֶםto usלָּנוּaccording to allכְּכָלthat is goodהַטּוֹבin your eyes.”בְּעֵינֵיכֶם
And it came aboutוַיְהִיon the next dayמִמָּחֳרָתthatSaulשָׁאוּלputוַיָּשֶׂםthe peopleאֶת הָעָםin threeשְׁלֹשָׁהgroups,רָאשִׁיםand they cameוַיָּבֹאוּinto the midstבְתוֹךְof the campהַמַּחֲנֶהin the watchבְּאַשְׁמֹרֶתof the morning,הַבֹּקֶרand they struckוַיַּכּוּAmmonאֶת עַמּוֹןuntilעַדthe heatחֹםof the day.הַיּוֹםAnd those who remainedוַיְהִי הַנִּשְׁאָרִיםscattered,וַיָּפֻצוּand notוְלֹאtwoשְׁנַיִםof themבָםwere leftנִשְׁאֲרוּtogether.יָחַד
The peopleהָעָםsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלSamuel,שְׁמוּאֵל“Whoמִיis the one who said,הָאֹמֵר‘Shall Saulשָׁאוּלreignיִמְלֹךְover us?’עָלֵינוּGiveתְּנוּusthe men,הָאֲנָשִׁיםand we will put them to death.”וּנְמִיתֵם
Saulשָׁאוּלsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Noלֹאmanאִישׁshall be put to deathיוּמַתon thisבַּ הַזֶּהday,יּוֹםforכִּיtodayהַיּוֹםYHWHיְהוָהhas workedעָשָׂהsalvationתְּשׁוּעָהin Israel.”בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלthe people,הָעָם“Come,לְכוּlet us goוְנֵלְכָהto Gilgalהַגִּלְגָּלand renewוּנְחַדֵּשׁthe kingdomהַמְּלוּכָהthere.”שָׁם
Allכָלthe peopleהָעָםwentוַיֵּלְכוּto Gilgal,הַגִּלְגָּלand thereשָׁםthey made Saul kingוַיַּמְלִכוּ אֶת שָׁאוּלbeforeלִפְנֵיYHWHיְהוָהin Gilgal,בַּגִּלְגָּלand they sacrificedוַיִּזְבְּחוּthereשָׁםsacrificesזְבָחִיםof peace offeringsשְׁלָמִיםbeforeלִפְנֵיYHWH,יְהוָהand thereוַ שָׁםSaulשָׁאוּלand allוְכָלthe menאַנְשֵׁיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלrejoicedיִּשְׂמַחgreatly.עַד מְאֹד