1Then Nakhash the Amoni came up, and encamped against Yavesh Gilad; and all the men of Yavesh said unto Nakhash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” 2And Nakhash the Amoni said unto them, “On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Yisra’el.” 3And the elders of Yavesh said unto him, “Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Yisra’el; and then, if there are none to deliver us, we will come out to you.” 4Then came the messengers to Givat Sha’ul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5And, behold, Sha’ul came following the oxen out of the field; and Sha’ul said, “What ails the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Yavesh. 6And the Ru’akh Elohim came mightily upon Sha’ul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. 7And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Yisra’el by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come forth after Sha’ul and after Shmu’el, so shall it be done unto his oxen.” And the dread of יהוה fell on the people, and they came out as one man. 8And he numbered them in Bazek; and the B’nei Yisra’el were three hundred thousand, and the men of Yehudah thirty thousand. 9And they said unto the messengers that came, “Thus shall you say unto the men of Yavesh Gilad: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.” And the messengers came and told the men of Yavesh; and they were glad. 10And the men of Yavesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and you shall do with us all that seems good unto you.” 11And it was so on the morrow, that Sha’ul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote Amon until the heat of the day; and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. 12And the people said unto Shmu’el, “Who is he that said, ‘Shall Sha’ul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13And Sha’ul said, “There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today יהוה has wrought deliverance in Yisra’el.”
Korakh 14Then said Shmu’el to the people, “Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.” 15And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Sha’ul Melekh before יהוה in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of Sh’lamim before יהוה ; and there Sha’ul and all the men of Yisra’el rejoiced greatly.
אוַיַּעַל נָחָשׁ הָעַמּוֹנִי וַיִּחַן עַל יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד; וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָּל אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ אֶל נָחָשׁ כְּרָת לָנוּ בְרִית וְנַעַבְדֶךָּ. בוַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם נָחָשׁ הָעַמּוֹנִי בְּזֹאת אֶכְרֹת לָכֶם בִּנְקוֹר לָכֶם כָּל עֵין יָמִין; וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ חֶרְפָּה עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. גוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו זִקְנֵי יָבֵישׁ הֶרֶף לָנוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְנִשְׁלְחָה מַלְאָכִים בְּכֹל גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְאִם אֵין מוֹשִׁיעַ אֹתָנוּ וְיָצָאנוּ אֵלֶיךָ. דוַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל וַיְדַבְּרוּ הַדְּבָרִים בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם; וַיִּשְׂאוּ כָל הָעָם אֶת קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ. הוְהִנֵּה שָׁאוּל בָּא אַחֲרֵי הַבָּקָר מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל מַה לָּעָם כִּי יִבְכּוּ; וַיְסַפְּרוּ לוֹ אֶת דִּבְרֵי אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ. ווַתִּצְלַח רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים עַל שָׁאוּל בשמעו (כְּשָׁמְעוֹ) אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ מְאֹד. זוַיִּקַּח צֶמֶד בָּקָר וַיְנַתְּחֵהוּ וַיְשַׁלַּח בְּכָל גְּבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַד הַמַּלְאָכִים לֵאמֹר אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יֹצֵא אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל וְאַחַר שְׁמוּאֵל כֹּה יֵעָשֶׂה לִבְקָרוֹ; וַיִּפֹּל פַּחַד יהוה עַל הָעָם וַיֵּצְאוּ כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד. חוַיִּפְקְדֵם בְּבָזֶק; וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה שְׁלֹשִׁים אָלֶף. טוַיֹּאמְרוּ לַמַּלְאָכִים הַבָּאִים כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן לְאִישׁ יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד מָחָר תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם תְּשׁוּעָה בחם (כְּחֹם) הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; וַיָּבֹאוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיַּגִּידוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ וַיִּשְׂמָחוּ. יוַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ מָחָר נֵצֵא אֲלֵיכֶם; וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לָנוּ כְּכָל הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵיכֶם. יאוַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁאוּל אֶת הָעָם שְׁלֹשָׁה רָאשִׁים וַיָּבֹאוּ בְתוֹךְ הַמַּחֲנֶה בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר וַיַּכּוּ אֶת עַמּוֹן עַד חֹם הַיּוֹם; וַיְהִי הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וַיָּפֻצוּ וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ בָם שְׁנַיִם יָחַד. יבוַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל מִי הָאֹמֵר שָׁאוּל יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ: תְּנוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים וּנְמִיתֵם. יגוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לֹא יוּמַת אִישׁ בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: כִּי הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יהוה תְּשׁוּעָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
ידוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל הָעָם לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה הַגִּלְגָּל; וּנְחַדֵּשׁ שָׁם הַמְּלוּכָה. טווַיֵּלְכוּ כָל הָעָם הַגִּלְגָּל וַיַּמְלִכוּ שָׁם אֶת שָׁאוּל לִפְנֵי יהוה בַּגִּלְגָּל וַיִּזְבְּחוּ שָׁם זְבָחִים שְׁלָמִים לִפְנֵי יהוה ; וַיִּשְׂמַח שָׁם שָׁאוּל וְכָל אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד מְאֹד.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 