1 O amonita Naás avançou contra a cidade de Jabes-Gileade e a cercou. E os homens de Jabes lhe disseram: “Faça um tratado conosco, e nos sujeitaremos a você”.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

2 C ontudo, Naás, o amonita, respondeu: “Só farei um tratado com vocês sob a condição de que eu arranque o olho direito de cada um de vocês e assim humilhe todo o Israel”.

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

3 A s autoridades de Jabes lhe disseram: “Dê-nos sete dias para que possamos enviar mensageiros a todo o Israel; se ninguém vier nos socorrer, nós nos renderemos”.

And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

4 Q uando os mensageiros chegaram a Gibeá, cidade de Saul, e relataram essas coisas ao povo, todos choraram em alta voz.

Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

5 N aquele momento, Saul estava trazendo o gado do campo e perguntou: “O que há com o povo? Por que estão chorando?” Então lhe contaram o que os homens de Jabes tinham dito.

And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

6 Q uando Saul ouviu isso, o Espírito de Deus apoderou-se dele, e ele ficou furioso.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

7 A panhou dois bois, cortou-os em pedaços e, por meio dos mensageiros, enviou os pedaços a todo o Israel, proclamando: “Isto é o que acontecerá aos bois de quem não seguir Saul e Samuel”. Então o temor do Senhor caiu sobre o povo, e eles vieram unânimes.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

8 Q uando Saul os reuniu em Bezeque, havia trezentos mil homens de Israel e trinta mil de Judá.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

9 E disseram aos mensageiros de Jabes: “Digam aos homens de Jabes-Gileade: ‘Amanhã, na hora mais quente do dia, haverá libertação para vocês’”. Quando relataram isso aos habitantes de Jabes, eles se alegraram.

And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

10 E ntão, os homens de Jabes disseram aos amonitas: “Amanhã nós nos renderemos a vocês, e poderão fazer conosco o que quiserem”.

Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.

11 N o dia seguinte, Saul dividiu seus soldados em três grupos; entraram no acampamento amonita na alta madrugada e os mataram até a hora mais quente do dia. Aqueles que sobreviveram se dispersaram de tal modo que não ficaram dois juntos. Saul Confirmado como Rei

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

12 E ntão o povo disse a Samuel: “Quem foi que perguntou: ‘Será que Saul vai reinar sobre nós?’ Traze-nos esses homens, e nós os mataremos”.

And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.

13 S aul, porém, disse: “Hoje ninguém será morto, pois neste dia o Senhor trouxe libertação a Israel”.

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.

14 E ntão Samuel disse ao povo: “Venham, vamos a Gilgal e reafirmemos ali o reino”.

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

15 A ssim, todo o povo foi a Gilgal e proclamou Saul como rei na presença do Senhor. Ali ofereceram sacrifícios de comunhão ao Senhor, e Saul e todos os israelitas tiveram momentos de grande alegria.

And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.