8. Saul gathered the people together at Bezek. There were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.
9. They spoke to the messengers who had come. They said, “Tell the people at Jabesh Gilead this: ‘Before the day becomes hot tomorrow, you will be saved.’” So the messengers went and reported this to the people at Jabesh. They were very happy.
10. The people said to Nahash the Ammonite, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you. Then you can do anything you want to us.”
11. The next morning Saul divided his soldiers into three groups. At dawn they entered the Ammonite camp. And they defeated the Ammonites before the heat of the day. The Ammonites who were left alive were scattered. Not even two of them were still together.
12. Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it that didn’t want Saul as king? Bring them here, and we will kill them!”
13. But Saul said, “No! No one will be put to death today. The Lord has saved Israel today!”