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Joshua 24

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And Saul said, "To look for the donkeys. And when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel [for help]."

² Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me, what did Samuel say to you?"

³ And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.

⁴ Then Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah,

⁵ and he said to Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought Israel up from Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

⁶ But today you have rejected your God, who Himself saves you from all your disasters and distresses; yet you have said, 'No! Set a king over us.' Now then, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your families (clans)."

⁷ And when Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.

⁸ Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen by lot; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

⁹ So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD answered, "He is there, hiding himself by the[3] provisions and supplies."

¹⁰ So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

¹¹ Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? For there is no one like him among all the people." So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!"

¹² Then Samuel told the people the[4] requirements of the kingdom, and wrote them in a book and placed it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.

¹³ Saul also went home to Gibeah; and the[5] brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

¹⁴ But some[6] worthless men said, "How can this man save and rescue us?" And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.

¹⁵ Now Nahash the[1] Ammonite [king] went up and[2] besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty [of peace] with us and we will serve you."

¹⁶ But Nahash the Ammonite told them, "I will make a treaty with you on this condition, that I will[3] gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and make it a disgrace upon all Israel."

¹⁷ The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Give us seven days so that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out [and surrender] to you."

¹⁸ [4] Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news to the people; and all the people raised their voices and wept aloud.

¹⁹ Now Saul was coming out of the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?" So they told him about the report of the men of Jabesh.

²⁰ The Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became extremely angry.

²¹ He took a team of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out to follow Saul and Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen." Then fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out [united] as one man [with one purpose].

²² He assembled and counted them at Bezek; and the sons of Israel numbered 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000.

²³ They said to the messengers who had come, "You shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have[5] help [against the Ammonites].'" So the messengers came and reported this to the men of Jabesh; and they were overjoyed.

²⁴ So the men of Jabesh said [to Nahash the Ammonite], "Tomorrow we will come out to you [to surrender], and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."

²⁵ The next morning Saul put the men into three companies; and they entered the [Ammonites'] camp during the [darkness of the early] morning watch and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and the survivors were scattered, and no two of them were left together.

²⁶ The people said to Samuel, "Who is the one who said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, and we will put them to death."

²⁷ But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought[6] victory to Israel."

²⁸ Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there restore the kingdom."

²⁹ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they also sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

³⁰ Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in everything that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you.

³¹ And now, here is the king walking before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and here are my sons with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

³² Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you."

³³ They said, "You have not exploited us or oppressed us or taken anything at all from a man's hand."

#	AMP
1	Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And Saul said, "To look for the donkeys. And when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel [for help]."
2	Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me, what did Samuel say to you?"
3	And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.
4	Then Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah,
5	and he said to Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought Israel up from Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'
6	But today you have rejected your God, who Himself saves you from all your disasters and distresses; yet you have said, 'No! Set a king over us.' Now then, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your families (clans)."
7	And when Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.
8	Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen by lot; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.
9	So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD answered, "He is there, hiding himself by the[3] provisions and supplies."
10	So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
11	Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? For there is no one like him among all the people." So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!"
12	Then Samuel told the people the[4] requirements of the kingdom, and wrote them in a book and placed it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.
13	Saul also went home to Gibeah; and the[5] brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.
14	But some[6] worthless men said, "How can this man save and rescue us?" And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.
15	Now Nahash the[1] Ammonite [king] went up and[2] besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty [of peace] with us and we will serve you."
16	But Nahash the Ammonite told them, "I will make a treaty with you on this condition, that I will[3] gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and make it a disgrace upon all Israel."
17	The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Give us seven days so that we may send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out [and surrender] to you."
18	[4] Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news to the people; and all the people raised their voices and wept aloud.
19	Now Saul was coming out of the field behind the oxen, and he said, "What is the matter with the people that they are weeping?" So they told him about the report of the men of Jabesh.
20	The Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became extremely angry.
21	He took a team of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out to follow Saul and Samuel, the same shall be done to his oxen." Then fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out [united] as one man [with one purpose].
22	He assembled and counted them at Bezek; and the sons of Israel numbered 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000.
23	They said to the messengers who had come, "You shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have[5] help [against the Ammonites].'" So the messengers came and reported this to the men of Jabesh; and they were overjoyed.
24	So the men of Jabesh said [to Nahash the Ammonite], "Tomorrow we will come out to you [to surrender], and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."
25	The next morning Saul put the men into three companies; and they entered the [Ammonites'] camp during the [darkness of the early] morning watch and killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and the survivors were scattered, and no two of them were left together.
26	The people said to Samuel, "Who is the one who said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, and we will put them to death."
27	But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought[6] victory to Israel."
28	Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there restore the kingdom."
29	So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they also sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
30	Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in everything that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you.
31	And now, here is the king walking before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and here are my sons with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.
32	Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you."
33	They said, "You have not exploited us or oppressed us or taken anything at all from a man's hand."

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