11:1 亞捫人的王拿轄上來，對著基列．雅比安營。雅比眾人對拿轄說：「你與我們立約，我們就服事你。」
11:2 亞捫人拿轄說：「你們若由我剜出你們各人的右眼，以此凌辱以色列眾人，我就與你們立約。」
11:3 雅比的長老對他說：「求你寬容我們七日，等我們打發人往以色列的全境去；若沒有人救我們，我們就出來歸順你。」
11:4 使者到了掃羅住的基比亞，將這話說給百姓聽，百姓就都放聲而哭。
11:5 掃羅正從田間趕牛回來，問說：「百姓為甚麼哭呢？」眾人將雅比人的話告訴他。
11:6 掃羅聽見這話，就被上帝的靈大大感動，甚是發怒。
11:7 他將一對牛切成塊子，託付使者傳送以色列的全境，說：「凡不出來跟隨掃羅和撒母耳的，也必這樣切開他的牛。」於是耶和華使百姓懼怕，他們就都出來，如同一人。
11:8 掃羅在比色數點他們：以色列人有三十萬，猶大人有三萬。
11:9 眾人對那使者說：「你們要回覆基列．雅比人說，明日太陽近午的時候，你們必得解救。」使者回去告訴雅比人，他們就歡喜了。
11:10 於是雅比人對亞捫人說：「明日我們出來歸順你們，你們可以隨意待我們。」
11:11 第二日，掃羅將百姓分為三隊，在晨更的時候入了亞捫人的營，擊殺他們直到太陽近午，剩下的人都逃散，沒有二人同在一處的。
11:12 百姓對撒母耳說：「那說『掃羅豈能管理我們』的是誰呢？可以將他交出來，我們好殺死他。」
11:13 掃羅說：「今日耶和華在以色列中施行拯救，所以不可殺人。」
11:14 撒母耳對百姓說：「我們要往吉甲去，在那裡立國。」
11:15 眾百姓就到了吉甲那裡，在耶和華面前立掃羅為王，又在耶和華面前獻平安祭。掃羅和以色列眾人大大歡喜。
Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. 8 When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
9 They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10 They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
11 The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” 15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
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俗話說：「時勢造英雄！」
這話在掃羅的身上也是如此，要不是亞捫人來欺負以色列人，以色列人怎麼會團結呢？怎麼會順服在掃羅的領導之下？使掃羅可以名正言順地成為以色列的王，帶領以色列人來抵抗外侮，一舉成名、成為以色列真正的王！因為王設立的目的就是要成為三軍統帥，彰顯國家的力量！
地上的王是一個國家的中心，屬於這國家的人，只有一個目的，就是貫徹王的意志，正如經文所說：「…於是耶和華使百姓懼怕，他們就都出來，如同一人。」表示上下一心，就是要在王的領導之下！
而上帝國的王就是主耶穌，祂來地上的目的，就是要呼召祂的百姓，建立祂的國度！正如福音書所說，主耶穌出來傳道的時候呼喊：「天國近了，你們應當悔改！」（馬太福音4:17）祂乎召人說：「你跟從我來！」(馬太福音9:9)
我們也是聽了這呼聲來加入上帝國的行列！而上帝國終究有一天必定實現，正如《啟示錄》11章15節，說到天使宣告：「世上的國成了我主和主基督的國；他要作王，直到永永遠遠。」
我們期盼這應許快快實現，因為「不再有黑夜；他們也不用燈光、日光，因為主上帝要光照他們。他們要作王，直到永永遠遠。」（啟示錄22:5）
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