Saul Defeats the Ammonites
1Soon Nahash a the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty b with us, and we will serve you.”
2But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you on one condition, that I may put out everyone’s right eye and bring reproach upon all Israel.”
3“Hold off for seven days,” replied the elders of Jabesh, “and let us send messengers throughout Israel. If there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.
5Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, [see 1 Samuel 19;2-6] and he burned with great anger. 7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the land of Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not march behind Saul and Samuel.”
Then the terror of YHVH fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man. 8And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah. 9So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’”
And when the messengers relayed this to the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced.
10Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do with us whatever seems good to you.”
11The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions, and during the morning watch they invaded the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them, until the hottest part of the day. And the survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.
Saul Confirmed as King
12Then the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Bring those men here, so that we can kill them!”
13But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today YHVH has worked salvation in Israel.”
14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”
15So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of YHVH. There they sacrificed peace offerings before YHVH, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
1 Samuel 11
17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. 18He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness. 19And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance. 20All this took about 450 years.
After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them forty years under Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin.
Acts 13:17-21
*A further two years of the House of Benjamin were under his son, for a total 42 year Dynasty.