But the army of Israel encamped at Bezek was awake and stirring and already in battle array. Saul had divided his troops into three companies. At midnight they forded the Jordan. And when they had reached the further bank one of them turned to make a circuit towards the north, and one towards the south, while Saul himself, in command of the third division, marched east.

Thus the camp of the Ammonites would be surrounded that night on every side, and secret orders had been given that all three companies were to advance to the assault together at daybreak.

The night drew on. There came the first gleam of dawn flushing the east. And about the hour that ends the morning watch the trumpets of Israel sounded. Shouting their battle-cry, the three companies converged together, and swept down upon the camp of the Ammonites while they were still heavy with sleep.

They had gone to rest thirsting for the bloodshed and booty of the morrow. They awoke to disaster and defeat. They fought fiercely, but were thrown into confusion, and, all order abandoned, broke and fled. And the tribesmen of Israel pursued them eastward until the sun had risen high into the heavens in the heat of the day.

So complete was the rout of King Nahash and his host that there remained not two of them left together, and he himself barely escaped with his life. Thus did Saul keep to the letter the vow that he had made to the men of Jabesh.

When the pursuit was over, he withdrew his troops across the Jordan and mustered them at Gilgal. There on the naked and terraced mountain-top of rock had been reared up the circle of memorial stones by Joshua above three centuries before. His troops were drunken with victory. Like their great captains, Barak and Gideon and Jephthah, before him, Saul had proved himself a resolute and valiant leader. And those of them who had sworn fealty to him when he had been chosen king at Mizpeh and who from that day had never swerved in their allegiance to him, remembered the malcontents who had scorned and rejected him, crying: ‘Who is this Saul the Benjamite that he should reign over us! Away with him!’

They came before the king and demanded that these rebels and traitors should be instantly put to death.

‘Why should they share this day in thy triumph? They are unworthy to live. Let them die!’

But Saul refused to listen to them.

‘Nay,’ he said, ‘this is not the hour for vengeance, and there shall not a man be put to death this day. Not mine the victory; it is the Lord God Jehovah who has wrought salvation in Israel.’

And Samuel himself came to Gilgal, and there, without any dissenting voice, Saul was once more solemnly proclaimed king, and sacrifices were offered up and libations poured out to the Lord, and Saul and all the men of Israel gave thanks to Jehovah, and great were their rejoicings.

Then Samuel spoke for the last time before the people. He reminded them how their elders had laid before him their petition that a king should be chosen to reign over Israel.

‘And now behold,’ he said, ‘your king himself is here to lead you. Glorious indeed is he! He has proved himself worthy of his crown. As for me, I am an old man and grey-headed. Yet, as you know well, I too have been a shepherd of Israel, even from the days of my childhood until now. Have I at any time wantonly done anything amiss? See, now, I stand before you and challenge you to declare if you have anything against me. Speak out without fear before the Lord God and before the king, his anointed one! Have I accepted bribes? Whose ox have I taken? Whose ass have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I treated harshly? Is there a man among you who can solemnly avow that any gift of his has ever blinded my eyes to justice? If there be such a one, let him now rise up and testify against me, and if he accuse me of having accepted a bribe or of having sold justice for money, then will I restore it.’