And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of LORD, that ye have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of LORD who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of our near kinsmen.
And he said, Blessed be thou of LORD, my daughter. Thou have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou did not follow young men, whether poor or rich.
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house. LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
And they said, Which one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to LORD to Mizpah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.
And the men said to her, Our life for yours if ye do not utter this our business. And it shall be, when LORD gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
And they said to the messengers who came, Thus ye shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.
Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee.
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines kille