Quotes About Unity

And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel.

So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.

The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.

He 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 the LORD fell upon the people, and they turned out as one man.

And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.

The 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.

But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”

Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.”

So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.

He chose for himself three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the troops he sent away, each to his own home.

Then Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ramís horn throughout the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hands of the troops with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

His armor-bearer replied, “Do all that is in your heart. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

“Very well,” said Jonathan, “we will cross over toward these men and show ourselves to them.

Saul said to the troops who were with him, “Call the roll and see who has left us.” And when they had called the roll, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

Then Saul and all his troops assembled and marched to the battle, and they found the Philistines in total confusion, with each man wielding the sword against his neighbor.

And the Hebrews who had previously gone up into the surrounding camps of the Philistines now went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle.