1 Samuel 31
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and there fell down [many] slain on mount Gilboa'.
2 The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malkishua', the sons of Saul.
3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
And the battle was heavy against Saul, and he was found by the archers, the men with bows; and he was greatly in dread of the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
And Saul said unto his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and wantonly ill-use me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was greatly afraid; wherefore Saul took the sword, and fell upon it.
5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.
And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, then fell he likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.
Thus died Saul, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, also all his men, on that same day together.
7 When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.
And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and those that were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul and his sons had died: they forsook the cities, and fled away; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the Philistines came to strip the slain; and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa'.
9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
And they put his armor in the house of 'Ashtaroth; and his body they fastened to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
And when the inhabitants of Yabeshgil'ad heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul:
12 all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
Then arose all the valiant men, and walked all the night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Yabesh, and burnt them there.
13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree at Yabesh, and they fasted seven days.
