1 Samuel 31
1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. And the men of Israel fled before the face of the Philistines, and they fell down slain on mount Gilboa.
Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel: and the men of Israel went in flight before the Philistines, falling down wounded in Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines rushed upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they struck down Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
3 And the entire weight of the battle was turned against Saul. And the men who were archers pursued him. And he was severely wounded by the archers.
And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and strike me, otherwise these uncircumcised may come and kill me, mocking me.” And his armor bearer was not willing. For he had been struck with an exceedingly great fear. And so, Saul took his own sword, and he fell upon it.
Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
5 And when his armor bearer had seen this, namely, that Saul had died, he too fell upon his sword, and he died with him.
And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
6 Therefore, Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
So death overtook Saul and his three sons and his servant on the same day.
7 Then, seeing that the men of the Israelites had fled, and that Saul had died with his sons, the men of Israel who were across the valley or beyond the Jordan abandoned their cities, and they fled. And the Philistines went and lived there.
And when the men of Israel across the valley and on the other side of Jordan saw that the army of Israel was in flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they came out of their towns and went in flight; and the Philistines came and took them for themselves.
8 Then, when the next day arrived, the Philistines came, so that they might despoil the slain. And they found Saul and his three sons lying on mount Gilboa.
Now on the day after, when the Philistines came to take their goods from the dead, they saw Saul and his three sons dead on the earth in Mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off the head of Saul. And they despoiled him of the armor, and they sent it into the land of the Philistines all around, so that it might be announced in the temples of the idols and among their people.
And cutting off his head and taking away his war-dress, they sent word into the land of the Philistines round about, to take the news to their gods and to the people.
10 And they placed his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth. But his body they suspended on the wall of Bethshan.
His war-dress they put in the house of Astarte; and his body was fixed on the wall of Beth-shan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead had heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
And when the people of Jabesh-gilead had news of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the most valiant men rose up, and they walked all night, and they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan. And they went to Jabesh Gilead, and they burned them there.
All the fighting men got up and, travelling all night, took Saul's body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh and had them burned there.
13 And they took their bones, and they buried them in the forest of Jabesh. And they fasted for seven days.
And their bones they put in the earth under a tree in Jabesh; and for seven days they took no food.
