1 Samuel 31
1 NOW the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
Meanwhile the Philistines had attacked Israel, and the Israelite army ran away from them, and many were killed on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.
The Philistines chased down Saul and his sons, killing Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
The fighting became very intense around Saul, and the arrows of the Philistine archers found their target, wounding Saul very badly.
4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Take your sword and kill me, or these heathen men will come and kill and torture me!” But the armor-bearer didn't want to do it because he was too afraid. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all the men with him, died the same day.
7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
When the Israelites who lived along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan realized that the Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and they also ran away. So the Philistines came and took them over.
8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
The next day, when the Philistines went to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
They cut off Saul's head, stripped him of his armor, and sent messengers throughout the country of the Philistines to announce the news in the temples of their idols and to their people.
10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and nailed his body to the town wall of Beth-shan.
11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
However, when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
all their strong warriors set out, traveled all night, and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they got back to Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.
