1 Chronicles 10
1 The army of Philistia [again] fought against the Israelis. The Israeli soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelis were killed {the soldiers of Philistia killed many Israelis} on Gilboa Mountain.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers.
4 Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, “Take out your sword and kill me with it, in order that these heathen Philistines will not be able to injure me [further] and make fun of me [while I am dying].” But the man who was carrying Saul’s weapons was terrified and refused to do that. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it [and died].
Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died.
6 So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together.
7 When the Israelis who were living in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his three sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away. Then the soldiers from Philistia came and (occupied/lived in) those towns.
When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the corpses of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
They stripped him and took his head and his armor, then sent into the land of the Philistines all around to carry the news to their idols and to the people.
10 Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news throughout their own area, to their idols and to the other people. They put Saul’s armor in the temple where their idols were, and they hung Saul’s head in the temple of [their god] Dagon.
They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.
11 All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 So the bravest men/soldiers of Jabesh went and got the corpses of Saul and his sons and brought them back to Jabesh. They buried their bones under a large tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 Saul died because he did not faithfully obey what Yahweh told him to do. He even went to a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people and asked her what he should do,
So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire,
14 instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die, and he appointed David, the son of Jesse, to be the king [of Israel].
and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
