1 Samuel 31
1 Later, the Philistines again fought against the Israelis. The Israelis ran away from them, and (many Israelis were killed/the Philistines killed many Israelis) on Gilboa Mountain.
And the Philistines fought with Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fall down wounded in the mountain in Gelbue.
2 The Philistines caught up with Saul and his three sons, and they killed [all three of] his sons, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua.
And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines strike Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul.
3 The fighting was very fierce around Saul. When the Philistine (archers/men with bows and arrows) caught up with Saul, they wounded him badly [with their arrows].
And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.
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 thrust their swords into me 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. [The sword pierced his body and he died].
And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly: so Saul took his sword and fell upon it.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
And his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, and he fell also himself upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul, three of his sons, and the man who carried Saul’s weapons, all died on that same day.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, in that day together.
7 When the Israeli people on the north side of the [Jezreel] Valley and on the east side of the Jordan [River] heard that the Israeli army had run away and that Saul and his sons had died, they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and occupied their towns.
And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they leave their cities and flee: and the Philistines come and dwell in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
And it came to pass on the morrow that the Philistines come to strip the dead, and they find Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gelbue.
9 They cut off Saul’s head and took his weapons. Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news, in the temple where they kept their idols, and to the other people, [that their army had killed Saul].
And they turned him, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people.
10 They put Saul’s weapons in the temple of [their goddess] Astarte. They also fastened the bodies of Saul [and his sons] to the wall [that surrounded] Beth-Shan [city].
And they set up his armor at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Baethsam.
11 When the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse,
And the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad hear what the Philistines did to Saul.
12 all their bravest soldiers walked all night to Beth-Shan. They took the corpses of Saul and his sons down from the city wall, and they took them back to Jabesh and burned the corpses there.
And they rose up, [even] every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Baethsam; and they bring them to Jabis, and burn them there.
13 They took the bones and buried them under a [big] tamarisk tree. Then they (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
And they take their bones, and bury them in the field that is in Jabis, and fast seven days.
