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.
Forsothe Filisteis fouyten ayens Israel, and the men of Israel fledden bifor the face of Filisteis, and felden slayn in the hil of Gelboe.
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 Filisteis hurliden on Saul, and on hise sones, and smytiden Jonathas, and Amynadab, and Melchisua, sones 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 al the weiyte of batel was turned `in to Saul; and men archeris pursueden hym, and he was woundid greetli of the archeris.
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 seide to his squyer, Drawe out thi swerd, and sle me, lest perauenture these vncircumcidid men come, and sle me, and scorne me. And his squyer nolde, for he was aferd bi ful grete drede; therfor Saul took his swerd, and felde theronne.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
And whanne his squyer hadde seyn this, `that is, that Saul was deed, also he felde on his swerd and was deed with hym.
6 So Saul, three of his sons, and the man who carried Saul’s weapons, all died on that same day.
Therfor Saul was deed, and hise thre sones, and his squyer, and alle his men in that dai togidere.
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.
Forsothe the sones of Israel, that weren biyendis the valei, and biyendis Jordan, sien that the men of Israel hadden fled, and that Saul was deed, and hise sones, and thei leften her citees and fledden; and Filisteis camen, and dwelliden there.
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.
Forsothe in `the tother dai maad, Filisteis camen, that thei schulden dispuyle the slayn men, and thei founden Saul, and hise thre sones, liggynge in the hil of Gelboe; and thei kittiden awei the heed of Saul,
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 dispuyliden hym of armeris; and senten in to the lond of Filisteis bi cumpas, that it schulde be teld in the temple of idols, and in the puplis.
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 thei puttiden hise armeris in the temple of Astoroth; sotheli thei hangiden his bodi in the wal of Bethsan.
11 When the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse,
And whanne the dwellers of Jabes of Galaad hadden herd this, what euer thingis Filisteis hadden do 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.
alle the strongeste men risiden, and yeden in al that nyyt, and token the deed bodi of Saul, and the deed bodies of hise sones fro the wal of Bethsan; and the men of Jabes of Galaad camen, and brenten tho deed bodies bi fier.
13 They took the bones and buried them under a [big] tamarisk tree. Then they (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
And thei token the boonus of hem, and birieden in the wode of Jabes, and fastiden bi seuene daies.
