1 Chronicles 10
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. Every man of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down dead on Mount Gilboa.
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.
2 The Philistines closely pursued Saul and his son. The Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, his sons.
The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers overtook him, and they wounded him.
The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
4 Then said Saul to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it. Otherwise, these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
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].
5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died.
When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, so all his household members died together.
So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
7 When every man of Israel in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and lived in them.
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.
8 It came about on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
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.
9 They stripped him and took his head and his armor. They sent messengers throughout Philistia to carry the news to their idols and to the people.
They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head to the temple of Dagon.
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.
11 When all Jabesh Gilead heard of all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
12 all the fighting men went and took away the body of Saul and those of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
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.
13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to Yahweh. He did not obey Yahweh's instructions, but asked for advice from someone who talked with the dead.
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,
14 He did not seek guidance from Yahweh, so Yahweh killed him and turned over the kingdom to David son of Jesse.
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].
