1 Samuel 31
1 Forsothe Filisteis fouyten ayens Israel, and the men of Israel fledden bifor the face of Filisteis, and felden slayn in the hil of Gelboe.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 And Filisteis hurliden on Saul, and on hise sones, and smytiden Jonathas, and Amynadab, and Melchisua, sones of Saul.
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 And al the weiyte of batel was turned `in to Saul; and men archeris pursueden hym, and he was woundid greetli of the archeris.
The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.
4 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.
Then Saul said to his armour bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me!” But his armour bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
5 And whanne his squyer hadde seyn this, `that is, that Saul was deed, also he felde on his swerd and was deed with hym.
When his armour bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.
6 Therfor Saul was deed, and hise thre sones, and his squyer, and alle his men in that dai togidere.
So Saul died with his three sons, his armour bearer, and all his men that same day together.
7 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.
When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 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,
On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 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.
They cut off his head, stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols and to the people.
10 And thei puttiden hise armeris in the temple of Astoroth; sotheli thei hangiden his bodi in the wal of Bethsan.
They put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 And whanne the dwellers of Jabes of Galaad hadden herd this, what euer thingis Filisteis hadden do to Saul,
When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 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.
all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burnt them there.
13 And thei token the boonus of hem, and birieden in the wode of Jabes, and fastiden bi seuene daies.
They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
