I Samuelis 31
1 Philisthiim autem pugnabant adversum Israel: et fugerunt viri Israel ante faciem Philisthiim, et ceciderunt interfecti in monte Gelboe.
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.
2 Irrueruntque Philisthiim in Saul, et in filios eius, et percusserunt Ionathan, et Abinadab, et Melchisua filios Saul,
The Philistines caught up with Saul and his three sons, and they killed [all three of] his sons, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua.
3 totumque pondus prælii versum est in Saul: et consecuti sunt eum viri sagittarii, et vulneratus est vehementer a sagittariis.
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].
4 Dixitque Saul ad armigerum suum: Evagina gladium tuum, et percute me: ne forte veniant incircumcisi isti, et interficiant me, illudentes mihi. Et noluit armiger eius: fuerat enim nimio terrore perterritus. arripuit itaque Saul gladium, et irruit super eum.
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].
5 Quod cum vidisset armiger eius, videlicet quod mortuus esset Saul, irruit etiam ipse super gladium suum, et mortuus est cum eo.
When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
6 Mortuus est ergo Saul, et tres filii eius, et armiger illius, et universi viri eius in die illa pariter.
So Saul, three of his sons, and the man who carried Saul’s weapons, all died on that same day.
7 Videntes autem viri Israel, qui erant trans vallem, et trans Iordanem, quod fugissent viri Israelitæ, et quod mortuus esset Saul, et filii eius, reliquerunt civitates suas, et fugerunt: veneruntque Philisthiim, et habitaverunt ibi.
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.
8 Facta autem die altera, venerunt Philisthiim, ut spoliarent interfectos, et invenerunt Saul et tres filios eius iacentes in monte Gelboe.
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.
9 Et præciderunt caput Saul, et spoliaverunt eum armis: et miserunt in Terram Philisthinorum per circuitum, ut annunciaretur in templo idolorum, et in populis.
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].
10 Et posuerunt arma eius in templo Astaroth, corpus vero eius suspenderunt in muro Bethsan.
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].
11 Quod cum audissent habitatores Iabes Galaad, quæcumque fecerant Philisthiim Saul,
When the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse,
12 surrexerunt omnes viri fortissimi, et ambulaverunt tota nocte, et tulerunt cadaver Saul, et cadavera filiorum eius de muro Bethsan: veneruntque Iabes Galaad, et combusserunt ea ibi:
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.
13 et tulerunt ossa eorum, et sepelierunt in nemore Iabes, et ieiunaverunt septem diebus.
They took the bones and buried them under a [big] tamarisk tree. Then they (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
