Liber I Samuelis, 31

1. Philisthim autem pugnabant adversum Israel; et fugerunt viri Israel ante faciem Philisthim et ceciderunt interfecti in monte Gelboe.

1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilbo'a.

2. Irrueruntque Philisthim in Saul et filios eius et percusserunt Ionathan et Abinadab et Melchisua filios Saul.

2. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin'adab and Mal'chishu'a, the sons of Saul.

3. Totumque pondus proelii versum est in Saul; et consecuti sunt eum viri arcu, et vulneratus est vehementer a sagittariis.

3. The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.

4. Dixitque Saul ad armigerum suum: “Evagina gladium tuum et percute me, ne forte veniant incircumcisi isti et confodiant me et illudant mihi”. Et noluit armiger eius; erat enim nimio timore perterritus. Arripuit itaque Saul gladium et irruit super eum.

4. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer would not; for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it.

5. Quod cum vidisset armiger eius, videlicet quod mortuus esset Saul, irruit etiam ipse super gladium suum et mortuus est cum eo.

5. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died with him.

6. Mortuus est ergo Saul et tres filii eius et armiger illius et universi viri eius in die illa pariter.

6. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.

7. Videntes autem viri Israel, qui erant trans vallem et trans Iordanem, quod fugissent viri Israelitae et quod mortuus esset Saul et filii eius, reliquerunt civitates suas et fugerunt. Veneruntque Philisthim et habitaverunt ibi.

7. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8. Facta autem die altera, venerunt Philisthim, ut spoliarent interfectos, et invenerunt Saul et tres filios eius iacentes in monte Gelboe.

8. On the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilbo'a.

9. Et praeciderunt caput Saul et exspoliaverunt eum armis, quae miserunt in terram Philisthinorum per circuitum, ut annuntiaretur in templis idolorum suorum et populo.

9. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to their idols and to the people.

10. Et posuerunt arma eius in templo Astharoth, corpus vero eius suspenderunt in muro Bethsan.

10. They put his armor in the temple of Ash'taroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

11. Quod cum audissent habitatores Iabes Galaad, quaecumque fecerant Philisthim Saul,

11. But when the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12. surrexerunt omnes viri fortissimi et ambulaverunt tota nocte et tulerunt cadaver Saul et cadavera filiorum eius de muro Bethsan; veneruntque Iabes et combusserunt ea ibi.

12. all the valiant men arose, and 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. Et tulerunt ossa eorum et sepelierunt sub myrice in Iabes et ieiunaverunt septem diebus.

13. And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.