1 Samuel, 31

1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1. Now the Philistines fought against the Israelites who, in their flight, fell mortally wounded on Mount Gilboa.

2. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

2. The Philistines surrounded Saul and his sons and killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

3. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

3. The battle raged around Saul, and he was afraid when he saw that the archers had found him.

4. Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

4. Then Saul commanded his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through lest these uncircumcised men come and stab me themselves, making fun of me." But his armor-bearer did not move because he was greatly terrified. So Saul drew his own sword and fell upon it.

5. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

5. Seeing that Saul was dead, the armor-bearer also fell upon his sword and died with him.

6. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

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

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

7. When the Israelites 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 abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied those cities.

8. And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

8. The following day, the Philistines came to strip the slain and found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa.

9. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish [it in] the house of their idols, and among the people.

9. They cut off his head and stripped off his armor and then sent messengers throughout the Philistine lands to proclaim this good news in the temples of their idols and among the people.

10. And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

10. They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth and pinned his body on the wall of Bethshan.

11. And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

11. When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

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 Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

12. all their warriors set out, marched through the night and removed the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Bethshan. They then returned to Jabesh and burnt the bodies there.

13. And they took their bones, and buried [them] under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

13. Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, after which, they fasted for seven days.