1 Samuel, 31

1. The Philistines gave battle to Israel, and the Israelites, fleeing from the Philistines, fell and were slaughtered on Mount Gilboa.

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

2. The Philistines bore down on Saul and his sons, and they killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

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. The fighting grew fiercer round Saul; the archers came upon him, and he was severely wounded

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

4. by the archers. Saul then said to his armour-bearer, 'Draw your sword and run me through with it; I do not want these uncircumcised men to come and make fun of me.' But his armour-bearer was very much afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

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. His armour-bearer, seeing that Saul was dead, fell on his sword too and died with him.

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

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

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

7. When the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan saw that the Israelites had been routed and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. The Philistines then came and occupied them.

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

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. They cut off his head and, stripping him of his armour, had these carried round the territory of the Philistines to proclaim the good news to their idols and their people.

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. They put his armour in the temple of Astarte; and his body they fastened to the walls of Beth-Shean.

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

11. When the inhabitants of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

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

12. the warriors all set out and, having marched all night, took the bodies of Saul and his sons off the walls of Beth-Shean; they brought them to Jabesh and burned them there.

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. They then took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk of Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.

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