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 from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. 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.

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 armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish [it in] the house of their idols, and among the people.

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

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

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

11. And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which 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 Bethshan, and 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 a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.