1 Samuel 31

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

1The Philistines fought against Israel, and the Israelite soldiers ran away from them. Many of the Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

2The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, who were Saul’s sons.

3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

3The fighting grew intense around Saul. The Philistine archers caught up with him, and he was badly wounded by their arrows.

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

4Saul said to his armor-bearer, 'Draw your sword and kill me, so these godless Philistines won't come and kill me themselves and humiliate me.' But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

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

5When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

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

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

7And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the 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.

7When the Israelites on the other side of the valley and those across the Jordan River saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in those towns.

8And 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.

8The next day, when the Philistines went to strip the dead bodies, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa.

9And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people.

9They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news in the temples of their idols and among the people.

10And they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

10They put his armor in the temple of the goddess Ashtoreth and tied his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan.

11And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul,

11When the people living in Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12all 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.

12all their brave men traveled all night to Beth-shan. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall, brought them back to Jabesh, and burned them there.

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

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