31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
31:2 The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
31:3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
31:4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
31:5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.
31:6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
31:7 When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
31:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
31:9 They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
31:10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
31:11 When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
31:12 all their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.
31:13 Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
31:1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.
31:2 And the Philistines chased Saul and his sons; and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul s sons.
31:3 And the battle bore heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers.
31:4 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 abuse me. But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.
31:5 And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died with him.
31:6 So Saul and his three sons and his armor bearer, as well as all his men, died that day together.
31:7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and who were on the other side of the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
31:8 And the next day the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
31:9 And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor; and they sent them all around, throughout the land of the Philistines in order to announce the good news in the houses of their idols and to the people.
31:10 And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
31:11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
31:12 All the valiant men rose up 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 burned them there.
31:13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.