1 Chronicles 10
1 The army of Philistia [again] fought against the Israelis. The Israeli soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelis were killed {the soldiers of Philistia killed many Israelis} on Gilboa Mountain.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and there fell down [many] slain on mount Gilboa'.
2 The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
And the Philistines pursuing them overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and 'Abinadab, and Malkishua', the sons of Saul.
3 The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
And the battle was heavy against Saul, and he was found by the archers, and he was greatly in dread of the archers.
4 Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, “Take out your sword and kill me with it, in order that these heathen Philistines will not be able to injure me [further] and make fun of me [while I am dying].” But the man who was carrying Saul’s weapons was terrified and refused to do that. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it [and died].
And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and wantonly ill-use me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was greatly afraid: wherefore Saul took the sword and fell upon it.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
And when the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, then fell he likewise on the sword, and died.
6 So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
Thus died Saul and his three sons; and all his household died together.
7 When the Israelis who were living in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his three sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away. Then the soldiers from Philistia came and (occupied/lived in) those towns.
And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they 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 The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the corpses of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the Philistines came to strip the slain; and they found Saul and his sons fallen on mount Gilboa'.
9 They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
And they stripped him, and they carried away his head, and his armor, and sent them into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it to their idols, and to the people.
10 Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news throughout their own area, to their idols and to the other people. They put Saul’s armor in the temple where their idols were, and they hung Saul’s head in the temple of [their god] Dagon.
And they put his armor in the house of their gods, and his skull they fastened in the temple of Dagon.
11 All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
And when all Yabesh-gil'ad heard all the Philistines had done to Saul:
12 So the bravest men/soldiers of Jabesh went and got the corpses of Saul and his sons and brought them back to Jabesh. They buried their bones under a large tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
Then arose all the valiant men, and carried away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Yabesh; and they buried their bones under the terebinth in Yabesh, and they fasted seven days.
13 Saul died because he did not faithfully obey what Yahweh told him to do. He even went to a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people and asked her what he should do,
And [so] died Saul for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he had not kept, and also for asking one of a familiar spirit to inquire of the same;
14 instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die, and he appointed David, the son of Jesse, to be the king [of Israel].
And had not inquired of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned over the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
