1 Samuel 31
1 Later, the Philistines again fought against the Israelis. The Israelis ran away from them, and (many Israelis were killed/the Philistines killed many Israelis) on Gilboa Mountain.
Meanwhile the Philistines had attacked Israel, and the Israelite army ran away from them, and many were killed on Mount Gilboa.
2 The Philistines caught up with Saul and his three sons, and they killed [all three of] his sons, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua.
The Philistines chased down Saul and his sons, killing Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 The fighting was very fierce around Saul. When the Philistine (archers/men with bows and arrows) caught up with Saul, they wounded him badly [with their arrows].
The fighting became very intense around Saul, and the arrows of the Philistine archers found their target, wounding Saul very badly.
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 thrust their swords into me 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. [The sword pierced his body and he died].
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Take your sword and kill me, or these heathen men will come and kill and torture me!” But the armor-bearer didn't want to do it because he was too afraid. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.
6 So Saul, three of his sons, and the man who carried Saul’s weapons, all died on that same day.
Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all the men with him, died the same day.
7 When the Israeli people on the north side of the [Jezreel] Valley and on the east side of the Jordan [River] heard that the Israeli army had run away and that Saul and his sons had died, they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and occupied their towns.
When the Israelites who lived along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan realized that the Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and they also ran away. So the Philistines came and took them over.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
The next day, when the Philistines went to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
9 They cut off Saul’s head and took his weapons. Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news, in the temple where they kept their idols, and to the other people, [that their army had killed Saul].
They cut off Saul's head, stripped him of his armor, and sent messengers throughout the country of the Philistines to announce the news in the temples of their idols and to their people.
10 They put Saul’s weapons in the temple of [their goddess] Astarte. They also fastened the bodies of Saul [and his sons] to the wall [that surrounded] Beth-Shan [city].
They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and nailed his body to the town wall of Beth-shan.
11 When the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse,
However, when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all their bravest soldiers walked all night to Beth-Shan. They took the corpses of Saul and his sons down from the city wall, and they took them back to Jabesh and burned the corpses there.
all their strong warriors set out, traveled all night, and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they got back to Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
13 They took the bones and buried them under a [big] tamarisk tree. Then they (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.
