1 Chronicles 10
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
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.
2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 And the battle prevailed against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.
The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
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].
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.
When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.
So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
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.
8 And it came to pass on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
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.
9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent messengers around into the land of the Philistines, to carry tidings to their idols, and to the people.
They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
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.
11 And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,
All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
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.
13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of a medium, to enquire of it;
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,
14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.
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].
