1 ARST Now, the Philistine army battled the Israelites. The Israelite soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelites died on Mount Gilboa. BSB BSB: Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 ARST The Philistine soldiers caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki- Shua. BSB BSB: The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 ARST The fighting was very fierce around Saul. The archers shot Saul, and they wounded him severely. BSB BSB: When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him.
4 ARST Saul said to his armor bearer,“Take out your sword and kill me with it, so that these heathen Philistines will not be able to torture me.” But his armor bearer refused to do that because he was very scared. So Saul grabbed his own sword and stabbed himself with it and died. BSB BSB: Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 ARST When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also stabbed himself with his own sword and died. BSB BSB: When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died.
6 ARST So Saul and his three sons died. So his whole dynasty ended together. BSB BSB: So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house.
7 ARST When all the Israelites living in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistine soldiers came and occupied those towns. BSB BSB: When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.
8 ARST The next day, when the Philistine soldiers came to take away the possessions of the dead Israelite soldiers, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. BSB BSB: The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 ARST They took everything from Saul’ s corpse; they cut off his head and took his equipment. Then they sent messengers throughout their own land, to proclaim the news to their idols and to their people. BSB BSB: They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
10 ARST They put Saul’ s equipment in the temple to their gods, and they hung his severed head in the temple to their god Dagon. BSB BSB: They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 ARST Everyone who lived in Jabesh in the region of Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul’ s corpse. BSB BSB: When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 ARST So all the brave men of Jabesh went and got the corpses of Saul and his sons and brought them back to Jabesh. They buried their bodies under the big tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh fasted for seven days. BSB BSB: all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
14 ARST instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die and appointed David son of Jesse, to be the king of Israel. BSB BSB: and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
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