1 Samuel 31 (Brenton)

1And the Philistines fought with Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fall down wounded in the mountain of Gelbue.Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

2And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul.The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.

4And Saul said to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he feared greatly: so Saul took his sword and fell upon it.Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5And his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, and he fell also himself upon his sword, and died with him.When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.

6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, in that day together.So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they leave their cities and flee: and the Philistines come and dwell in them.When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel 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.

8And it came to pass on the morrow that the Philistines come to strip the dead, and they find Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gelbue.The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9And they turned him, and stripped off his armour, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people.They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.

10And they set up his armour at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Bæthsam.They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

11And the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad hear what the Philistines did to Saul.When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12And they rose up, even every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Bæthsam; and they bring them to Jabis, and burn them there.all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.

13And they take their bones, and bury them in the field that is in Jabis, and fast seven days.Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

1 Samuel 31

Saul’s Overthrow and Death

The Philistines Possess the Towns

Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul

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