Saul’s Overthrow and Death (1 Samuel 31:1–6; 2 Samuel 1:1–16)
1 UDB The army of Philistia again fought against the Israelites. The Israelite soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelites were killed 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 UDB The soldiers of Philistia 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 UDB The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the archers shot Saul and wounded him severely. BSB BSB: When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him.
4 UDB Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, "Take out your sword and kill me with it so 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. 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 UDB When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on 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 UDB So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king. BSB BSB: So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house.
The Philistines Possess the Towns (1 Samuel 31:7–10)
7 UDB When the Israelites 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 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 UDB The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead Israelite soldiers, they found the corpses of Saul and his three sons 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 UDB They took the clothes off Saul's corpse and cut off his head and took it and Saul's armor. 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 UDB 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. BSB BSB: They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.
Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul (1 Samuel 31:11–13)
11 UDB All the people who lived in Jabesh in the region of Gilead heard what 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 UDB So the bravest men 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 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 UDB instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die, and he 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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