Saul’s Overthrow and Death (2 Samuel 1:1–16; 1 Chronicles 10:1–6)
1 UST Meanwhile, the Philistine army attacked the Israelite army. The Israelites ran away from them to Mount Gilboa. But the Philistines killed many of them there. BSB BSB: Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 UST The Philistines caught up with Saul and the three of his sons who were fighting with him. They killed all three of them, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi Shua. BSB BSB: The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 UST The fighting became very fierce around Saul. The Philistine archers realized that he was the king of Israel, so they aimed many arrows at him and wounded him badly. BSB BSB: When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
4 UST Saul told the man who was carrying his weapons,“Take out your sword and kill me with it! That way these pagan Philistines will not come and kill me slowly with many small wounds and make fun of me while I am dying.” But the man who was carrying Saul’ s weapons was too afraid to do that. So Saul took out his own sword and threw himself on it.{ The sword went deep into his body and killed him.} 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 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.
5 UST When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul had died, he also threw himself on his own sword. He died next to Saul. BSB BSB: When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.
6 UST So Saul, three of his sons, and the soldier who carried Saul’ s weapons all died on that same day. So did all of the other Israelite soldiers who fought around Saul and protected him. BSB BSB: So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.
The Philistines Possess the Towns (1 Chronicles 10:7–10)
7 UST The Israelite people who lived in the area north of the Valley of Jezreel and west of the Jordan River learned that the Israelite army had run away and that Saul and his sons had died.{ They knew that no one would now defend them from the Philistines, so} they left their homes and ran away. Then the Philistines came and occupied the cities and towns that area. BSB BSB: 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.
8 UST The day after the battle, the Philistine soldiers returned to take the weapons, armor, and clothing from the Israelite soldiers whom they had killed. They found the bodies 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 three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 UST They cut off Saul’ s head and took his weapons. Then they sent messengers throughout their land to proclaim the news of their victory in the temples where they worshiped their idols and publicly among the people. BSB BSB: 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.
10 UST They put Saul’ s weapons in the temple of their goddess Asherah. They also fastened the bodies of Saul and his sons to the wall that surrounded the city of Beth Shan. BSB BSB: They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul (1 Chronicles 10:11–14)
11 UST The people who lived in the city of Jabesh in the region of Gilead learned what the Philistines had done to Saul’ s corpse. BSB BSB: When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 UST All their bravest soldiers marched all night to Beth Shan. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the city wall. They brought their bodies back to Jabesh and burned them there. BSB BSB: 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.
13 UST Then they took the bones and buried them under a big tamarisk tree in Jabesh{ like the one Saul would sit under when he was with his royal court}. Then, to show how sad they were, they ate very little food for seven days. BSB BSB: Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
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