1Samuel 31

1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the army ^{a31:1 Lit. and the men} of Israel fled before the Philistines. They fell slain on Mount Gilboa.ISV — 1Samuel 31:1

2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.ISV — 1Samuel 31:2

3 The heaviest fighting was directed toward Saul, ^{b31:3 Lit. was heavy toward} and when the bowmen who were shooting located Saul, he was severely wounded by them. ^{c31:3 Lit. the archers}ISV — 1Samuel 31:3

4 Saul told his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised people will come and run me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer did not want to do it ^{d31:4 The Heb. lacks to do it} because he was very frightened, so Saul took the sword and fell on it.ISV — 1Samuel 31:4

5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.ISV — 1Samuel 31:5

6 As a result, Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together that day.ISV — 1Samuel 31:6

7 When the men of Israel who were across the valley and who were across the Jordan saw that the army ^{e31:7 Lit. men} of Israel had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them. ( )ISV — 1Samuel 31:7

8 The next day, the Philistines came to strip the dead, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.ISV — 1Samuel 31:8

9 They cut off his head and stripped him of his weapons. They sent people throughout the territory of the Philistines to report the good news in the temples of their idols and to the people.ISV — 1Samuel 31:9

10 They put Saul’s ^{f31:10 Lit. his} weapons in the temple of Asherah ^{g31:10 Asherah was a female deity worshipped by the Canaanites and the Philistines} and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth-shan. ( )ISV — 1Samuel 31:10

11 When the residents of Jabesh-gilead heard what ^{h31:11 Lit. heard about it, what} the Philistines had done to Saul,ISV — 1Samuel 31:11

12 every valiant soldier ^{i31:12 Lit. man} got up, traveled all night, and removed Saul’s body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. Then they went to Jabesh and cremated the bodies ^{j31:12 Lit. them} there.ISV — 1Samuel 31:12

13 They took their bones, buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.ISV — 1Samuel 31:13