The Bible in Basic English BBE
New International Version NIV
1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel: and the men of Israel went in flight before the Philistines, falling down wounded in Mount Gilboa.
1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
2
The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
3 And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
3
The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
4 Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
4
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
5 And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
5
When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.
6 So death overtook Saul and his three sons and his servant on the same day.
6
So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
7 And when the men of Israel across the valley and on the other side of Jordan saw that the army of Israel was in flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they came out of their towns and went in flight; and the Philistines came and took them for themselves.
7
When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 Now on the day after, when the Philistines came to take their goods from the dead, they saw Saul and his three sons dead on the earth in Mount Gilboa.
8
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 And cutting off his head and taking away his war-dress, they sent word into the land of the Philistines round about, to take the news to their gods and to the people.
9
They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
10 His war-dress they put in the house of Astarte; and his body was fixed on the wall of Beth-shan.
10
They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
11 And when the people of Jabesh-gilead had news of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
11
When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 All the fighting men got up and, travelling all night, took Saul's body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh and had them burned there.
12
all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.
13 And their bones they put in the earth under a tree in Jabesh; and for seven days they took no food.
13
Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.