Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 When the Philistines attacked the Israelites, the Israelites ran away from the Philistines, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.
1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and many fell on Mount Gilboa.
2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
2
The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 The battle was fierce around Saul. When the archers located him, they wounded him badly.
3
The battle pressed hard upon Saul; the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by them.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me with it! Otherwise, these uncircumcised men will come and kill me or torture me." But his armor-bearer refused because he was terrified. So Saul took the sword and impaled himself on it.
4
Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised may not come and thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer was unwilling; for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also impaled himself on his sword and died with Saul.
5
When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his soldiers died together that day.
6
So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the same day.
7 When the Israelites across the valley and across the Jordan learned that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines came and occupied the towns.
7
When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their towns and fled; and the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on 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 They cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor, and then sent word throughout Philistine territory, carrying the good news to their gods' temples and to their people.
9
They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to the houses of their idols and to the people.
10 They put Saul's armor in the temple of Astarte, and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
10
They put his armor in the temple of Astarte; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 But when all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
11
But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 the bravest of their men set out, traveled all night long, and took the bodies of Saul and his sons off the wall of Beth-shan. Then they went back to Jabesh, where they burned them.
12
all the valiant men set out, traveled all night long, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They came to Jabesh and burned them there.
13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
13
Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.