Thomson(i)
1 When the Philistines fought against Israel and the Israelites fled before them, and fell down slain on mount Gelbue,
2 the Philistines pursued close after Saul and after his sons; and when they had slain Jonathan and Aminadab and Melchisue, the sons of Saul, the weight of the battle was directed against Saul.
3 And the archers assailed him with bows, and darts, and wounded him with arrows.
4 Whereupon Saul said to his armour bearer, Draw thy sword and run me through with it, lest the uncircumcised come and insult me. But his armour bearer would not; for he was greatly terrified. Thereupon Saul took the sword and fell on it.
5 And when his armour bearer saw that he was dead, he also fell on his sword.
6 Thus Saul died with his three sons that day. And all his house died together.
7 And when the Israelites who dwelt in the plain, saw that Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead they left their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt therein.
8 Now on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen, on mount Gelbue.
9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head and his armour, and sent them to the land of the Philistines round about, to proclaim the good news to their idols, and to the people.
10 And having deposited his armour in the house of their god, they fixed up his head, in the house of Dagon.
11 But when all the inhabitants of Galaad heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul and Israel,
12 all the valiant men of Galaad arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and carried them to Jabis and buried their bones under the oak at Jabis, and fasted seven days.
13 Thus died Saul, for his transgressions, which he had committed against God, according to the word of the Lord. Because he did not keep watch; because Saul sought to consult by a belly speaker, therefore Samuel the prophet answered him,
14 though he sought not the Lord, and the Lord slew him, and transferred the kingdom to David, son of Jessai.