1 A nd the Philistines have fought with Israel, and the men of Israel flee from the face of the Philistines, and fall wounded in mount Gilboa,

Now the many Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from the Philistines, and were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2 a nd the Philistines pursue after Saul, and after his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-Shua, sons of Saul.

The Philistines went after Saul and his sons. And they killed Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons.

3 A nd the battle heavy on Saul, and those shooting with the bow find him, and he is wounded by those shooting,

The battle was hard for Saul. Those who fought with the bow found him, and hurt him with an arrow.

4 a nd Saul saith unto the bearer of his weapons, `Draw thy sword, and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised come -- and have abused me.' And the bearer of his weapons hath not been willing, for he feareth exceedingly, and Saul taketh the sword, and falleth upon it;

Then Saul said to the one who carried his battle-clothes, “Take your sword and kill me with it. Or these men who have not gone through our religious act will come and make fun of me.” But the one who carried his battle-clothes would not do it. For he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

5 a nd the bearer of his weapons seeth that Saul dead, and falleth, he also, on the sword, and dieth;

When the one who carried his battle-clothes saw that Saul was dead, he fell on his sword and died also.

6 a nd Saul dieth, and his three sons, and all his house -- together they died.

So Saul died with his three sons. All those of his house died together.

7 A nd all the men of Israel who in the valley see that they have fled, and that Saul and his sons have died, and they forsake their cities and flee, and the Philistines come and dwell in them.

All the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in their cities.

8 A nd it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the Philistines come to strip the wounded, and find Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa,

When the Philistines came the next day to take what had belonged to the dead, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

9 a nd strip him, and bear away his head, and his weapons, and send into the land of the Philistines round about to proclaim tidings their idols and the people,

So they took his clothes, his head, and his battle-clothes. And they sent men around the land of the Philistines to take the good news to their false gods and to the people.

10 a nd put his weapons in the house of their gods, and his skull they have fixed in the house of Dagon.

They put Saul’s battle-clothes in the house of their gods. And they put his head in the house of Dagon.

11 A nd all Jabesh-Gilead hear of all that the Philistines have done to Saul,

All the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.

12 a nd all the men of valour rise and bear away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and bring them in to Jabesh, and bury their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fast seven days.

So all the powerful soldiers went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons. They brought them to Jabesh and buried their bones under the oak tree there. Then they went without food for seven days.

13 A nd Saul dieth because of his trespass that he trespassed against Jehovah, against the word of Jehovah that he kept not, and also for asking at a familiar spirit -- to inquire, --

So Saul died for his sin against the Lord, because he did not keep the Word of the Lord. He had asked a woman who spoke with spirits what he should do.

14 a nd he inquired not at Jehovah, and He putteth him to death, and turneth round the kingdom to David son of Jesse.

He did not ask the Lord. So the Lord killed him, and gave the nation to David the son of Jesse.