| Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel's men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa. | 1Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. |
| 2The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. | 2The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. |
| 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers spotted him and severely wounded him. | 3The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him. |
| 4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me." But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. | 4Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. |
| 5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. | 5When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died. |
| 6So Saul and his three sons died--his whole house died together. | 6So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end. |
| 7When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them. | 7When all the Israelites in the Jezreel Valley saw that their army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. |
| 8The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. | 8The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa. |
| 9They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and the people. | 9So they stripped off Saul’s armor and cut off his head. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death before their idols and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. |
| 10Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon. | 10They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the temple of Dagon. |
| 11When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, | 11But when everyone in Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, |
| 12all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days. | 12all their mighty warriors brought the bodies of Saul and his sons back to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones beneath the great tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. |
| 13Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD because he did not keep the LORD's word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, | 13So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD’s command, and he even consulted a medium |
| 14but he did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. | 14instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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