31 Meanwhile, the Philistines were battling against Yisrael, and the Israelis fled from the Philistines but many were killed on Mt. Gilboa. 2 The Philistines stayed hard on the tail of Sha’ul and his sons, and they killed his sons Yonatan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 Then the battle was fierce around Sha’ul, then the Philistine archers sighted him and he writhed in terrible pain from the arrows. 4 He said to the man carrying his equipment, “Draw out your sword and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised Philistines come and pierce me through then torture me as I’m dying.” But the man who carried his equipment was very scared and wouldn’t do it, so Sha’ul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When the man carrying his equipment saw that the king was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. 6 So Sha’ul, three of his sons, and the man carrying his equipment all died on that same day, along with all his warriors. 7 When the Israelis on the north side of the Yezreel valley and on the east side of the Yordan saw that the Israeli warriors had fled and that Sha’ul and his sons had been killed, they left their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip anything valuable from the bodies, they found the bodies of Sha’ul and his three sons there on Mt. Gilboa. 9 They cut off the king’s head and took all his gear. Then they sent messengers all around the Philistine region to spread their good news to the temples of their idols and to all their people. 10 They Sha’ul’s armour and weapons in the temple of the Ashtorets, and hung his body on the Beyt-Shan city wall.

11 When the residents of Yabesh-Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s body, 12 all their warriors walked all night to take Sha’ul’s body and those of his sons, off the wall at Beyt-Shan. They took them back to Yabesh and burnt them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Yabesh, and fasted for seven days.

10 Now the Philistines fought against Yisrael and the Israeli men fled away from the Philistines, and many were killed on Mt. Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines pursued after Shaul and after his sons, and they killed his sons Yonatan, Avinadav, and Malki-Shua. 3 The battle against Shaul was very fierce, but then the archers spotted him and wounded him. 4 Then Shaul said to his equipment carrier, “Draw your sword and pierce me with it, so those uncircumcised Philistines can’t come here and torture me.” But his equipment carrier was very scared and wasn’t willing to do it, so Shaul took his sword and fell onto it. 5 Then his equipment carrier, seeing that King Shaul had died, he himself fell on his sword and died. 6 So Shaul and his three sons died, thus ending his family’s rule. 7 When all the Israelis living in the valley saw that the army had fled, and that Shaul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came, and they lived in them instead.

8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Shaul and his sons on Mt. Gilboa. 9 They stripped him and carried away his head and his armour. Then they sent messengers all around the Philistine regions to take the news to their idols and the people. 10 They put his armour in the temple of their gods, and they hung his head in their god Dagon’s temple. 11 When everyone who lived back in Yavesh in the Gilead region heard about everything that the Philistines had done to Shaul, 12 all the strong men took action and retrieved the corpses of Shaul and his sons, and brought them back to Yavesh. Then they buried them under the large tree in Yavesh, and they fasted seven days.