1 Os filisteus atacaram e derrotaram as tropas israelitas, as quais fugiram, tendo sido liquidadas no sopé das montanhas de Gilboa.

2 Os filisteus foram atrás de Saul e dos seus três filhos e mataram Jónatas, Abinadabe e Malquisua.

3 A luta cresceu depois com violência à volta de Saul e os frecheiros conseguiram feri-lo.

4 Ele gritou ao seu escudeiro: Mata-me com a tua espada, antes que esta gente incircuncisa me capture e me torture. Mas o homem teve medo de fazer tal coisa, por isso Saul pegou na sua própria espada e atirou-se sobre ela, tendo-lhe atravessado o corpo. Nessa altura o escudeiro, vendo que Saul estava morto, matou-se da mesma forma. Foi assim que Saul mais os seus três filhos morreram junto; toda a família foi liquidada num só dia.

7 Quando os israelitas em baixo no vale souberam que as suas tropas tinham sido derrotadas e que Saul mais os seus filhos tinham morrido, abandonaram as povoações e fugiram. Os filisteus ocuparam-nas e passaram a lá viver. Ao voltarem, no dia seguinte, para despojar os corpos dos mortos em combate e para juntar o saque, os filisteus encontraram os corpos de Saul e dos filhos. Tiraram as armas e cortaram a cabeça de Saul; depois foram mostrá-la através de toda a nação, celebrando o feliz acontecimento perante os seus deuses. Penduraram as armas nas paredes do templo dos deuses e pregaram a cabeça num muro do templo de Dagom.

11 Mas quando o povo de Jabes-Gileade ouviu o que os filisteus tinham feito ao corpo de Saul, os seus guerreiros, os mais valentes, voltaram ao campo de batalha e trouxeram o corpo de Saul mais o dos seus três filhos. Depois enterram-no sob um carvalho em Jabes, chorando e jejuando durante sete dias.

13 Saul morreu por causa da sua desobediência ao Senhor e por ter consultado uma bruxa ; não buscou o Senhor para que o guiasse. Por isso o Senhor o matou e deu o reino a David, o filho de Jessé.

1 Now, the Philistines, fought against Israel,and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and the wounded fell in Mount Gilboa.

2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons,and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul.

3 And the battle, went sore, against Saul, and the archers discovered him with the bow,and he was terrified because of the archers.

4 Therefore said Saul unto his armour-bearer, Draw out thy sword and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he feared greatly,so then Saul took the sword, and fell upon it.

5 And, when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, then, he also, fell upon the sword, and died.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and, all his house, together, died.

7 And, when all the men of Israel that were in the vale saw, that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then forsook they their cities, and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 And it came to pass, on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain,that they found Saul, and his sons, lying prostrate in Mount Gilboa.

9 So they stript him, and took his head, and his armour,and sent throughout the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it to their idols, and to the people.

10 And they put his armour, in the house of their gods,but, his skull, fastened they up, in the house of Dagon.

11 And, when all Jabesh-Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 then rose up all the men of valour, and took away the corpse of Saul, and the corpses of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh,and buried their bodies under the terebinth, in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

13 Thus died Saul, for his unfaithfulness wherewith he dealt unfaithfully against Yahweh, over the word of Yahweh, which he kept not,and, also, in asking by necromancy when he desired to enquire;

14 and enquired not of Yahweh, wherefore he slew him,and turned round the kingdom unto David, son of Jesse.