1 Entretanto os filisteus tinham iniciado o combate contra os israelitas; estes fugiram deles e foram mortos e aniquilados no monte Gilboa.2 Aí cercaram Saul e mataram-lhe os filhos Jónatas, Abinadabe, e Malquisua.3 Os frecheiros cairam sobre Saul e feriram-no gravemente.4 Saul disse para o seu pajem: Mata-me com a tua espada antes que estes pagãos filisteus me prendam e me torturem.O pajem contudo teve muito medo disso. Saul pegou ele próprio na espada e atirou-se sobre ela, a qual lhe ficou atravessada no corpo.5 Ao ver que estava morto, o pajem fez o mesmo - atirou-se sobre a sua espada e morreu com ele.6 Assim Saul, o seu pajem, os três filhos e as suas tropas morreram todos no mesmo dia.7 Quando os israelitas do outro lado do vale e para lá do Jordão ouviram que os seus compatriotas tinham fugido e que Saul mais os filhos tinham morrido, abandonaram as cidades, e os filisteus foram viver nelas.8 No dia seguinte, os filisteus, ao virem para despojar os mortos, encontraram os corpos de Saul e dos filhos no monte Gilboa. Cortaram a cabeça a Saul, tiraram-lhe as armas e anunciaram isso nos templos dos seus deuses e ao seu povo por toda a terra.10 As suas armas foram postas no templo de Astarote e o corpo pendurado no muro de Betesã.11 Mas quando o povo de Jabes-Gileade ouviu aquilo que os filisteus tinham feito, uns soldados valentes daquela localidade foram de noite até Betesã, tiraram de lá os corpos de Saul e dos filhos, e trouxeram-nos para Jabes onde os queimaram; os ossos que restaram enterraram-nos sob o carvalho de Jabes, jejuando depois por sete dias.

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.3 And the battle was severe against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.4 Then said Saul to his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised should come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not; for he was exceedingly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side of Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the 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 three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.10 And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul,12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.