1 Entretanto, os filisteus atacaram Israel, e os israelitas fugiram diante deles, caindo feridos de morte no monte de Gelboé.2 Os filisteus investiram contra Saul e seus filhos, matando Jônatas, Abinadab e Melquisua, filhos de Saul.3 A violência do combate concentrou-se contra Saul. Os arqueiros descobriram-no e ele foi ferido no ventre.4 Disse ao seu escudeiro: Tira a tua espada e traspassa-me, para que não o venham fazer esses incircuncisos, ultrajando-me! Mas o escudeiro não o quis fazer, porque se apoderou dele um grande terror. Então tomou Saul a sua espada e jogou-se sobre ela.5 O escudeiro, vendo que Saul estava morto, arremessou-se também ele sobre a sua espada e morreu com ele.6 Assim, morreram naquele mesmo dia, Saul e seus três filhos, seu escudeiro e todos os seus homens.7 Os israelitas que moravam além do vale e além do Jordão, vendo a derrota do exército de Israel e a morte de Saul com seus filhos, abandonaram as suas cidades e fugiram; e os filisteus vieram e estabeleceram-se nelas.8 No dia seguinte vieram os filisteus para despojar os cadáveres e encontraram Saul e seus três filhos caídos no monte Gelboé.9 Cortaram-lhe a cabeça, despojaram-no de suas armas, e as enviaram por toda a terra dos filisteus, para que se publicasse essa boa nova nos templos de seus ídolos e entre o povo.10 Puseram as armas de Saul no templo de Astarte e suspenderam o seu cadáver nos muros de Betsã.11 Quando os habitantes de Jabes em Galaad souberam do que os filisteus tinham feito a Saul,12 puseram-se a caminho os mais valentes dentre eles, e andaram toda a noite. Tiraram das muralhas de Betsã os cadáveres de Saul e de seus filhos, e voltaram a Jabes, onde os queimaram.13 Tomaram os ossos e os enterraram debaixo da tamareira, em Jabes. Depois disso jejuaram 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 Malchishua, Saul's sons.3 And the battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was sore afraid of the archers.4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me through with it lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore, Saul took his sword and fell upon it.5 And when his armourbearer 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 armourbearer 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 [those] that [were] on the other side of the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had 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 next day 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 weapons and sent them 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 weapons in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead 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 Bethshan 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.: