| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain 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 followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s 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 overtook him and 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 it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own 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 too 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 died together with his three sons and all his house. | 6So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end. |
| 7When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities. | 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 dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen 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 proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their 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. |
| 10They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head 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 the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, | 11But when everyone in Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, |
| 12all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And 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. |
| 13So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and 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 |
| 14and he failed to 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. |
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