1Als es aber zwischen den Philistern und Israeliten zur Schlacht kam, wurden die Israeliten von den Philistern in die Flucht geschlagen, und viele Erschlagene lagen auf dem Gebirge Gilboa umher.2Die Philister setzten Saul und seinen Söhnen hart zu und erschlugen Sauls Söhne Jonathan, Abinadab und Malchisua.3Als dann ein wilder Kampf um Saul her entstand und die Bogenschützen ihn ausfindig gemacht hatten, da ward er von den Bogenschützen in den Unterleib getroffen.4Da befahl Saul seinem Waffenträger: »Ziehe dein Schwert und durchbohre mich damit, auf daß nicht diese Heiden kommen und ihren Mutwillen an mir auslassen!« Aber sein Waffenträger weigerte sich, weil er sich zu sehr fürchtete. Da nahm Saul das Schwert und stürzte sich hinein.5Als nun sein Waffenträger sah, daß Saul tot war, stürzte er sich gleichfalls in sein Schwert und starb neben ihm.6So fanden Saul, seine drei Söhne und sein Waffenträger an jenem Tage zusammen ihren Tod.7Als aber die Israeliten, die in den Städten der Ebene (Jesreel) und in den Städten am Jordan wohnten, sahen, daß die Israeliten geflohen und daß Saul samt seinen Söhnen gefallen war, verließen sie ihre Städte und ergriffen die Flucht; da kamen die Philister und setzten sich darin fest.8Als dann am nächsten Tage die Philister kamen, um die Gefallenen auszuplündern, fanden sie die Leichen Sauls und seiner drei Söhne auf dem Gebirge Gilboa liegen.9Da hieben sie ihm den Kopf ab, zogen ihm seine Rüstung aus und sandten (Boten) in allen Teilen des Philisterlandes umher, um die Siegesbotschaft in ihren Götzentempeln und unter dem Volke zu verkünden.10Seine Waffen[1] legten sie im Tempel der Astarte nieder, seine Leiche aber hängten sie an der Mauer von Beth-San auf.11Als aber die Einwohner von Jabes in Gilead erfuhren, was die Philister an Saul verübt hatten,12machten sich alle streitbaren Männer auf, marschierten die ganze Nacht hindurch und nahmen den Leichnam Sauls und die Leichen seiner Söhne von der Mauer von Beth-San herab, kehrten mit ihnen nach Jabes zurück und verbrannten sie dort.13Hierauf nahmen sie ihre Gebeine, begruben sie unter der Tamariske in Jabes und hielten sieben Tage lang ein Fasten.
1The Philistines fought against the Israelites. The Israelites ran away from them. But many Israelites were killed on Mount Gilboa.2The Philistines kept chasing Saul and his sons. They killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.3The fighting was heavy around Saul. Men who were armed with bows and arrows caught up with him. They shot their arrows at him and wounded him badly.4Saul spoke to the man carrying his armour. He said, ‘Pull out your sword. Stick it through me. If you don’t, these fellows who aren’t circumcised will come. They’ll stick their swords through me and hurt me badly.’ But the man was terrified. He wouldn’t do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.5The man saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died with him.6Saul and his three sons died together that same day. The man who carried his armour also died with them that day. So did all of Saul’s men.7The Israelites who lived along the valley saw that their army had run away. So did those who lived across the River Jordan. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and made their homes in them.8The day after the Philistines had won the battle, they came to take what they wanted from the dead bodies. They found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.9So they cut off Saul’s head. They took his armour from his body. Then they sent messengers through the whole land of the Philistines. They announced the news in the temple where they had set up statues of their gods. They also announced it among their people.10They put Saul’s armour in the temple where they had set up statues of female gods that were named Ashtoreth. They hung his body up on the wall of Beth Shan.11The people of Jabesh Gilead heard about what the Philistines had done to Saul.12So all their brave men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan. They brought them to Jabesh. There they burned them.13Then they got the bones of Saul and his sons and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh. They didn’t eat anything for seven days.