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.
1А филистимците воюваха против Израил; и Израилевите мъже побегнаха от филистимците и паднаха убити на хълма Гелвуе. (1Sa 28:4; 1Ch 10:1)2Филистимците настигнаха Саул и синовете му; и убиха Сауловите синове Йонатан, Авинадав и Мелхисуй. (1Sa 14:49; 1Ch 8:33)3И битката се засилваше против Саул и стрелците го улучиха. Той беше тежко ранен от стрелите. (2Sa 1:6)4Тогава Саул каза на оръженосеца си: Изтегли меча си и ме прободи с него, за да не дойдат тези необрязани и да ме прободат и се поругаят с мене. Но оръженосецът му не прие, защото много се боеше. Затова Саул взе меча си и падна върху него. (Jud 9:54; 1Sa 14:6; 1Sa 17:26; 2Sa 1:10; 2Sa 1:14)5Оръженосецът, като видя, че Саул умря, хвърли се и той върху меча си и умря с него.6Така умряха Саул, тримата му сина, оръженосецът му и всичките му мъже заедно в същия ден.7Тогава Израилевите мъже, които бяха отвъд долината и отвъд Йордан, като видяха, че Израилевите мъже бягаха и че Саул и синовите му бяха избити, напуснаха градовете и побягнаха; а филистимците дойдоха и се заселиха в тях.8А на следващия ден, когато филистимците дойдоха да съблекат убитите, намериха Саул и тримата му сина паднали на хълма Гелвуе.9Те отсякоха главата му, снеха оръжията му и изпратиха пратеници навред по филистимската земя, за да разнесат известие в светилищата на идолите си и между хората. (2Sa 1:20)10Оръжията му положиха в храма на Астарта, а тялото му окачиха на стената на Ветсан. (Jos 17:11; Jud 1:27; Jud 2:13; 1Sa 21:9; 2Sa 21:12)11А след като жителите на Явис-галаад чуха това, което филистимците направили със Саул, (1Sa 11:3; 1Sa 11:9; 1Sa 11:10)12всички храбри мъже станаха и като ходиха през цялата нощ, снеха тялото на Саул и телата на синовете му от стената на Ветсан и като ги донесоха в Явис, ги изгориха там. (1Sa 11:1; 2Sa 2:4; 2Ch 16:14; Jer 34:5; Am 6:10)13И взеха костите им, закопаха ги под дървото в Явис и постиха седем дни. (Ge 50:10; 2Sa 2:4; 2Sa 2:5; 2Sa 21:12)