1Zwischen den Philistern und Israel kam es zur Schlacht. Die Männer Israels mussten vor den Philistern fliehen und viele von ihnen blieben erschlagen auf den Bergen von Gilboa liegen.2Die Philister holten schließlich auch Saul und seine Söhne ein. Sie erschlugen die drei Söhne Sauls Jonatan, Abinadab und Malkischua.3Um Saul herum tobte ein erbitterter Kampf. Die Bogenschützen hatten ihn getroffen und schwer verwundet.4Da sagte Saul zu seinem Waffenträger: „Zieh dein Schwert und töte mich, damit nicht diese Unbeschnittenen es tun und ihren Spott mit mir treiben!“ Sein Waffenträger aber wollte es nicht tun, er scheute sich davor. Da nahm Saul sein Schwert und stürzte sich hinein.5Als der Waffenträger sah, dass Saul tot war, stürzte auch er sich in sein Schwert und starb neben ihm.6So starben Saul, seine drei Söhne, sein Waffenträger und alle, die ihm nahestanden, an diesem einen Tag.7Als die Israeliten der Jesreel-Ebene und der umliegenden Gegenden sahen, dass die Männer Israels geflohen und Saul und seine Söhne tot waren, verließen sie ihre Städte und flohen. Die Philister nahmen sie in Besitz und wohnten darin.8Am Tag nach der Schlacht kamen die Philister, um die Gefallenen zu plündern. Dabei fanden sie Saul und seine drei Söhne auf den Bergen von Gilboa.9Sie hieben Saul den Kopf ab und zogen ihm seine Rüstung aus. Beides ließen sie im Land der Philister herumzeigen, um die Freudenbotschaft in ihren Götzentempeln und unter dem Volk zu verkünden.10Seine Rüstung legten sie in den Tempel der Astarte und seine Leiche hefteten sie an die Mauer von Bet-Schean.*11Als die Bewohner von Jabesch in Gilead* hörten, was die Philister Saul angetan hatten,12machten sich alle wehrfähigen Männer auf, marschierten die ganze Nacht hindurch und nahmen die Leichen Sauls und seiner Söhne von der Mauer von Bet-Schean ab. Sie brachten sie nach Jabesch und verbrannten sie dort.13Ihre Gebeine begruben sie unter der Tamariske von Jabesch und fasteten sieben Tage lang.
New International Reader’s Version
Saul takes his own life
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.
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