1 Chronicles

Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1The Philistines went to war against Israel. The men of Israel ran away from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

2The Philistines chased hard after Saul, the king, and his sons. They killed Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

3The fighting around Saul grew worse. Men with bows caught up to him. Their arrows wounded him.

4Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

4Saul said to the man who carried his weapons, "Take your sword and kill me. If you do not, these Philistines will come and hurt me." But the man was too afraid to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

NoteThe KJV calls the Philistines "uncircumcised." That was a word Israel used for people who did not belong to God's people. The KJV word "abuse" here means hurt or torture.

5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.

5The man who carried Saul's weapons saw that Saul was dead. So he fell on his own sword and died too.

6So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

6So Saul died. His three sons died. Everyone in his house died with him.

7And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

7The men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had run away. They saw that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran away. Then the Philistines came and lived in those towns.

8And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

8The next day the Philistines came to take things from the dead. They found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.

9And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.

9They took Saul's things. They cut off his head and took his armor. Then they sent men all through Philistine country with the news. The news was told in the houses of their idols and to the people.

10And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

10They put Saul's armor in the house of their gods. They hung his head in the temple of Dagon, one of their gods.

11And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

11The people of Jabesh-gilead heard everything the Philistines had done to Saul.

12They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

12All their brave men went and got the bodies of Saul and his sons. They carried them back to Jabesh. They buried the bones under the big oak tree there. Then they went seven days without eating.

NoteGoing without food for a while was a way people showed deep sadness. The KJV calls this fasting.

13So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

13So Saul died because he was not faithful to the LORD. He did not obey what the LORD said. He also went to a woman who said she could talk to the dead, and he asked her for advice.

NoteThe KJV says Saul asked "one that had a familiar spirit." That means a person who claimed to speak with the dead.

14And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

14He did not ask the LORD what to do. So the LORD put him to death. The LORD gave the kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.