1 Samuel 31

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 fought against Israel. The Philistines were a people who lived nearby. Israel's soldiers ran away from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul’s sons.

2The Philistines chased Saul, the king, and his sons very closely. They killed three of Saul's sons. Their names were Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchishua.

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

3The fighting around Saul grew worse and worse. Men shooting arrows found him and hit him. He was hurt very badly.

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

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

NoteThe King James Bible says "uncircumcised." That was a word Israelites used for people who were not part of Israel. Here it means the Philistines. "Abuse me" means hurt me on purpose.

5And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

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

6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

6So Saul died that day. His three sons died. The man who carried his weapons died. All his men died with him, on that same day.

7And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

7Some Israelites lived across the valley. Others lived across the Jordan River. They saw that Israel's army had run away. They heard that Saul and his sons were dead. So they left their towns and ran. 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 three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

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

9And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

9They cut off Saul's head. They took off the metal clothes he wore for fighting. They sent the news all over the land of the Philistines. They told it in the temples of their idols and to all their people.

Note"Publish it" in the King James Bible means announce it, or spread the news. It has nothing to do with books.

10And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

10They put Saul's armor in the temple of Ashtaroth. Ashtaroth was a goddess the Philistines worshiped. They hung Saul's body on the city wall of Bethshan.

11And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

11The people of the town called Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.

12All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

12All their brave men got up and walked all night long. They took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall of Bethshan. They carried them back to Jabesh and burned them there.

13And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

13Then they took the bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh. For seven days they did not eat, because they were sad.