Jonathan

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

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

NoteThe Philistines lived near the sea, next to Israel. They fought against Israel many times. Mount Gilboa is a tall hill in northern Israel.

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

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

NoteSaul was the first king of Israel. Jonathan was his son. Jonathan was also David's dearest friend.

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

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

NoteArchers are soldiers who shoot arrows from bows. They could hurt someone from far away.

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.

Then 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.

NoteA man who carried a soldier's weapons stayed close beside him in battle. He handed him his shield and his spear. The King James calls the Philistines "these uncircumcised." That was a rude name for people who were not part of Israel.

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

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

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

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

NoteThe King James says "all his house." A person's house meant everyone in the family who lived with him.

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.

And 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.

NoteA valley is the low, flat land between hills.

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

And 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.

NoteAfter a battle, the winners took clothes, weapons, and armor off the dead. Those things were worth a lot.

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.

And 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.

NoteAn idol is a statue that people pray to as if it were a god. The Philistines had many idols.

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

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

NoteDagon was one of the gods the Philistines prayed to. A temple is a big house built for a god.

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

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

NoteJabesh-gilead was a town on the far side of the Jordan River. Long before, Saul had saved that town from enemies. The people there still remembered.

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.

They 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.

NoteBurying a dead person was a way of showing honor. Leaving a body out in the open was shameful. Going without food for days showed how sad people were.