1890 Darby's Translation of the Holy Scriptures (DBY)

1 Samuel 31

1 Saul having lost his army, and his sons slain, he and his armourbearer kill themselves. 7 The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites. 8 They triumph over the dead carcases. 11 They of Jabesh-gilead, recovering the bodies by night, burn them at Jabesh, and mournfully bury their bones.

 31:1 ¶ And the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on mount Gilboa.

 31:2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers came up with him; and he was much terrified by the archers.

 31:4 Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

 31:5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him.

 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

 31:7 ¶ And when the men of Israel that were on this side of the valley, and [they] that were on this side of the 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.

 31:8 And it came to pass the next day, that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa.

 31:9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent [them] into the land of the Philistines round about, to announce the glad tidings in the houses of their idols, and to the people.

 31:10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

 31:11 ¶ And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul,

 31:12 all the valiant men arose and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burned them there.

 31:13 And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.