Saul’s Overthrow and Death
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים נִלְחֲמ֣וּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֑נָס אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ חֲלָלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֥י שָׁא֖וּל וְאַחֲרֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־יוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־מַלְכִּי־שׁ֖וּעַ בְּנֵ֥י שָׁאֽוּל׃
The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־שָׁא֔וּל וַיִּמְצָאֻ֖הוּ הַמּוֹרִ֣ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת וַיָּ֖חֶל מִן־הַיּוֹרִֽים׃
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ אֶל־נֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣׀ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־יָבֹ֜אוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד ס וַיִּקַּ֤ח שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃
Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
וַיַּ֥רְא נֹשֵֽׂא־כֵלָ֖יו כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּפֹּ֥ל גַּם־ה֛וּא עַל־הַחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּמֹֽת׃ ס
When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died.
וַיָּ֤מָת שָׁאוּל֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת בָּנָ֔יו וְכָל־בֵּית֖וֹ יַחְדָּ֥ו מֵֽתוּ׃
So Saul died together with his three sons and all his house.
The Philistines Possess the Towns
וַ֠יִּרְאוּ כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּעֵ֙מֶק֙ כִּ֣י נָ֔סוּ וְכִי־מֵ֖תוּ שָׁא֣וּל וּבָנָ֑יו וַיַּעַזְב֤וּ עָרֵיהֶם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔סוּ וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ בָּהֶֽם׃ ס
When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.
וַיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים לְפַשֵּׁ֖ט אֶת־הַֽחֲלָלִ֑ים וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אֶת־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֔יו נֹפְלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר גִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
וַיַּ֨פְשִׁיטֻ֔הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ וְאֶת־כֵּלָ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּח֨וּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים סָבִ֗יב לְבַשֵּׂ֛ר אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־הָעָֽם׃
They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
וַיָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ אֶת־כֵּלָ֔יו בֵּ֖ית אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶת־גֻּלְגָּלְתּ֥וֹ תָקְע֖וּ בֵּ֥ית דָּגֽוֹן׃ ס
They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.
Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֔וּ כֹּ֖ל יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֥וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים לְשָׁאֽוּל׃
When all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul,
וַיָּקוּמוּ֮ כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ חַיִל֒ וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־גּוּפַ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְאֵת֙ גּוּפֹ֣ת בָּנָ֔יו וַיְבִיא֖וּם יָבֵ֑ישָׁה וַיִּקְבְּר֨וּ אֶת־עַצְמוֹתֵיהֶ֜ם תַּ֤חַת הָאֵלָה֙ בְּיָבֵ֔שׁ וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
וַיָּ֣מָת שָׁא֗וּל בְּמַֽעֲלוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָעַ֣ל בַּֽיהוָ֔ה עַל־דְּבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־שָׁמָ֑ר וְגַם־לִשְׁא֥וֹל בָּא֖וֹב לִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃
So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,
וְלֹֽא־דָרַ֥שׁ בַּֽיהוָ֖ה וַיְמִיתֵ֑הוּ וַיַּסֵּב֙ אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה לְדָוִ֖יד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃ פ
and he failed to inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.