| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. | 1The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel's men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa. |
| 2The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. | 2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. |
| 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically. | 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him. |
| 4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. | 4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me." But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. |
| 5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him. | 5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. |
| 6So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day. | 6So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men. |
| 7When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel 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. | 7When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel's men had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them. |
| 8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. | 8The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. |
| 9They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people. | 9They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news in the temples of their idols and among the people. |
| 10They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan. | 10Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan. |
| 11When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, | 11When the residents of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, |
| 12all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. | 12all their brave men set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. |
| 13Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days. | 13Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. |
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