| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. | 1The Philistines fought against Israel, and Israel's men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa. |
| 2Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. | 2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. |
| 3The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. | 3When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him. |
| 4Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a 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. |
| 5And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his 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 armorbearer, 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. |
| 7And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. | 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. |
| 8So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that 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. |
| 9And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the 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. |
| 10Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to 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. |
| 11Now when the inhabitants 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 the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them 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 at Jabesh, and 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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