Chapter 31
Saul’s Overthrow and Death
1
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and [many] fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
𐤅𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤍𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤅𐤉𐤍𐤎𐤅 𐤌𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤐𐤋𐤅 𐤇𐤋𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤄𐤓 𐤄𐤂𐤋𐤁𐤏
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים נִלְחָמִ֣ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַנְשֵׁ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיָּנֻ֜סוּ מִפְּנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ חֲלָלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃ ū·p̄ə·liš·tîm nil·ḥā·mîm bə·yiś·rā·’êl ’an·šê yiś·rā·’êl way·yā·nu·sū mip·pə·nê p̄ə·liš·tîm way·yip·pə·lū ḥă·lā·lîm bə·har hag·gil·bō·a‘ — WLC · 1
2
The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed… Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and vvv Malchishua.
𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤃𐤁𐤒𐤅 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤊𐤅 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤍𐤕𐤍 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤃𐤁 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤅𐤏
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אֶת־ וַיַּדְבְּק֣וּ שָׁא֖וּל וְאֶת־ בָּנָ֑יו וַיַּכּ֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים אֶת־ שָׁאֽוּל׃ בְּנֵ֥י יְהוֹנָתָ֧ן וְאֶת־ אֲבִינָדָ֛ב וְאֶת־ מַלְכִּי־ שׁ֖וּעַ p̄ə·liš·tîm ’eṯ- way·yaḏ·bə·qū šā·’ūl wə·’eṯ- bā·nāw way·yak·kū p̄ə·liš·tîm ’eṯ- šā·’ūl bə·nê yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān wə·’eṯ- ’ă·ḇî·nā·ḏāḇ wə·’eṯ- mal·kî- šū·a‘ — WLC · 2
3
When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers… overtook him and wounded him critically.
𐤄𐤌𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤊𐤁𐤃 𐤀𐤋 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤒𐤔𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤄𐤅 𐤌𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤇𐤋 𐤌𐤀𐤃
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ וַתִּכְבַּ֤ד אֶל־ שָׁא֔וּל הַמּוֹרִ֖ים אֲנָשִׁ֣ים בַּקָּ֑שֶׁת וַיִּמְצָאֻ֥הוּ מֵהַמּוֹרִֽים׃ וַיָּ֥חֶל מְאֹ֖ד ham·mil·ḥā·māh wat·tiḵ·baḏ ’el- šā·’ūl ham·mō·w·rîm ’ă·nā·šîm baq·qā·šeṯ way·yim·ṣā·’u·hū mê·ham·mō·w·rîm way·yā·ḥel mə·’ōḏ — WLC · 3
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Then 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… was terrified… and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤍𐤔𐤀 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤔𐤋𐤐 𐤇𐤓𐤁𐤊 𐤅𐤃𐤒𐤓𐤍𐤉 𐤁𐤄 𐤐𐤍 𐤄𐤀𐤋𐤄 𐤄𐤏𐤓𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤀𐤅 𐤅𐤃𐤒𐤓𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤄𐤕𐤏𐤋𐤋𐤅 𐤁𐤉 𐤍𐤔𐤀 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤌𐤀𐤃 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤁𐤄 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤀𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤇 𐤄𐤇𐤓𐤁 𐤅𐤉𐤐𐤋 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤄
שָׁאוּל֩ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְנֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣׀ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־ הָאֵ֤לֶּה הָעֲרֵלִ֨ים יָ֠בוֹאוּ וּדְקָרֻ֙נִי֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־ בִ֔י נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־ וַיִּקַּ֤ח הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃ šā·’ūl way·yō·mer lə·nō·śê ḵê·lāw šə·lōp̄ ḥar·bə·ḵā wə·ḏā·qə·rê·nî ḇāh pen- hā·’êl·leh hā·‘ă·rê·lîm yā·ḇō·w·’ū ū·ḏə·qā·ru·nî wə·hiṯ·‘al·lə·lū- ḇî nō·śê ḵê·lāw kî yā·rê mə·’ōḏ wə·lō ’ā·ḇāh šā·’ūl ’eṯ- way·yiq·qaḥ ha·ḥe·reḇ way·yip·pōl ‘ā·le·hā — WLC · 4
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When his armor-bearer… saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.
𐤍𐤔𐤀 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤌𐤕 𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤂𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤐𐤋 𐤏𐤋 𐤇𐤓𐤁𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤅
נֹשֵֽׂא־ כֵלָ֖יו וַיַּ֥רְא כִּ֣י שָׁא֑וּל מֵ֣ת ה֛וּא גַּם־ וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל־ חַרְבּ֖וֹ וַיָּ֥מָת עִמּֽוֹ׃ nō·śê- ḵê·lāw way·yar kî šā·’ūl mêṯ hū gam- way·yip·pōl ‘al- ḥar·bōw way·yā·māṯ ‘im·mōw — WLC · 5
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So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer…, and all his men died together that same day.
𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤕 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤍𐤔𐤀 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤂𐤌 𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤕 𐤉𐤇𐤃𐤅 𐤄𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤌
שָׁא֡וּל וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת בָּנָיו֩ וְנֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו גַּ֧ם כָּל־ אֲנָשָׁ֛יו וַיָּ֣מָת יַחְדָּֽו׃ הַה֖וּא בַּיּ֥וֹם šā·’ūl ū·šə·lō·šeṯ bā·nāw wə·nō·śê ḵê·lāw gam kāl- ’ă·nā·šāw way·yā·māṯ yaḥ·dāw ha·hū bay·yō·wm — WLC · 6
The Philistines Possess the Towns
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When 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].
𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤏𐤁𐤓 𐤄𐤏𐤌𐤒 𐤅𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤏𐤁𐤓 𐤄𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤅 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤍𐤎𐤅 𐤅𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤌𐤕𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤆𐤁𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤍𐤎𐤅 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤅 𐤁𐤄𐤍𐤎
אַנְשֵֽׁי־ יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־ בְּעֵ֨בֶר הָעֵ֜מֶק וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ן וַיִּרְא֣וּ כִּֽי־ אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נָ֙סוּ֙ וְכִי־ שָׁא֣וּל וּבָנָ֑יו מֵ֖תוּ וַיַּעַזְב֤וּ אֶת־ הֶֽעָרִים֙ וַיָּנֻ֔סוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ וַיֵּֽשְׁב֖וּ בָּהֶֽן׃ס ’an·šê- yiś·rā·’êl ’ă·šer- bə·‘ê·ḇer hā·‘ê·meq wa·’ă·šer bə·‘ê·ḇer hay·yar·dên way·yir·’ū kî- ’an·šê yiś·rā·’êl nā·sū wə·ḵî- šā·’ūl ū·ḇā·nāw mê·ṯū way·ya·‘az·ḇū ’eṯ- he·‘ā·rîm way·yā·nu·sū p̄ə·liš·tîm way·yā·ḇō·’ū way·yê·šə·ḇū bā·hen — WLC · 7
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- The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤌𐤌𐤇𐤓𐤕 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤋𐤐𐤔𐤈 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤇𐤋𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤕 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤍𐤐𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤄𐤓 𐤄𐤂𐤋𐤁𐤏
וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ לְפַשֵּׁ֖ט אֶת־ הַחֲלָלִ֑ים וַֽיִּמְצְא֤וּ אֶת־ שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶת־ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת בָּנָ֔יו נֹפְלִ֖ים בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃ way·hî mim·mā·ḥo·rāṯ p̄ə·liš·tîm way·yā·ḇō·’ū lə·p̄aš·šêṭ ’eṯ- ha·ḥă·lā·lîm way·yim·ṣə·’ū ’eṯ- šā·’ūl wə·’eṯ- šə·lō·šeṯ bā·nāw nō·p̄ə·lîm bə·har hag·gil·bō·a‘ — WLC · 8
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They 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.
𐤅𐤉𐤊𐤓𐤕𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤐𐤔𐤉𐤈𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤋𐤇𐤅 𐤁𐤀𐤓𐤑 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤎𐤁𐤉𐤁 𐤋𐤁𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤏𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤏𐤌
וַֽיִּכְרְתוּ֙ אֶת־ רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיַּפְשִׁ֖יטוּ אֶת־ כֵּלָ֑יו וַיְשַׁלְּח֨וּ בְאֶֽרֶץ־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֜ים סָבִ֗יב לְבַשֵּׂ֛ר בֵּ֥ית עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־ הָעָֽם׃ way·yiḵ·rə·ṯū ’eṯ- rō·šōw way·yap̄·šî·ṭū ’eṯ- kê·lāw way·šal·lə·ḥū ḇə·’e·reṣ- pə·liš·tîm sā·ḇîḇ lə·ḇaś·śêr bêṯ ‘ă·ṣab·bê·hem wə·’eṯ- hā·‘ām — WLC · 9
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They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall vvv of Beth-shan.
𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤊𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤕𐤒𐤏𐤅 𐤂𐤅𐤉𐤕𐤅 𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤌𐤕 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤔𐤍
וַיָּשִׂ֙מוּ֙ אֶת־ כֵּלָ֔יו בֵּ֖ית עַשְׁתָּר֑וֹת וְאֶת־ תָּקְע֔וּ גְּוִיָּתוֹ֙ בְּחוֹמַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית שָֽׁן׃ way·yā·śi·mū ’eṯ- kê·lāw bêṯ ‘aš·tā·rō·wṯ wə·’eṯ- tā·qə·‘ū gə·wî·yā·ṯōw bə·ḥō·w·maṯ bêṯ šān — WLC · 10
Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul
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When the people of Jabesh-gilead… heard… what the Philistines had done to Saul,
𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤔 𐤂𐤋𐤏𐤃 𐤀𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅 𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤔𐤅 𐤋𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋
יֹשְׁבֵ֖י יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֵ֛ת וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו אֲשֶׁר־ פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עָשׂ֥וּ לְשָׁאֽוּל׃ yō·šə·ḇê yā·ḇêš gil·‘āḏ ’êṯ way·yiš·mə·‘ū ’ê·lāw ’ă·šer- p̄ə·liš·tîm ‘ā·śū lə·šā·’ūl — WLC · 11
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all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul [and] his sons from the wall vvv of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤇𐤉𐤋 𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤅𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤋𐤊𐤅 𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤇𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤂𐤅𐤉𐤕 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤀𐤕 𐤂𐤅𐤉𐤕 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤌𐤇𐤅𐤌𐤕 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤔𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤉𐤁𐤔𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤐𐤅 𐤀𐤕𐤌 𐤔𐤌
כָּל־ אִ֣ישׁ חַיִל֮ וַיָּק֜וּמוּ וַיֵּלְכ֣וּ כָל־ הַלַּיְלָה֒ וַיִּקְח֞וּ אֶת־ גְּוִיַּ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְאֵת֙ גְּוִיֹּ֣ת בָּנָ֔יו מֵחוֹמַ֖ת בֵּ֣ית שָׁ֑ן וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ יָבֵ֔שָׁה וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃ kāl- ’îš ḥa·yil way·yā·qū·mū way·yê·lə·ḵū ḵāl hal·lay·lāh way·yiq·ḥū ’eṯ- gə·wî·yaṯ šā·’ūl wə·’êṯ gə·wî·yōṯ bā·nāw mê·ḥō·w·maṯ bêṯ šān way·yā·ḇō·’ū yā·ḇê·šāh way·yiś·rə·p̄ū ’ō·ṯām šām — WLC · 12
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Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤇𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤏𐤑𐤌𐤕𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤁𐤓𐤅 𐤕𐤇𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤔𐤋 𐤁𐤉𐤁𐤔𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤑𐤌𐤅 𐤔𐤁𐤏𐤕 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌𐤐
וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־ עַצְמֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ תַֽחַת־ הָאֶ֖שֶׁל בְּיָבֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃פ way·yiq·ḥū ’eṯ- ‘aṣ·mō·ṯê·hem way·yiq·bə·rū ṯa·ḥaṯ- hā·’e·šel bə·yā·ḇê·šāh way·yā·ṣu·mū šiḇ·‘aṯ yā·mîm — WLC · 13