Shmuel Alef 31

1. Now the Pelishtim fought against Yisroel; and the anshei Yisroel fled from before the Pelishtim, and fell down chalalim (slain ones) on Mt Gilboa.

2. And the Pelishtim followed hard upon Sha’ul and upon his banim; and the Pelishtim slaughtered Yehonatan [Yonatan], and Avinadav, and Malki Shua, the Bnei Sha’ul.

3. And the milchamah became intense against Sha’ul, and the archers overtook him; and he was mortally wounded by the archers.

4. Then said Sha’ul unto his noseh keli (armor bearer), Draw thy cherev, and thrust me through therewith; lest these arelim (uncircumcised ones) come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his noseh keli would not; for he was very afraid. Therefore Sha’ul took a cherev, and fell upon it.

5. And when his noseh keli saw that Sha’ul was dead, he fell likewise upon his cherev, and died with him.

6. So Sha’ul died, and his shloshet banim, and his noseh keli, and kol anashim of him, that same day together.

7. And when the anshei Yisroel that were on the other side of the emek (valley), and they that were on the other side of the Yarden, saw that the anshei Yisroel fled, and that Sha’ul and his banim were dead, they abandoned the towns, and fled; and the Pelishtim came and took occupation of them.

8. And it came to pass on the next day, when the Pelishtim came to strip the chalalim, that they found Sha’ul and his shloshet banim fallen on Mt Gilboa.

9. And they cut off his rosh (head), and stripped off his keli, and sent through eretz Pelishtim all around, to publish it in the bais atzabim, and among the people.

10. And they put his keli in the Bais Ashtarot; and they hung up his body on the chomat Beit Shan.

11. And when the inhabitants of Yavesh Gilead heard of that which the Pelishtim had done to Sha’ul;

12. kol ish chayil arose, and went kol halailah, and took the geviyyat Sha’ul and the geviyyot of his banim from the chomat Beit Shan, and came to Yavesh, and cremated them there.

13. And they took their atzmot, and buried them under a tree at Yavesh, and underwent a tzom shivat yamim.