I Samuel 31

¹Forsothe Filisteis fouyten ayens Israel, and the men of Israel fledden bifor the face of Filisteis, and felden slayn in the hil of Gelboe.

²And Filisteis hurliden on Saul, and on hise sones, and smytiden Jonathas, and Amynadab, and Melchisua, sones of Saul.

³And al the weiyte of batel was turned `in to Saul; and men archeris pursueden hym, and he was woundid greetli of the archeris.

⁴And Saul seide to his squyer, Drawe out thi swerd, and sle me, lest perauenture these vncircumcidid men come, and sle me, and scorne me. And his squyer nolde, for he was aferd bi ful grete drede; therfor Saul took his swerd, and felde theronne.

⁵And whanne his squyer hadde seyn this, `that is, that Saul was deed, also he felde on his swerd and was deed with hym.

⁶Therfor Saul was deed, and hise thre sones, and his squyer, and alle his men in that dai togidere.

⁷Forsothe the sones of Israel, that weren biyendis the valei, and biyendis Jordan, sien that the men of Israel hadden fled, and that Saul was deed, and hise sones, and thei leften her citees and fledden; and Filisteis camen, and dwelliden there.

⁸Forsothe in `the tother dai maad, Filisteis camen, that thei schulden dispuyle the slayn men, and thei founden Saul, and hise thre sones, liggynge in the hil of Gelboe; and thei kittiden awei the heed of Saul,

⁹and dispuyliden hym of armeris; and senten in to the lond of Filisteis bi cumpas, that it schulde be teld in the temple of idols, and in the puplis.

¹⁰And thei puttiden hise armeris in the temple of Astoroth; sotheli thei hangiden his bodi in the wal of Bethsan.

¹¹And whanne the dwellers of Jabes of Galaad hadden herd this, what euer thingis Filisteis hadden do to Saul,

¹²alle the strongeste men risiden, and yeden in al that nyyt, and token the deed bodi of Saul, and the deed bodies of hise sones fro the wal of Bethsan; and the men of Jabes of Galaad camen, and brenten tho deed bodies bi fier.

¹³And thei token the boonus of hem, and birieden in the wode of Jabes, and fastiden bi seuene daies.

I Samuel 31

¹Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

²And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, Saul’s sons.

³And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

⁴Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

⁵And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

⁶So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

⁷And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

⁸And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

⁹And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

¹⁰And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth–shan.

¹¹And when the inhabitants of Jabesh–gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

¹²All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth–shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

¹³And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.