1 Reiz filistieši veda karu ar Israēlu, un Israēla karavīri bēga no filistiešiem, un nokautie gulēja izkaisīti pa Gilboas kalniem.
2 Un filistieši vajāja Sauļu un viņa dēlus un nogalināja Jonatānu, Abinādabu un Malchišu, Saula dēlus.
3 Kad iedegās mežonīga cīņa pret Sauļu, jo strēlnieki viņu pazina un ievainoja,
4 Tad Sauls pavēlēja savam ieroču nesējam: „Izvelc savu zobenu un ar to nodur mani, lai šie neapgraizītie nenāk, mani nemoka un neliek izsmieklā!“ Bet viņa ieroču nesējs negribēja to darīt, jo viņš ļoti baidījās. Tad Sauls pats ņēma zobenu un metās tam virsū.
5 Kad nu viņa ieroču nesējs redzēja, ka Sauls bija miris, tad arī viņš metās uz zobenu un mira.
6 Tā Sauls un viņa trīs dēli krita, un viņš aizgāja bojā ar visu savu namu.
7 Kad nu visa Israēla tauta, kas atradās ielejā, ieraudzīja, ka israēlieši bija bēguši un ka Sauls un viņa dēli bija krituši, tad tie pameta savas dzīves vietas un arī metās bēgt, bet filistieši nāca un apmetās tanīs uz dzīvi.
8 Un kad nākošā dienā filistieši nāca, lai aplaupītu kritušos, un atrada Sauļu un viņa dēlus guļam Gilboas kalnos,
9 Tad viņi tos aplaupīja, paņēma viņa galvu un viņa apbruņojumu un sūtīja vēstnešus visapkārt pa filistiešu zemi, lai tie paziņotu priecīgo uzvaras vēsti saviem elkiem un tautai.
10 Un tie nolika viņa ieročus sava dieva namā, bet viņa galvu tie piekala Dagona templī.
11 Kad nu visi Jabešas, Gileādā, iedzīvotāji to visu dzirdēja, ko filistieši bija darījuši ar Saula līķi,
12 Tad cēlās visi spēcīgie karavīri, paņēma Saula un viņa dēlu līķus un tos aiznesa uz Jabešu; tad viņi apraka viņu kaulus zem Jabešas terebintes un gavēja septiņas dienas.
13 Tā Sauls nomira savu ļauno darbu dēļ, ko viņš bija nodarījis pret to Kungu, —tā Kunga vārda dēļ, ko viņš nebija turējis, un arī tāpēc, ka viņš bija griezies pie mirušo garu izsaucējas un bija to izvaicājis,
14 Bet nebija jautājis to Kungu; tāpēc Viņš lika tam mirt un nodeva ķēniņa valsts varu Dāvidam, īsaja dēlam.
The Death of King Saul
(1 Samuel 31.1-13)1 The Philistines fought a battle against the Israelites on Mount Gilboa. Many Israelites were killed there, and the rest of them, including King Saul and his sons, fled. 2 But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3 The fighting was heavy around Saul, and he was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded. 4 He said to the young man carrying his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, to keep these godless Philistines from gloating over me.” But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. 5 The young man saw that Saul was dead, so he too threw himself on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons all died together, and none of his descendants ever ruled. 7 When the Israelites who lived in Jezreel Valley heard that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and ran off. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The day after the battle the Philistines went to plunder the corpses, and they found the bodies of Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers with them throughout Philistia to tell the good news to their idols and to their people. 10 They put his weapons in one of their temples and hung his head in the temple of their god Dagon. 11 When the people of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 the bravest men went and got the bodies of Saul and his sons and took them to Jabesh. They buried them there under an oak and fasted for seven days.
13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He disobeyed the Lord's commands; he tried to find guidance by consulting the spirits of the dead 14 instead of consulting the Lord. So the Lord killed him and gave control of the kingdom to David son of Jesse.
