掃羅之死

10 非利士人與以色列人交戰,以色列人敗逃,許多人在基利波山被殺。 非利士人窮追掃羅及其眾子,殺了掃羅的兒子約拿單、亞比拿達和麥基舒亞。 掃羅周圍的戰鬥非常猛烈,他被弓箭手發現、射成重傷, 就對為他拿兵器的人說:「拔出你的刀來刺死我吧!免得那些未受割禮的人來凌辱我。」但拿兵器的人非常害怕,不敢動手,掃羅就自己伏刀自盡。 拿兵器的人看見掃羅已死,也伏刀自盡了。 這樣,掃羅和他的三個兒子及全家都死了。 住在山谷中的以色列人看見以色列軍敗逃、掃羅及其眾子已死,都棄城而逃。於是,非利士人佔領了那些城邑。 次日,非利士人來剝陣亡者的衣物,發現掃羅及其眾子橫屍基利波山, 就剝下掃羅的盔甲,割下他的頭顱,並派人到非利士四境向他們的偶像和民眾通告消息。 10 他們將掃羅的盔甲放在他們的神廟裡,把他的頭顱掛在大袞神廟中。 11 基列·雅比人聽見非利士人對掃羅的所作所為, 12 他們所有的勇士就去把掃羅和他兒子們的屍體運到雅比,葬在雅比的橡樹下,並禁食七天。 13 掃羅死了,因為他對耶和華不忠,不聽從祂的教誨,甚至去求問靈媒, 14 而不求問耶和華。因此,耶和華使他被殺,把王位交給了耶西的兒子大衛。

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers. Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.”

But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died. So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together. When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They stripped him and took his head and his armor, then sent into the land of the Philistines all around to carry the news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon. 11 When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

13 So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, 14 and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

10 1-5 The Philistines went to war against Israel; the Israelites ran for their lives from the Philistines but fell, slaughtered on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines zeroed in on Saul and his sons and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. The battle went hard against Saul—the archers found him and wounded him. Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and finish me off before these pagan pigs get to me and make a sport of my body.” But his armor bearer, restrained by both reverence and fear, wouldn’t do it. So Saul took his own sword and killed himself. The armor bearer, panicked because Saul was dead, then killed himself.

6-7 So Saul and his three sons—all four the same day—died. When all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and ran off; the Philistines came and moved in.

8-10 The next day the Philistines came to plunder the dead bodies and found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. They stripped Saul, removed his head and his armor, and put them on exhibit throughout Philistia, reporting the victory news to their idols and the people. Then they put Saul’s armor on display in the temple of their gods and placed his skull as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon.

11-12 The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul. All of their fighting men went into action—retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh, gave them a dignified burial under the oak at Jabesh, and mourned their deaths for seven days.

13-14 Saul died in disobedience, disobedient to God. He didn’t obey God’s words. Instead of praying, he went to a witch to seek guidance. Because he didn’t go to God for help, God took his life and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.