1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. 9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. 10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 ¶ And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 They arose, all the valiant men, 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 transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
Kufa kwa Mambo Saulo
(1 Samuele 31:1-13)1 Bafilisitiya bakagwa ne Baiziraela ngono Baiziraela bakatizha Bafilisitiya ngono Baiziraela bakabulawa nge Bafilisitiya mu Dombo le Gilibhowa. 2 Ndizo Bafilisitiya bakatatamila Saulo ne bakololo babe, bakabulaya Jonatani na Abinadabu na Malikishuwa bakololo ba Saulo. 3 Ngwa yakabe ikulila Saulo ngono baposi be misebe bakan'wana bakankubadza kwazo. 4 Ipapo Saulo kadwa nzhuzha unonsengela mathumo eti, “Shomola thumo lilo undibhaye nalo ndife, ngoti pamwe ibabo basakathumbigwa bangadwa bezha bezwithamila kuda kwabo mundili.” Koga nsengi we mathumo kalamba ngobe akabe etja kukulu. Ndizo Saulo katola thumo lile kazwiligila mu lili. 5 Ngono kukati nsengi we mathumo ebona kuti Saulo wafa, naiye kazwilashila mu thumo lile ngono kafabo. 6 Ndizo Saulo ne bakololo babe bose batatu bakafa saikoko, bose be bagali thaka babe bakafabo. 7 Ndizo kwakati Baiziraela bose bakabe bali pa nkuku bebona kuti balume babo be ngwa batizha ne kuti Saulo ne bakololo babe bafa, bakafupatila mizi yabo bakatizha, Bafilisitiya bakazha bakazwigaligwa mu mizi yabo.
8 Kwakati tjimuka Bafilisitiya bezha kuwotolela ibabo bakafa, bakawana Saulo ne bakololo babe bakafa mu Dombo le Gilibhowa. 9 Bakambula zwiambalo zwizwe bakatola nsholo uwe ne zwibhayano zwizwe zwe ngwa bakatuma batumwa shango yose ye Filisitiya kuandamisa thawu dzinozipa dzekukunda ku midzimu yabo neku bathu babo. 10 Bakatola zwiambalo zwe ngwa bakazwibiga mu ng'umba ye midzimu yabo ngono bakalembeledza nsholo uwe mu ng'umba ye ndzimu wabo Dagoni. 11 Ngono kwakati bathu be Jabeshi bamu Giliyadi behwa kuti Bafilisitiya bakathamani Saulo, 12 balume bakasima bakayenda bakanotola itumbo tja Saulo ne zwe bakololo babe ngono bakazwizhisa ku Jabeshi. Bakabiganya mafupa abo kusi kwe nti nkulu umu Jabeshi bakazwinyima zojiwa mazhuba ali kutendeka.
13 Saulo kafa saikoko ngoshaya bugalimoyo kukwe, wakabe asina bugalimoyo muna Yahwe ngobe wakabe asingabhulutane dama la Yahwe ne kuti wakabe ekumbila gumbuludzo mu mmwe wakabe elebeleka ne badzimu, 14 kakale ne kuti aazoshaka gumbuludzo muna Yahwe. Ndizo Yahwe bakan'letjedzela kuti afe ngono bakatola bushe bakagupa Dafite nkololo wa Jesi.