Which Bible translation is shown on 1 Samuel 31?

This page reproduces the public-domain World English Bible Protestant edition.

How should I cite a verse in 1 Samuel 31?

Use the book, chapter, and verse, and name the World English Bible when the wording matters.

1 Samuel 31 (WEB) — Full Text

Old Testament

1 Samuel 31

1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

3The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

4Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.

5When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.

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

7When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols and to the people.

10They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.

13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Samuel, Saul, and David mark Israel's transition from judges to monarchy. Read 1 Samuel 31 within the complete 1 Samuel overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in 1 Samuel 31

1 Samuel 31 contains 13 verses and about 339 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 13 closes: “They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include saul, philistines, sons, armor, israel, bearer. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About 1 Samuel 31

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, 1 Samuel 31:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.