Bible in Basic English
And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
So death overtook Saul and his three sons and his servant on the same day.
And when the men of Israel across the valley and on the other side of Jordan saw that the army of Israel was in flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they came out of their towns and went in flight; and the Philistines came and took them for themselves.
Now on the day after, when the Philistines came to take their goods from the dead, they saw Saul and his three sons dead on the earth in Mount Gilboa.
And cutting off his head and taking away his war-dress, they sent word into the land of the Philistines round about, to take the news to their gods and to the people.
His war-dress they put in the house of Astarte; and his body was fixed on the wall of Beth-shan.
And when the people of Jabesh-gilead had news of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
All the fighting men got up and, travelling all night, took Saul's body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh and had them burned there.
And their bones they put in the earth under a tree in Jabesh; and for seven days they took no food.
— 1 Samuel 31:3-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Saul himself was in the thick of the battle; the archers spotted him and wounded him severely. Saul said to his armor bearer,“Draw your sword and stab me with it! Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come, stab me, and torture me.” But his armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together that day. When the men of Israel who were in the valley and across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them. The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines. They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his corpse on the city wall of Beth Shan. When the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their warriors set out and traveled throughout the night. They took Saul’s corpse and the corpses of his sons from the city wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. They took the bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh; then they fasted for seven days.”
Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel: and the men of Israel went in flight before the Philistines, falling down wounded in Mount Gilboa.
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they put to death Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
So death overtook Saul and his three sons and his servant on the same day.
And when the men of Israel across the valley and on the other side of Jordan saw that the army of Israel was in flight and that Saul and his sons were dead, they came out of their towns and went in flight; and the Philistines came and took them for themselves.
Now on the day after, when the Philistines came to take their goods from the dead, they saw Saul and his three sons dead on the earth in Mount Gilboa.
And cutting off his head and taking away his war-dress, they sent word into the land of the Philistines round about, to take the news to their gods and to the people.
His war-dress they put in the house of Astarte; and his body was fixed on the wall of Beth-shan.
And when the people of Jabesh-gilead had news of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
All the fighting men got up and, travelling all night, took Saul's body and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh and had them burned there.
And their bones they put in the earth under a tree in Jabesh; and for seven days they took no food.