TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
I - Chapter 10
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1The Philistines attacked Yisrael, and the men of Yisrael fled before the Philistines and [many] fell on Mount Gilboa.
אוּפְלִשְׁתִּים נִלְחֲמוּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּנָס אִישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּפְּלוּ חֲלָלִים בְּהַר גִּלְבֹּעַ׃
2The Philistines pursued Shaul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Yonatan, Avinadav, and Malchishua, sons of Shaul.
בוַיַּדְבְּקוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אַחֲרֵי שָׁאוּל וְאַחֲרֵי בָנָיו וַיַּכּוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת־יוֹנָתָן וְאֶת־אֲבִינָדָב וְאֶת־מַלְכִּי־שׁוּעַ בְּנֵי שָׁאוּל׃
3The battle raged around Shaul, and the archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.
גוַתִּכְבַּד הַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־שָׁאוּל וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ הַמּוֹרִים בַּקָּשֶׁת וַיָּחֶל מִן־הַיּוֹרִים׃
4Shaul said to his arms-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, so that these uncircumcised may not come and make sport of me.” But his arms-bearer, out of great awe, refused; whereupon Shaul grasped the sword and fell upon it.
דוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־נֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו שְׁלֹף חַרְבְּךָ וְדָקְרֵנִי בָהּ פֶּן־יָבֹאוּ הָעֲרֵלִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִי וְלֹא אָבָה נֹשֵׂא כֵלָיו כִּי יָרֵא מְאֹד וַיִּקַּח שָׁאוּל אֶת־הַחֶרֶב וַיִּפֹּל עָלֶיהָ׃
5When the arms-bearer saw that Shaul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died.
הוַיַּרְא נֹשֵׂא־כֵלָיו כִּי מֵת שָׁאוּל וַיִּפֹּל גַּם־הוּא עַל־הַחֶרֶב וַיָּמֹת׃
6Thus Shaul and his three sons and his entire house died together.
ווַיָּמָת שָׁאוּל וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת בָּנָיו וְכָל־בֵּיתוֹ יַחְדָּו מֵתוּ׃
7And when all the men of Yisrael who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Shaul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled; the Philistines then came and occupied them.
זוַיִּרְאוּ כָּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־בָּעֵמֶק כִּי נָסוּ וְכִי־מֵתוּ שָׁאוּל וּבָנָיו וַיַּעַזְבוּ עָרֵיהֶם וַיָּנֻסוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָּהֶם׃
8The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Shaul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
חוַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּבֹאוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים לְפַשֵּׁט אֶת־הַחֲלָלִים וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֶת־שָׁאוּל וְאֶת־בָּנָיו נֹפְלִים בְּהַר גִּלְבֹּעַ׃
9They stripped him, and carried off his head and his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the news to their idols and among the people.
טוַיַּפְשִׁיטֻהוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶת־כֵּלָיו וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ בְאֶרֶץ־פְלִשְׁתִּים סָבִיב לְבַשֵּׂר אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶם וְאֶת־הָעָם׃
10They placed his armor in the temple of their god, and they impaled his head in the temple of Dagan.
יוַיָּשִׂימוּ אֶת־כֵּלָיו בֵּית אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֶת־גֻּלְגָּלְתּוֹ תָקְעוּ בֵּית דָּגוֹן׃
11When all Jabesh-gilead heard everything that the Philistines had done to Shaul,
יאוַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כֹּל יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים לְשָׁאוּל׃
12all their stalwart men set out, removed the bodies of Shaul and his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried the bones under the oak tree in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.
יבוַיָּקוּמוּ כָּל־אִישׁ חַיִל וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־גּוּפַת שָׁאוּל וְאֵת גּוּפֹת בָּנָיו וַיְבִיאוּם יָבֵישָׁה וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֶת־עַצְמוֹתֵיהֶם תַּחַת הָאֵלָה בְּיָבֵשׁ וַיָּצוּמוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃
13Shaul died for the trespass that he had committed against Hashem in not having fulfilled the command of Hashem; moreover, he had consulted a ghost to seek advice,
יגוַיָּמָת שָׁאוּל בְּמַעֲלוֹ אֲשֶׁר מָעַל בַּיהֹוָה עַל־דְּבַר יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמָר וְגַם־לִשְׁאוֹל בָּאוֹב לִדְרוֹשׁ׃
14and did not seek advice of Hashem; so He had him slain and the kingdom transferred to David son of Yishai.
v'-LO da-RASH ba-do-NAI vai-mee-TAY-hu va-ya-SAYV et ha-m'-lu-KHAH l'-da-VEED ben yi-SHAI
ידוְלֹא־דָרַשׁ בַּיהֹוָה וַיְמִיתֵהוּ וַיַּסֵּב אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָה לְדָוִיד בֶּן־יִשָׁי׃
10:14 The kingdom transferred to David son of Yishai
Shaul was given a double punishment for the sins he had committed, which included consulting Shmuel’s spirit in contravention of Torah law (I Samuel 28): He died, and his kingdom was transferred to David. Consulting a spirit is a crime labeled as an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Only someone with an outstanding record of righteousness is truly fit to lead the People of Israel in the Land of Israel.