Targum Jonathan on I Samuel Chapter 31
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וּפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי מַגִיחִין קְרָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַפִּיכוּ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן קֳדָם פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וּנְפַלוּ קְטִילִין בְּטוּרָא דְגִלְבּוֹעַ:
Now the Philistines were waging war in Israel and the men of Israel retreated from before the Philistines and fell killed on Mount Gilboa.
וְאַדְבִּיקוּ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי יַת שָׁאוּל וְיַת בְּנוֹהִי וּקְטָלוּ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי יַת יְהוֹנָתָן וְיַת אֲבִינָדָב וְיַת מַלְכִּי שׁוּע בְּנֵי שָׁאוּל:
And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
וְתַקִיפוּ עָבְדֵי קְרָבָא עַל שָׁאוּל וְאַשְׁכְּחוֹהִי קַשְׁתַּיָא גַבְרִין דְאוּמָנִין לְמֵיגַד בְּקַשְׁתָּא וּדְחִיל לַחֲדָא מִקַשְׁתַּיָא:
The wagers of war pressed hard upon Saul and the archers found him, men who were skilled at bending the bow. And he feared greatly from the archers.
וַאֲמַר שָׁאוּל לְנָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ שְׁלוֹף חַרְבָּךְ וְקַטְלַנִי בָהּ דִלְמָא יֵיתוּן עֲרֵלַיָא הָאִלֵין וְיִקְטְלוּנַנִי וְיִתְלַעֲבוּן בִּי וְלָא אָבָא נָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אֲרֵי דָחִיל לַחֲדָא וּנְסִיב שָׁאוּל יַת חַרְבָּא וּנְפַל עֲלָהּ:
Then Saul said to his armour bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me with it, lest these uncircumcised come and kill me and mock me.” But his armour bearer would not, for he feared greatly. So Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
וַחֲזָא נָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אֲרֵי מִית שָׁאוּל וּנְפַל אַף הוּא עַל חַרְבֵּיהּ וּמִית עִמֵיהּ:
And when his armour bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
וּמִית שָׁאוּל וּתְלָתָא בְּנוֹהִי וְנָטֵל זְיָנֵיהּ אַף כָּל גַבְרוֹהִי בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא כַּחֲדָא:
Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour bearer, all his men on that very day together.
וַחֲזוֹ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל דִבְּעִבְרָא דְמֵישְׁרָא וְדִבְּעִבְרָא דְיַרְדְנָא אֲרֵי אַפִיכוּ אֱנָשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲרֵי מִיתוּ שָׁאוּל וּבְנוֹהִי וּשְׁבָקוּ יַת קִרְוַיָא וְאַפִּיכוּ וַאֲתוֹ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וִיתִיבוּ בְהוֹן:
And when the men of Israel, those on the other side of the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had retreated and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left the cities and retreated. And the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
וַהֲוָה בְּיוֹמָא דְבַתְרוֹהִי וַאֲתוֹ פְלִשְׁתָּאֵי לְחַלָצָא קְטִילַיָא וְאַשְׁכָּחוּ יַת שָׁאוּל וְיַת תְּלָתָא בְּנוֹהִי קַטִילִין רְמָן בְּטוּרָא דְגִלְבּוֹעַ:
On the day after, when the Philistines came to strip the killed ones, they found Saul and his three sons killed, lying on Mount Gilboa.
וּפְסַקוּ יַת רֵישֵׁיהּ וְחַלִיצוּ זְיָנֵיהּ וּשְׁלָחוּ בְּאַרְעָא דִפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי סְחוֹר סְחוֹר לְבַסָרָא בֵּית טַעֲוַתְהוֹן וְיַת עַמָא:
And they cut off his head and stripped off his armour. And they sent [messengers] throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news into the house of their idols and to the people.
וְשַׁוִיאוּ יַת זְיָנֵיהּ בֵּית עַשְׁתְּרָתָא וְיַת גוּפֵיהּ צְלָבוּ בְּשׁוּרָא דְבֵית שָׁן:
They put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth and they hung his body on the wall of Beth shan.
וּשְׁמָעוּ עֲלוֹהִי יַתְבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִלְעָד יַת דַעֲבַדוּ פְּלִשְׁתָּאֵי לְשָׁאוּל:
But when the inhabitants of Jabesh gilead heard about it – what the Philistines had done to Saul –
וְקָמוּ כָּל גְבַר גִבַּר וַאֲזַלוּ כָּל לֵילְיָא וּנְסִיבוּ יַת גוּפָא דְשָׁאוּל וְיַת גוּפֵי בְּנוֹהִי מִשׁוּרָא דְבֵית שָׁן וַאֲתוֹ לְיָבֵשׁ וּקְלוֹ עֲלֵיהוֹן כְּמָא דְקָלַן עַל מַלְכַיָא תַּמָן:
all the heroic men arose and went all night. They took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth shan. And when they came to Jabesh, they kindled for them a fire, as they used to kindle for the kings there.
וּנְסִיבוּ יַת גַרְמֵיהוֹן וּקְבָרוּ תְּחוֹת אֲשֵׁלָא בְּיָבֵשׁ וְצָמוּ שַׁבְעָא יוֹמִין:
And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.