Verse 1: AmaFilisti alwa no-Israyeli; abantu bakwa-Israyeli babaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, bawa begwaziwe entabeni yaseGilibowa.
Verse 2: AmaFilisti axosha uSawule namadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala oJonathani, no-Abinadaba, noMaliki Shuwa, amadodana kaSawule.
Verse 3: Impi yaba nzima kuSawule; abacibishelayo bamfica; wakhathazeka ngenxa yabacibishelayo.
Verse 4: USawule wayesethi odibini lwezikhali zakhe: Hosha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, funa labo abangasokile bafike, bangone. Kepha aluvumanga udibi lwezikhali zakhe, ngokuba lwesaba kakhulu. Ngalokho uSawule wayithatha inkemba, wawela phezu kwayo.
Verse 5: Udibi lwezikhali zakhe selubonile ukuthi uSawule ufile, lwawela nalo phezu kwenkemba, lwafa.
Verse 6: Wafa-ke uSawule namadodana akhe amathathu; nendlu yakhe yonke yafa kanyekanye.
Verse 7: Lapho bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababe sesigodini bebona ukuthi babaleka nokuthi uSawule namadodana akhe bafile, bashiya imizi yabo, babaleka; amaFilisti afika, ahlala kuyo.
Verse 8: Kwathi ngangomuso, lapho amaFilisti efika ukuphanga ababuleweyo, afumana uSawule namadodana akhe bewile entabeni yaseGilibowa.
Verse 9: Amphanga, athatha ikhanda lakhe nezikhali zakhe, akuthuma ezweni lamaFilisti nxazonke ukukumemezela kuzo izithombe zawo nakubantu.
Verse 10: Azibeka izikhali zakhe endlini yawonkulunkulu bawo, abethela ikhanda lakhe endlini kaDagoni.
Verse 11: Selizwile iJabeshi Gileyadi konke amaFilisti ayekwenzile kuSawule,
Verse 12: kwasuka onke amadoda anamandla, asithatha isidumbu sikaSawule nezidumbu zamadodana akhe, aziletha eJabeshi, awembela amathambo abo phansi kwe-oki eJabeshi, azila ukudla izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
Verse 13: Wafa kanjalo-ke uSawule ngesiphambeko sakhe aphambuka ngaso kuJehova ngenxa yezwi likaJehova angaligcinanga nangokuba kade eyile ukubhula konedlozi ukuba abuze kuye,
Verse 14: engabuzanga kuJehova; ngalokho-ke wambulala, wabuyisela umbuso kuDavide indodana kaJese.