1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of
Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And
the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines
slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And
the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore
wounded of the archers.
4 Then
said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through
therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me.
But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a
sword, and fell upon it.
5 And
when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword,
and died with him.
6 So
Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same
day together.
7 And
when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on
the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his
sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and
dwelt in them.
8 And
it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain,
that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 And
they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of
the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among
the people.
10 And
they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to
the wall of Bethshan.
11 And
when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had
done to Saul;
12 All
the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the
bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt
them there.
13 And
they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted
seven days.
