1 Samuel 31
- Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and
fell down slain in mount
Gilboa.
- And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and
the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
- And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and
he was sore wounded of the archers.
- 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.
- And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was
dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
- So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer,
and all his men, that same day together.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
- And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead
heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
- 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 Beth-shan,
and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
- And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.