1 Samuel 31

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.

3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.

4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and run me through and torture me!” But his armor-bearer was terrified and refused to do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.

5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.

6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

7 When the Israelites along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that the army of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and ran away. So the Philistines came and occupied their cities.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9 They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temples of their idols and among their people.

10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.

13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

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.

1 And the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

2 And the Philistines attached themselves to Saul and to his sons, and smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

3 And the battle was sore against Saul, and the archers smote him with bows, and he was greatly wounded of the archers.

4 And Saul said unto his armourbearer, Put forth thy sword, and thrust me therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and stab me, and make a mockery of me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, at the same time that day.

7 And when the men of Israel that were beyond the bottom, and that were beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel were fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled also: so the Philistines came and dwelt within.

8 And the next day the Philistines came to strip the slain, and found Saul and his three sons lying in mount Gilboa.

9 And they cut off his head, and stripped him of his weapons, and sent them abroad into the land of the Philistines, to proclaim in the house of their idols, and among the people.

10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth, but they hanged his body upon the wall of Bethsan.

11 And they that were at Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 And they arose, which were men of valour, and went all night, and took the dead bodies of Saul and of his sons from the wall of Bethsan, and brought them to Jabesh, and burned them there.

13 And they took their bones, and buried them under the tree of Jabesh, and fasted seven days.