1Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa.2The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.3The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.4Saul said to his armour-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.’ But the armour-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.5When the armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.6So Saul and his three sons and his armour-bearer and all his men died together that same day.7When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.9They cut off his head and stripped off his armour, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.10They put his armour in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.11When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,12all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.13Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
1 Samuel 31
English Standard Version
The Death of Saul
1Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. (1Sa 28:4; 2Sa 1:6; 2Sa 1:21; 2Sa 21:12; 1Ch 10:1)2And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. (1Sa 14:49; 1Ch 8:33)3The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. (2Sa 1:6)4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. (Jud 9:54; Jud 14:3; 2Sa 1:10; 2Sa 1:14)5And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.6Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.7And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.9So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. (Jud 16:23; 2Sa 1:20)10They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. (Jos 17:11; Jud 2:13; 1Sa 21:9)11But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, (1Sa 11:1; 2Sa 21:10)12all 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 they came to Jabesh and burned them there. (2Sa 2:4; 2Ch 16:14; 2Ch 21:19; Jer 34:5)13And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. (Ge 50:10; 1Sa 22:6; 2Sa 21:12; 2Sa 21:14)