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.
And the Philistines fought with Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fall down wounded in the mountain in Gelbue.
2 The Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines strike Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul.
3 When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers overtook him and wounded him critically.
And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.
4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run it through me, 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.
And Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly: so Saul took his sword and fell upon it.
5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died with him.
And his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, and he fell also himself upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, in that day together.
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.
And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they leave their cities and flee: and the Philistines come and dwell in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
And it came to pass on the morrow that the Philistines come to strip the dead, and they find Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gelbue.
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.
And they turned him, and stripped off his armor, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people.
10 They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
And they set up his armor at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Baethsam.
11 When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
And the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad hear what the Philistines did 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.
And they rose up, [even] every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Baethsam; and they bring them to Jabis, and burn them there.
13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
And they take their bones, and bury them in the field that is in Jabis, and fast seven days.
