1 Samuel 31
1 Meanwhile the Philistines had attacked Israel, and the Israelite army ran away from them, and many were killed on Mount Gilboa.
And the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on mount Gilboa.
2 The Philistines chased down Saul and his sons, killing Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
3 The fighting became very intense around Saul, and the arrows of the Philistine archers found their target, wounding Saul very badly.
And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers came up with him; and he was much terrified by the archers.
4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Take your sword and kill me, or these heathen men will come and kill and torture me!” But the armor-bearer didn't want to do it because he was too afraid. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
Then said Saul to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armour-bearer would not; for he was much afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.
5 When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him.
And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on his sword, and died with him.
6 Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all the men with him, died the same day.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.
7 When the Israelites who lived along the valley and those on the other side of the Jordan realized that the Israelite army had run away, and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and they also ran away. So the Philistines came and took them over.
And when the men of Israel that were on this side of the valley, and [they] that were on this side of the 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 The next day, when the Philistines went to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa.
And it came to pass the next day, that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on mount Gilboa.
9 They cut off Saul's head, stripped him of his armor, and sent messengers throughout the country of the Philistines to announce the news in the temples of their idols and to their people.
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent [them] into the land of the Philistines round about, to announce the glad tidings in the houses of their idols, and to the people.
10 They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and nailed his body to the town wall of Beth-shan.
And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 However, when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard of what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all their strong warriors set out, traveled all night, and took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they got back to Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.
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 burned them there.
13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.
And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
