The First Book of Samuel

1Sa 31:1 Now the Phi-lis´-tines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Phi-lis´tines, and fell down slain in mount Gil-bo´-a.

1Sa 31:2 And the Phi-lis´-tines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Phi-lis´-tines slew Jonathan, and A-bin´-a-dab, and Mal´-chi–shu´a, Saul’s sons.

1Sa 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

1Sa 31:4 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.

1Sa 31:5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

1Sa 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

1Sa 31:7 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 Phi-lis´-tines came and dwelt in them.

1Sa 31:8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Phi-lis´-tines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gil-bo´-a.

1Sa 31:9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Phi-lis´-tines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

1Sa 31:10 And they put his armour in the house of Ash´-ta-roth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth´–shan.

1Sa 31:11 And when the inhabitants of Ja´-besh–gil´-e-ad heard of that which the Phi-lis´-tines had done to Saul;

1Sa 31:12 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 Beth´–shan, and came to Ja´-besh, and burnt them there.

1Sa 31:13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Ja´-besh, and fasted seven days.