1 Now 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 followed hard on Saul and on his sons; and the
Philistines killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 The battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he
was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then said Saul to his
armor bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these
uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer
would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on
it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on
his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his
armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 7 When the men of
Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond
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 lived
in them. 8 It happened on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip
the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 They cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the
land of the Philistines round about, to carry the news to the house of their
idols, and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of the
Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 When
the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard concerning him 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
Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 They took
their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted
seven days.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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