1 Samuel 31

1The Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

2The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

3And the battle grew heavy against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was greatly wounded by the archers.

4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer was not willing, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.

6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, together on that day.

7When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8The next day, the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines all around, to proclaim the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

10They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroths, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

11When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard about what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12Then all the valiant men arose and went all night, and they 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.

13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.