Saul's Overthrow and Death

(1 Samuel 31:1-6; 2 Samuel 1:1-16)

1And the Philistines have fought with Israel, and the men of Israel flee from the face of the Philistines, and fall wounded in mount Gilboa, 2and the Philistines pursue after Saul, and after his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-Shua, sons of Saul. 3And the battle is heavy on Saul, and those shooting with the bow find him, and he is wounded by those shooting, 4and Saul saith unto the bearer of his weapons, 'Draw thy sword, and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised come -- and have abused me.' And the bearer of his weapons hath not been willing, for he feareth exceedingly, and Saul taketh the sword, and falleth upon it; 5and the bearer of his weapons seeth that Saul is dead, and falleth, he also, on the sword, and dieth; 6and Saul dieth, and his three sons, and all his house -- together they died.

The Philistines Possess the Towns

(1 Samuel 31:7-10)

7And all the men of Israel who are in the valley see that they have fled, and that Saul and his sons have died, and they forsake their cities and flee, and the Philistines come and dwell in them.

8And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the Philistines come to strip the wounded, and find Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa, 9and strip him, and bear away his head, and his weapons, and send into the land of the Philistines round about to proclaim tidings to their idols and the people, 10and put his weapons in the house of their gods, and his skull they have fixed in the house of Dagon.

Jabesh-Gilead's Tribute to Saul

(1 Samuel 31:11-13)

11And all Jabesh-Gilead hear of all that the Philistines have done to Saul, 12and all the men of valour rise and bear away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and bring them in to Jabesh, and bury their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fast seven days.

13And Saul dieth because of his trespass that he trespassed against Jehovah, against the word of Jehovah that he kept not, and also for asking at a familiar spirit -- to inquire, -- 14and he inquired not at Jehovah, and He putteth him to death, and turneth round the kingdom to David son of Jesse.