¶ Now the Philistines fought¹ against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain² in mount Gilboa.

And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan³, and Abinadab⁴, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

And the battle went⁶ sore against Saul, and the archers⁷ hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw⁸ thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised⁹ come and abuse¹⁰ me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was¹¹ sore afraid. So Saul took¹² a sword, and fell upon it.

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.

So Saul¹³ died, and his three sons, and all his house¹⁴ died together.

And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they¹⁵ forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip¹⁶ the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

And when they had stripped him, they took¹⁷ his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings¹⁸ unto their idols, and to the people.

¶ And they put his armour in the house of their gods¹⁹, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

And when²¹ all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak²² in Jabesh, and fasted²³ seven days.

So Saul died for his transgression which he committed²⁴ against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking²⁵ counsel of one that had a familiar²⁶ spirit, to enquire of it;

And enquired²⁷ not of the LORD: therefore he slew²⁸ him, and turned²⁹ the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse³⁰.