1 Samuel 31

Tree of Life Version

Saul Killed on Mt. Gilboa

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. Israel’s men fled before the Philistines and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers hit him, so he was severely wounded by the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, or else these uncircumcised will come and thrust me through after torturing me.” But his armor-bearer refused, for he was too afraid. So Saul took the 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, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ It was the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to spread the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹ Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men set out and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, then went to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted for seven days.