¹² David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.^(A)

¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of Astarte,^[a] and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.^{(A) 11} But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,^{(B) 12} all the valiant men set out, traveled all night long, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They came to Jabesh and burned them there.^{(C) 13} Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.^(D)

¹¹ Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, Ibleam and its villages, the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages (the third is Naphath).^[a](A)

Death of Saul and His Sons

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.^(A)

⁵ David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him!^{(A) 6} Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I, too, will reward you because you have done this thing. ⁷ Therefore let your hands be strong and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

⁶ The young man reporting to him said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, while the chariots and the horsemen drew close to him.^(A)

The Death of Saul and His Sons

31 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and many fell^[a] on Mount Gilboa.^(A)

⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.^(A)

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