1 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul. The archers found him, and he was in anguish because of them. 4 Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, so these uncircumcised men do not come and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer refused because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

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

6 So Saul and his three sons died; his whole house died together. 7 When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the men had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The Philistines came and settled in them.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him, took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to announce the news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his skull in the temple of Dagon.

11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men rose up, took Saul’s body and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the terebinth at Jabesh and fasted seven days. 13 Saul died because of the unfaithfulness he had committed against the LORD: he did not keep the word of the LORD, and he also consulted a medium to seek guidance. 14 He did not seek the LORD, so the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.