THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

1 Samuel 31 ©

The Israelites are smitten of the Philistines, v. 1, etc. Also Saul’s sons are slain, 2. Saul is wounded, 3. He falls upon his own sword, 4. So does likewise his armor-bearer, 5. Saul dies; his three sons, his armor-bearer, and his people perish, 6. The rest flee, forsaking the cities, 7. The Philistines cut off Saul’s head, 8. And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and hang his body on the wall at Beth-shan, 10. Those of Jabesh take down the bodies of Saul, and of his sons, and burn them, 12. And bury their bones, 13.

1

NOW1 the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down 2slain in mount Gilboa.

2

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and 3Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

3

And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers 4hit him; and 5he was sore wounded of the archers.

4

Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, 6and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and 7fell upon it.

5

And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and 8all his men, that same day together.

7

¶And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of 9the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and 10dwelt in them.

8

And it came to pass on 11the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9

And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and 12sent into the land of the Philistines round about, 13to publish it in the house of their 14idols, and among the people.

10

And they put his armour in the house of 15Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body 16to the wall of 17Beth-shan.

11

¶And when 18the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

12

All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and 19burnt them there.

13

And they took their bones, and buried them 20under a tree at Jabesh, and 21fasted seven days.