Old Testament · 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 31

Saul’s Overthrow and Death

(2 Samuel 1:1–16; 1 Chronicles 10:1–6)

1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men^a of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

2And the Philistines pressed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines smote Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3And the battle was heavy against Saul, and the archers found him, men with the bow; and he was in great anguish because of the archers.

4And Saul said to the bearer of his weapons: "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through and make sport of me." But the bearer of his weapons was not willing, for he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell upon it.

5And the bearer of his weapons saw that Saul was dead, and he also fell upon his sword and died with him.

6And Saul died, and his three sons, and the bearer of his weapons, also all his men, on that day together.

The Philistines Possess the Towns

(1 Chronicles 10:7–10)

7And the men of Israel who were across the valley, and those who were across the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, and they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8And it came to pass on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. 9And they cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and they sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to bring the news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10And they put his weapons in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul

(1 Chronicles 10:11–14)

11And the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12and all the men of valor arose and went all the night, and they took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.