1Now the Philistines fought against Israel : and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines , and fell down slain in mount Gilboa . 2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons ; and the Philistines slew Jonathan , and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua , the sons of Saul . 3And the battle went sore against Saul , and the archers overtook him ; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers . 4Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword , and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through , and abuse me . But his armorbearer would not ; for he was sore afraid . Therefore Saul took his sword , and fell upon it . 5And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead , he likewise fell upon his sword , and died with him . 6So Saul died , and his three sons , and his armorbearer, and all his men , that same day together .
The Philistines' Triumph and Desecration
7And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley , and they that were beyond the 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 dwelt in them . 8And it came to pass on the morrow , 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 armor , and sent into the land of the Philistines round about , to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols , and to the people . 10And they put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth ; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan . 11And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul , 12all 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 they came to Jabesh , and burnt them there . 13And they took their bones , and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh , and fasted seven days .