1The Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and the slain fell on Mount Gilboa.2The Philistines pursued after Saul and after his sons, and the Philistines struck Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.3The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him with the bow, and he trembled from the archers.4Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me." His armor-bearer would not, because he was very afraid. Therefore Saul took the sword and fell upon it.5When his armor-bearer saw that Saul had died, he also fell upon the sword and died.6Saul and his three sons and all his house died together.7When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and settled in them.8The next day the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa.9They stripped him, took his head and his armor, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news to their idols and to the people.10They placed his armor in the house of their god and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.11All the people of Jabesh-gilead heard everything that the Philistines had done to Saul.12All the valiant men arose, took up the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, brought them to Jabesh-gilead, buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.13Saul died because of his unfaithfulness in which he was unfaithful to the LORD regarding the word of the LORD that he had not kept, and also because he inquired of a medium to seek guidance.14He did not seek the LORD, so the LORD put him to death and transferred the kingship to David the son of Jesse.