⁴ So the Philistines assembled and came and camped ^(A)in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in ^(B)Gilboa.

Saul and His Sons Killed in Battle

31 ^(A)Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines but fell fatally wounded ^(B)on Mount Gilboa. ² And the Philistines also overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines ^[a]killed ^(C)Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. ^3 (D)The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers found him; and he was gravely wounded by the archers. ^4 (E)Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise ^(F)these uncircumcised Philistines will come and pierce me through, and abuse me.” But his armor bearer was unwilling, because he was very fearful. ^(G)So Saul took ^[b]his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised Philistines will come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. ^(A)So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died. ^6 (B)So Saul died with his three sons, and all those of his house died together.

⁷ When all the people of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ It came about the next day, when the Philistines came to strip those killed, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ^9 (C)So they stripped him and took his head and his armor and sent messengers around the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the house of their gods and ^[a]impaled his head in the house of Dagon.