The Death of Saul and His Sons
1 Chronicles 10, verse 1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 2. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed the sons of Saul—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 3. The battle became fierce against Saul, and he was wounded by the archers who struck him. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 4. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and dishonor me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 5. And when his armor-bearer saw Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 6. So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 7. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, that Saul and his sons were dead, and that they left their cities fleeing, then the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 8. So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 9. They stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 10. Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head to the temple of Dagon. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 11. And when all of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines did to Saul, 1 Chronicles 10, verse 12. all the valiant men arose from Gilead and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons back with them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak tree at Jabesh and fasted seven days. 1 Chronicles 10, verse 13. So Saul died for his lawlessness which he committed against the Lord, according to the Word of the Lord, because he did not keep it, and because Saul sought counsel of a wizard and Samuel the prophet answered him; so He slew him and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.