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the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. 3 The battle grew fierce against Saul, and the archers came upon him, and he was wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armour-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and abuse me.” But his armour-bearer would not, for he was terrified. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together.
7 When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.
8 The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they stripped Saul and took his head and his armour, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the good news to their idols and their people. 10 They put his armour in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their valiant men set out and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord, for he did not keep the word of the Lord. He also had even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.