Saul's overthrow and death.

1 ¶ Now the Philistinesº foughtºª against Israel;º and the menº of Israelº fledºª from beforeº² the Philistines,º and fell downºª slainº in mountº Gilboa.º 2 And the Philistinesº followed hardºª afterº Saul,º and afterº his sons;º and the Philistinesº slewºª² Jonathan,º and Abinadab,º and Malchishua,º the sonsº of Saul.º 3 And the battleº went soreºª against² Saul,º and the archersººª hitºª him, and he was woundedºª of² the archers.ºª 4 Then saidºª Saulº to² his armourbearer,ººª Drawºª thy sword,º and thrust¹ª me through² therewith; lest² these² uncircumcisedº comeºª and abuseºª me. But his armourbearerººª wouldºª not;² for² he was sore¹ afraid.ºª² So Saulº tookºª² a sword,º and fellºª upon² it. 5 And when his armourbearerººª sawºª that² Saulº was dead,ºª he² fellºª likewise² on² the sword,º and died.ºª 6 So Saulº died,ºª and his threeº sons,º and all² his houseº diedºª together.º 7 And when all² the menº of Israelº that² [were] in the valleyº sawºª that² they fled,ºª and that² Saulº and his sonsº were dead,ºª then they forsookºª their cities,º and fled:ºª and the Philistinesº cameºª and dweltºª in them.

The Philistines triumph over Saul.

8 ¶ And it came to pass² on² the morrow,º when the Philistinesº cameºª to stripºª² the slain,º that they foundºª² Saulº and his sonsº fallenºª in mountº Gilboa.º 9 And when they had strippedºª him, they tookºª² his head,º and his armour,º and sentºª into the landº of the Philistinesº round about,º to carry tidingsºª² unto their idols,º and to the people.º 10 And they putºª² his armourº in the houseº of their gods,º and fastenedºª his headº in the templeº of Dagon.º

The kindness of Jabesh-gilead towards Saul and his sons.

11 ¶ And when all² Jabeshgileadºº heardºª² all² that² the Philistinesº had doneºª to Saul,º 12 They arose,ºª all² the valiantº men,º and took awayºª² the bodyº of Saul,º and the bodiesº of his sons,º and broughtºª them to Jabesh,º and buriedºª² their bonesº under² the oakº in Jabesh,º and fastedºª sevenº days.º

Saul's sin, for which the kingdom was translated from him to David.

13 ¶ So Saulº diedºª for his transgressionº which² he committedºª against the LORD,º [even] against² the wordº of the LORD,º which² he keptºª not,² and also² for askingºª [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit,º to enquireºª [of it]; 14 And enquiredºª not² of the LORD:º therefore he slewºª him, and turnedºª² the kingdomº unto Davidº the sonº of Jesse.º