1 Chronicles

Chapter 10

1 The Philistines battled Israel; Israel’s men ran from the Philistines and were killed on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines chased Saul and his sons closely; they killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.

3 The fight grew tough for Saul, and the bowmen shot him, and he was hurt by the bowmen.

4 Then Saul told his armor-bearer, “Pull out your sword and stab me with it; so that these uncircumcised men won’t come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer didn’t want to, because he was very scared. So, Saul took a sword and fell on it.

5 When his helper saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died.

6 Saul died, along with his three sons and his whole family.

7 When all the Israelite men in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away too. Then the Philistines came and lived in those towns.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to rob the dead, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa.

9 After they took off his clothes, they took his head and armor and sent them around the land of the Philistines to bring news to their gods and the people.

10 They placed his armor in the house of their gods and hung his head in Dagon’s temple.

11 When everyone in Jabeshgilead heard what the Philistines did to Saul,

12 Brave men got up, took Saul and his sons’ bodies, brought them to Jabesh, buried their bones under the oak there, and did not eat for seven days.

13 Saul died because he sinned against God by not following God’s word and also because he looked for advice from someone who talked with spirits.

14 He did not ask God; so God killed him and gave the kingdom to David, Jesse’s son.