Saul Killed by the Philistines^(A)

31 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the army^[a] of Israel fled before the Philistines. They fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons. ³ The heaviest fighting was directed toward Saul,^[b] and when the bowmen who were shooting located Saul, he was severely wounded by them.^[c]

⁴ Saul told his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised people will come and run me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer did not want to do it^[d] because he was very frightened, so Saul took the 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 As a result, Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together that day. ⁷ When the men of Israel who were across the valley and who were across the Jordan saw that the army^[e] of Israel had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them.