… And now the Philistines had engaged Israel; and the Israelites fled at their onslaught, and were cut down on mount Gelboe as they fled.

Ever harder the Philistines pressed on the retreat of Saul and of his sons, till at last his sons, Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchisua had fallen,

and he himself bore the whole weight of the attack. The archers were following close on his heels, and sorely the archers wounded him.

Then Saul bade his own squire draw on him and kill him; he would not have uncircumcised foes kill him with outrage. And when the squire’s heart failed him, so that he would not obey, Saul himself caught up a sword, and fell on it.

Whereupon, seeing his master dead, the squire fell upon his own sword, and died with him.

So perished Saul, and his three sons; his dynasty died with him.

And now the Israelites who lived in the plain took to flight; Saul and his sons killed, they dispersed and abandoned their cities, leaving the Philistines to come in and settle there.

Next day, coming to plunder the slain, the Philistines found Saul and his three sons, where they lay on mount Gelboe,

and they cut off Saul’s head, and stripped him of his armour, and sent these from place to place in their own country, to publish the news in the temples of their gods, and among their people.

His arms they dedicated in the temple of their own god, and nailed up his head in the temple of Dagon.

But the men of Jabes-Galaad came to hear of what the Philistines had done to Saul;

whereupon all their fighting men went and took down the bodies of Saul and of his sons; and reaching Gabes they buried them under the oak-tree there, and fasted seven days to lament them.✻

So died king Saul, for his guilt in disobeying the Lord’s command instead of carrying it out faithfully; for consulting the witch, too,

instead of trusting in the Lord; to death the Lord doomed him, and passed on his kingdom to David the son of Jesse.