Saul’s Overthrow and Death 1And the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines, and fell downe wounded in mount Gilboa. 2And the Philistines preassed sore vpon Saul & his sonnes, & slue Ionathan, & Abinadab, & Melchisua, Sauls sonnes. 3And when the battaile went sore against Saul, the archers with bowes found him, and he was fore afrayde of the archers. 4The said Saul vnto his harnesse bearer, Draw out thy sword, & thrust me through therewith: lest the vncircumcised come and thrust me through & mocke me. And his harnesse bearer wolde not, for he was sore afrayd: Therefore Saul toke a sword, and fell vpon it. 5And when his harnesse bearer sawe that Saul was dead, he fell lykewise vpon his sword, and dyed with him. 6And so Saul dyed, & his three sonnes, and his harnesse bearer, and al his men that same day together. The Philistines Possess the Towns 7And when the men of Israel, that were on the other syde of the valley, and they of the other syde Iordaine, sawe that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sonnes were dead, they left the cities, and ran away, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 8On the morow when the Philistines were come to spoyle them that were slaine, they founde Saul and his three sonnes lying in mount Gilboa. 9And they cut of his head, and stripped him out of his harnesse, & sent into the land of ye Philistines on euery syde, that they should puplishe it in the temple of their idolles, and among the people. 10And they layed vp his harnesse in the house of Astaroth: but they hanged vp his body on the wall of Bethsan. Jabesh-gilead’s Tribute to Saul 11When the inhabitauntes of Iabes in Gilead heard thereof, what the Philistines had done to Saul: 12They arose, as many as were strong men, and went all night, & toke the bodie of Saul, & the bodies of his sonnes, from the wall of Bethsan, and came to Iabes, and burnt them there. 13And toke their bones & buryed them vnder a tree at Iabes, & fasted seuen dayes. |
    |