by me: and the Lord hath rent the
kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to
David. Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, and didst not
execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done
this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will deliver Israel
also with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to-morrow shalt
thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord shall deliver the host of
Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."

Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was
sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength
in him; for he had eaten no food all the day, nor all the night.

THE FATAL FIELD OF GILBOA.

_The Tide of Battle Rolls Over King Saul and His Sons_.

Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled
from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa. And
the Philistines followed hard upon Saul, and upon his sons; and the
Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of
Saul. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers overtook
him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

Then said Saul to his armorbearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me
through therewith; lest the Philistines come and thrust me through,
and maltreat me."

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But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul
took his sword and fell upon it.

And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon
his sword, and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and
his armorbearer, and all his men, that same day together. And when the
men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that
were beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and
his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the
Philistines came and dwelt in them.

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip
the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount
Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and
sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the
tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people. And they put
his armor in the house of the god Ashtaroth: and they fastened his
body to the wall of Beth-shan. And when the inhabitants of
Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the
valiant men ar