1Engang angreb filistrene israelitternes lejr på Gilboahøjen. Israels hær flygtede og efterlod mange faldne rundt om på højens skråninger. (1.Sam 31,1)2Filistrene satte efter Saul og hans sønner, Jonatan, Abinadab og Malkishua, og det lykkedes dem at dræbe sønnerne.3Kampen rasede omkring Saul, og det lykkedes filistrenes bueskytter at få ram på ham. Han blev såret4og råbte til sin våbendrager: „Træk dit sværd og gennembor mig, før de ugudelige og uomskårne filistre kommer og vanærer mig.” Men våbendrageren kunne ikke få sig selv til at dræbe Saul. Derfor tog Saul sit sværd og kastede sig mod det, så sværdet gennemborede ham.5Da våbendrageren så, at Saul var død, fulgte han sin herres eksempel og kastede sig mod sit eget sværd.6Den dag døde både Saul og hans tre sønner, og dermed var hans slægt uddød.7Da de israelitter, der boede i dalen, blev klar over, at hæren var flygtet, og at Saul og hans sønner var døde, flygtede de fra deres byer, og filistrene overtog byerne.8Næste dag drog filistrene ud for at plyndre de faldne, og de fandt Sauls og hans sønners lig på Gilboahøjen.9Så tog de Sauls våben og huggede hovedet af ham, hvorefter de sendte sejrsbudskabet hjem til alle deres afgudstempler og landsmænd.10Sauls våben blev udstillet på afgudstemplets væg, og hans hoved blev hængt op på Dagontemplets mur.11Men da indbyggerne i Jabesh i Gilead hørte, hvad filistrene havde gjort ved Saul,12drog deres tapre krigere af sted for at hente Sauls og hans sønners lig. De begravede dem under egetræet i Jabesh, hvorefter de sørgede og fastede i syv dage.
Hvorfor Saul døde
13Saul døde på grund af sin utroskab mod Herren. Han adlød ikke Herrens befalinger, men søgte endog råd hos en åndemaner.14Han søgte ikke råd hos Herren, og derfor lod Herren ham dø og overgav riget til David, Isajs søn.
1Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. (1.Sam 31,1)2And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.3The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers.4Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.5And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died.6Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together.7And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army[1] had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.9And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people.10And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.11But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,12all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.13So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. (1.Sam 13,13; 1.Sam 15,23; 1.Sam 28,7)14He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. (1.Sam 15,28; 1.Sam 28,6; 2.Sam 3,9; 1.Krøn 12,23)