1 The Philistines fought a battle against the Israelites on Mount Gilboa. Many Israelites were killed there, and the rest of them, including King Saul and his sons, fled.
2 But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 The fighting was heavy round Saul, and he was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded.
4 He said to the young man carrying his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, to keep these godless Philistines from gloating over me.” But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it.
5 The young man saw that Saul was dead, so he too threw himself on his sword and died.
6 So Saul and his three sons all died together and none of his descendants ever ruled.