the utmost danger from the enemy [for they had nothing
else to hope for]; so they brought upon themselves the whole power of
the enemy, till they were encompassed round and slain, but not before
they had killed many of the Philistines Now the sons of Saul were
Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchisua; and when these were slain the
multitude of the Hebrews were put to flight, and all was disorder, and
confusion, and slaughter, upon the Philistines pressing in upon them.
But Saul himself fled, having a strong body of soldiers about him; and
upon the Philistines sending after them those that threw javelins and
shot arrows, he lost all his company except a few. As for himself, he
fought with great bravery; and when he had received so many wounds, that
he was not able to bear up nor to oppose any longer, and yet was not
able to kill himself, he bade his armor-bearer draw his sword, and
run him through, before the enemy should take him alive. But his
armor-bearer not daring to kill his master, he drew his own sword, and
placing himself over against its point, he threw himself upon it; and
when he could neither run it through him, nor, by leaning against
it, make the sword pass through him, he turned him round, and asked a
certain young man that stood by who he was; and when he understood that
he was an Amalekite, he desired him to force the sword through him,
because he was not able to do it with his own hands, and thereby
to procure him such a death as he desired. This the young man did
accordingly; and he took the golden bracelet that was on Saul's arm,
and his royal crown that was on his head, and ran away. And when Saul's
armor-bearer saw that he was slain, he killed himself; nor did any of
the king's guards escape, but they all fell upon the mountain called
Gilboa. But when those Hebrews that dwelt in the valley beyond Jordan,
and those who had their cities in the plain, heard that Saul and his
sons were fallen, and that the multitude about them were destroyed, they
left their own cities, and fled to such as were the best fortified and
fenced; and the Philistines, finding those cities deserted, came and
dwelt in them.

8. On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip their enemies
that were slain, they got the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and
stripped them, and cut off their heads; and they sent messengers all
about their country, to acquaint them that their enemies were fallen;
and they dedicated their armor in th