1. After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.
2. On the third day a man came from the field of battle, one of Saul’s people, with his garments torn and his head covered with dirt. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.
3. David asked him, “Where have you come from?” He replied, “From the Israelite camp: I have escaped.”
4. “What happened?” David said. “Tell me.” He answered that the soldiers had fled the battle and many of them had fallen and were dead; and that Saul and his son Jonathan were dead.
5. Then David said to the youth who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6. The youth reporting to him replied: “I happened to find myself on Mount Gilboa and saw Saul leaning on his spear, with chariots and horsemen closing in on him.
7. He turned around and saw me, and called me to him. When I said, ‘Here I am,’
8. he asked me, ‘Who are you?’ and I replied, ‘An Amalekite.’
9. Then he said to me, ‘Stand over me, please, and put me to death, for I am in great suffering, but still alive.’
10. So I stood over him and put him to death, for I knew that he could not survive his wound. I removed the crown from his head and the armlet from his arm and brought them here to my lord.”
11. David seized his garments and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
12. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.