1. After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days.
2. On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect.
3. "Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I've escaped from Israel's camp."
4. "What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "Israel's men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
5. David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
6. "I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa," the young man said. "Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him.
7. Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, 'What do you want me to do?'
8. "He asked me, 'Who are you?' " 'An Amalekite,' I answered.
9. "Then he said to me, 'Stand over me and kill me! I'm close to death, but I'm still alive.'
10. "So I stood over him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I've brought them here to you. You are my master."
11. Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them. All of his men did the same thing.
12. All of them were filled with sadness. They sobbed over the whole nation of Israel. They didn't eat anything until evening. That's because Saul and Jonathan and the Lord's army had been killed with swords.