David Receives News Of Saul And Jonathan

1After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David stayed in Ziklag two days.

2On the third day, behold, a man came from the camp, from Saul, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down.

3David said to him, “Where have you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

4David said to him, “What happened? Please tell me.” He said, “The people fled from the battle, and many of the people also fell and died; and Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead.”

5Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

6And the young man who told him said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were closing in on him.”

7He turned around and saw me, and he called to me, and I said, “Here I am.”

8He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

9And he said to me, ‘Please stand over me and put me to death, for anguish has seized me, though my life is still in me.’

10So I stood over him and put him to death, because I knew that he would not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I brought them here to my lord.