David’s Defeat of the Amalekites

30 David and his men^(A) arrived in Ziklag^(B) on the third day. The Amalekites^(C) had raided the Negev and attacked and burned down Ziklag. ² They also had kidnapped the women and everyone^[a] in it from the youngest to the oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off^(D) as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned down. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. ⁴ David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives,^(E) Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. ⁶ David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him,^(F) for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.^(G)

⁷ David said to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.”^(H) So Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David asked the Lord:^(I) “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?”^(J)

The Lord replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”^(K)

⁹ David and the 600 men with him^(L) went as far as the Wadi Besor, where 200 men who were to remain behind would stop.^{(M) 10} They stopped because they were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor. David and 400 of the men continued in pursuit.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink. ¹² Then they gave him some pressed figs and two clusters of raisins. After he ate he revived,^(N) for he hadn’t eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

¹³ Then David said to him, “Who do you belong to? Where are you from?”

“I’m an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite man,” he said. “My master abandoned me when I got sick three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the south country of the Cherethites,^(O) the territory of Judah, and the south country of Caleb,^(P) and we burned down Ziklag.”^(Q)

¹⁵ David then asked him, “Will you lead me to these raiders?”

He said, “Swear to me by God that you won’t kill me or turn me over to my master, and I will lead you to them.”

¹⁶ So he led him, and there were the Amalekites, spread out over the entire area, eating, drinking, and celebrating because of the great amount of plunder^(R) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and the land of Judah. ¹⁷ David slaughtered them from twilight until the evening of the next day.^(S) None of them escaped, except 400 young men who got on camels and fled.^(T)

¹⁸ David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken; he also rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing of theirs was missing from the youngest to the oldest, including the sons and daughters, of all the plunder the Amalekites had taken. David got everything back.^{(U) 20} He took all the sheep and cattle, which were driven ahead of the other livestock, and the people shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”^(V)

²¹ When David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to go with him and had been left at the Wadi Besor,^(W) they came out to meet him and to meet the troops with him. When David approached the men, he greeted them, ²² but all the corrupt and worthless men among those who had gone with David argued, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

²³ But David said, “My brothers, you must not do this with what the Lord has given us. He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us. ²⁴ Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally.”^{(X) 25} And it has been so from that day forward. David established this policy as a law and an ordinance for Israel and it continues to this very day.

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you^(Y) from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”^{(Z) 27} He sent gifts to those in Bethel,^(AA) in Ramoth of the Negev,^(AB) and in Jattir;^{(AC) 28} to those in Aroer,^(AD) in Siphmoth,^(AE) and in Eshtemoa;^{(AF) 29} to those in Racal, in the towns of the Jerahmeelites,^(AG) and in the towns of the Kenites;^{(AH) 30} to those in Hormah,^(AI) in Bor-ashan,^(AJ) and in Athach; ³¹ to those in Hebron,^(AK) and to those in all the places where David and his men had roamed.^(AL)

²⁰ When David went to Ziklag, some men from Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against the raiders,^(A) for they were all brave warriors and commanders in the army. ²² At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.^[a](B)

The Death of Saul and His Sons

31 The Philistines fought against Israel,^(A) and Israel’s men fled from them. Many were killed on Mount Gilboa.^{(B) 2} The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons and killed his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul,^(C) the archers caught up with him and severely wounded him.^{[a] 4} Then Saul said to his armor-bearer,^(D) “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men^(E) will come and run me through and torture me.” But his armor-bearer would not do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it.^{(F) 5} When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died with him. ⁶ So on that day, Saul died together with his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his men.

⁷ When the men of Israel on the other side of the valley and on the other side of the Jordan saw that Israel’s men had run away and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸ The next day when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news^(G) in the temples of their idols^(H) and among the people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths^(I) and hung his body^(J) on the wall of Beth-shan.^(K)

¹¹ When the residents of Jabesh-gilead^(L) heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their brave men^(M) set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there.^{(N) 13} Afterward, they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree^(O) in Jabesh^(P) and fasted seven days.

The Deaths of Saul and His Sons

10 The Philistines^(A) fought against Israel, and Israel’s men fled from them and were killed on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons and killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ³ When the battle intensified against Saul, the archers found him and severely wounded him. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised men will come and torture me!” But his armor-bearer wouldn’t do it because he was terrified. Then Saul took his sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his own sword and died. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons died—his whole house died together.

⁷ When all the men of Israel in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. So the Philistines came and settled in them.

⁸ The next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped Saul, cut off his head, took his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to spread the good news to their idols and their people. ¹⁰ Then they put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his skull in the temple of Dagon.^(B)

¹¹ When all Jabesh-gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their brave men set out and retrieved the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak^[a] in Jabesh^(C) and fasted seven days.

¹³ Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word.^(D) He even consulted a medium for guidance,^{(E) 14} but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.^(F)

⁴ Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. The one who had nursed him^[a] picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^(A)

Responses to Saul’s Death

1 After the death of Saul,^(A) David returned from defeating the Amalekites^(B) and stayed at Ziklag two days. ² On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head^(C) came from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. ³ David asked him, “Where have you come from?”

He replied to him, “I’ve escaped from the Israelite camp.”

⁴ “What was the outcome? Tell me,” David asked him.

“The troops fled from the battle,” he answered. “Many of the troops have fallen and are dead. Also, Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”^(D)

⁵ David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,”^(E) he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear. At that very moment the chariots and the cavalry were closing in on him. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, so I answered: I’m at your service. ⁸ He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him: I’m an Amalekite.^{(F) 9} Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded,^[a] but my life still lingers.’^{(G) 10} So I stood over him and killed him because I knew that after he had fallen he couldn’t survive. I took the crown that was on his head and the armband that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them,^(H) and all the men with him did the same. ¹² They mourned, wept, and fasted until the evening^(I) for those who died by the sword—for Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s people, and the house of Israel.

¹³ David inquired of the young man who had brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I’m the son of a foreigner,” he said. “I’m an Amalekite.”

¹⁴ David questioned him, “How is it that you were not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”^{(J) 15} Then David summoned one of his servants and said, “Come here and kill him!” The servant struck him, and he died.^{(K) 16} For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood is on your own head^(L) because your own mouth testified against you by saying, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

¹⁷ David sang the following lament^(M) for Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and he ordered that the Judahites be taught The Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:^[b](N)