David learns of Saul’s death

1 After Saul’s death, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed in Ziklag two days. ² On the third day, a man showed up from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he reached David, he fell to the ground, bowing low out of respect.

³ “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

“I’ve escaped from the Israelite army!” he answered.

⁴ “What’s the report?” David asked him. “Tell me!”

The man answered, “The troops fled from the battle! Many of the soldiers have fallen and died. What’s more, Saul and his son Jonathan have also died!”

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

⁶ The young man who brought the news replied, “I just happened to be on Mount Gilboa and Saul was there, leaning on his spear, with chariots and horsemen closing in on him. ⁷ He turned around and saw me, then he called to me. ‘Yes, sir,’ I answered. ⁸ ‘Who are you?’ he asked, and I told him, ‘I’m an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me, ‘Please come over here and kill me, because convulsions have come over me but I’m still alive.’^{[a] 10} So I went over to him and killed him, because I knew he couldn’t survive after being wounded like that. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and I’ve brought them here to you, my master.”

¹¹ Then David grabbed his clothes and ripped them—and all his soldiers did the same. ¹² They mourned and cried and fasted until evening for Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s army, and the whole house of Israel, because they had died by the sword.

¹³ “Where are you from?” David asked the young man who brought him the news.

“I’m the son of an immigrant,” he answered. “An Amalekite.”

¹⁴ Then David said to him, “How is it that you weren’t afraid to raise your hand and destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ Then David called for one of the young servants. “Come here!” he said. “Strike him down!” So the servant struck the Amalekite down, and he died.

¹⁶ “Your blood is on your own head,” David said to the Amalekite, “because your own mouth testified against you when you admitted, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”