Now it came about after ^athe death of Saul, when David had returned from ^bthe slaughter of the Amalekites, that David stayed two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, ^aa man came from ¹Saul’s camp ^bwith his clothes torn and ²dust on his head. And it happened when he came to David, ^che fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3 Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 David said to him, “^aHow did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on ^aMount Gilboa, and behold, ^bSaul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen had overtaken him. 7 When he looked behind himself, he saw me, and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 8 Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I ¹answered him, ‘^aI am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Please stand next to me and finish me off, for ¹agony has seized me because my ²life still lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood next to him ^aand finished him off, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And ^bI took the crown which was on his head and the band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then ^aDavid took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and ^afasted 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. 13 Then David said to the young man who informed him, “Where are you from?” And he ¹answered, “^aI am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.” 14 And David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid ^ato reach out with your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Come forward, ¹put him to death.” ^aSo he struck him and he died. 16 And David said to him, “^1aYour blood is on your head, because ^byour own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have finished off the LORD’S anointed.’”

17 Then David ^asang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the mourning song of the bow; behold, it is written in ^athe Book of Jashar.