¹It happened after the death of Saul that David returned from striking down Amalek, and David dwelled in Ziklag two days.

²It happened on the third day, and look, a man came from the camp, from Saul's side, with his garments torn and ground on his head; and when he came to David, he fell to the land and bowed down.

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

⁴David said to him, "What was the word? Tell me, please." He said, "It is that the people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and died; and also Saul and Jonathan his son have died."

⁵David said to the youth who had told him, "How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son have died?"

⁶The youth who had told him said, "I just happened to be on the mountain of Gilboa, and look, Saul was leaning on his spear, and look, the chariots and the lords of the horsemen were pursuing him closely.

⁷He turned and looked behind him 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.'

⁹He said to me, 'Stand over me, please, and put me to death, for the agony has seized me, because all my being is still in me.'

¹⁰So I stood over him and put him to death, for I knew that he could 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."

¹¹Then David took hold of his garments and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.

¹²They mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³David said to the youth who had told him, "Where are you from?" He said, "I am the son of a sojourning man, an Amalekite."

¹⁴David said to him, "How were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to ruin the anointed of Yahweh?"

¹⁵David called one of the youths and said, "Come near; fall upon him." And he struck him down, and he died.

¹⁶David said to him, "Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I put to death the anointed of Yahweh.'"

¹⁷David chanted this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.

¹⁸He said to teach the children of Judah the bow; look, it is written in the scroll of the Upright.

¹⁹The gazelle, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places. How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰Do not tell it in Gath, do not bear the news in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

²¹Mountains in Gilboa, let there be no dew and no rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn backward, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the pleasant, in their lives and in their death were not parted; swifter than eagles they were, stronger than lions.

²⁴Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with delights, who put up ornaments of gold on your clothing.

²⁵How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places.

²⁶I am in straits over you, my brother Jonathan; you were very pleasant to me; your love to me was a wonder, beyond the love of women.

²⁷How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!