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David asked him, “·What happened [How did things go]? Please tell me!”

The man answered, “The ·people [army; men] have ·run away [fled] from the battle, and many of them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.”

David asked him, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

The young man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and the ·men riding in them [charioteers; or horsemen; cavalry] were ·coming closer to Saul [closing in on him]. When he looked back and saw me, he called to me. I answered him, ‘Here I am!’

“Then Saul asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

“Then Saul said to me, ‘Please come here and ·kill me [put me out of my misery]. I am ·badly hurt [in the throes of death; L convulsions have seized me] and ·am almost dead already [yet my life still lingers].’

10 “So I ·went over [L stood beside/over him] and killed him. He had ·been hurt so badly [L fallen and] I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took the crown from his head and the ·bracelet [band] from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my ·master [lord].”

11 Then David tore his clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress] and all the men with him did also. 12 They ·were very sad [mourned] and cried and fasted until evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan and for all the people of the Lord and for all the ·Israelites [L house of Israel] who had ·died in the battle [L had fallen by the sword].

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