2 Samuel 1:4-12

Living Bible

⁴ “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”

And the man replied, “Our entire army fled. Thousands of men are dead and wounded on the field, and Saul and his son Jonathan have been killed.”

⁵ “How do you know they are dead?”

⁶ “Because I was on Mount Gilboa and saw Saul leaning against his spear with the enemy chariots closing in upon him. ⁷ When he saw me he cried out for me to come to him.

⁸ “‘Who are you?’ he asked.

“‘An Amalekite,’ I replied.

⁹ “‘Come and put me out of my misery,’ he begged, ‘for I am in terrible pain but life lingers on.’

¹⁰ “So I killed him,^[a] for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and one of his bracelets to bring to you, my lord.”

¹¹ David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s people, and for the men of Israel who had died that day.