¹And it came to pass after Saul's death that David returned from attacking the Amalekites, and David stayed in Ziklag for two days. ²And it came to pass on the third day that there was a man who had come from Saul's camp, whose clothes were torn, and there was soil on his head, and when he came to David, he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. ³And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from Israel's camp.” ⁴Then David asked him, “What happened? Do please tell me.” And he said that the people had fled from the battle and that many of the people had fallen and died, and that Saul and Jonathan his son had also died. ⁵Then David asked the lad who had told him, “How did you come to know that Saul and Jonathan his son died?” ⁶And the lad who was informing him said, “Completely by chance I was on Mount Gilboa when I saw Saul leaning on his spear, while the chariot fleet and the horsemen were hotly pursuing him. ⁷And he turned round and saw me, and he called for me, and I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹Then he said to me, ‘Come up to me please and kill me, for a seizure has taken hold of me, although my life is still in me.’ ¹⁰So I went up to him and killed him, for I knew that he would not live after his incident, and I took the crown which was on his head and the bangle which was on his arm, and I have brought them to my lord here.” ¹¹Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were with him. ¹²And they mourned and wept and fasted until the evening, for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord's people, and for the house of Israel, for they had fallen by the sword. ¹³Then David asked the lad who was informing him, “Where are you from?” And he said, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.” ¹⁴And David said to him, “How come you did not fear to stretch out your hand to dispatch the Lord's anointed?” ¹⁵And David called one of the lads and said, “Come up and strike him.” And he struck him, and he died. ¹⁶Then David said to him, “May your blood be on your head, for your mouth testified against you, when you said, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’ ” ¹⁷And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, ¹⁸and he gave the order to teach the sons of Judah archery – look, it is written in the Book of the Upright –

¹⁹“The gazelle – Israel – lies slain on your heights.

How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰Do not report it in Gath,

Do not proclaim it in the open places of Ashkelon,

Lest the daughters of the Philistines should rejoice,

Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised should exult.

²¹May there be no dew on the mountains of Gilboa,

And may there be no rain on you,

Nor on the fields for heave-offerings,

For there the shield of heroes was abandoned

– The shield of Saul without the one anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain,

From the fat of the heroes,

Jonathan's bow did not shrink,

And Saul's sword did not return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan were loved and were delightful in their lives,

And they did not part in their death.

They were swifter than eagles;

They were stronger than lions.

²⁴O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,

Who clothed you in scarlet with delights,

Who set ornaments of gold on your clothing.

²⁵How the heroes have fallen in the midst of the battle!

Jonathan was slain on your heights.

²⁶I am distressed about you, my brother Jonathan.

You were very much a source of pleasure to me.

Your love for me was more wondrous

Than the love of women.

²⁷How the heroes have fallen

And the weapons of war have perished!”