2 Samuel 1:1-16

Good News Translation

David Learns of Saul's Death

1 After Saul's death David came back from his victory over the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag for two days. ² The next day a young man arrived from Saul's camp. To show his grief, he had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head. He went to David and bowed to the ground in respect. ³ David asked him, “Where have you come from?”

“I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he answered.

⁴ “Tell me what happened,” David said.

“Our army ran away from the battle,” he replied, “and many of our men were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan were also killed.”

⁵ “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David asked him.

^6 (A)He answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and I saw that Saul was leaning on his spear and that the chariots and cavalry of the enemy were closing in on him. ⁷ Then he turned around, saw me, and called to me. I answered, ‘Yes, sir!’ ⁸ He asked who I was, and I told him that I was an Amalekite. ⁹ Then he said, ‘Come here and kill me! I have been badly wounded, and I'm about to die.’ ¹⁰ So I went up to him and killed him, because I knew that he would die anyway as soon as he fell. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them to you, sir.”

¹¹ David tore his clothes in sorrow, and all his men did the same. ¹² They grieved and mourned and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan and for Israel, the people of the Lord, because so many had been killed in battle.

¹³ David asked the young man who had brought him the news, “Where are you from?”

He answered, “I'm an Amalekite, but I live in your country.”

¹⁴ David asked him, “How is it that you dared kill the Lord's chosen king?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of his men and said, “Kill him!” The man struck the Amalekite and mortally wounded him, ¹⁶ and David said to the Amalekite, “You brought this on yourself. You condemned yourself when you confessed that you killed the one whom the Lord chose to be king.”