2 Samuel 1

1 After the death of Saul, David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.

And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

2 On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.

yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, —and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

3 “Where have you come from?” David asked. “I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he replied.

And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.

4 “What was the outcome?” David asked. “Please tell me.” “The troops fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”

And David said unto him—How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said—The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.

5 Then David asked the young man who had brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, —How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.

And the young man who was telling him said, It, so happened, that I was on Mount Gilboa, when lo! Saul, leaning upon his spear, and lo! the chariots and horsemen, hotly pursued him;

7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out and I answered, ‘Here I am!’

so he turned behind him, and saw me, —and cried out unto me, and I said, Behold me!

8 ‘Who are you?’ he asked. So I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I.

9 Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for agony has seized me, but my life still lingers.’

And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, —even for as long as my life shall be in me.

10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

So I took my stand by him, and put him to death, for I perceived that he could not survive his fall, —so I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them in unto my lord, here.

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

Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them, —yea moreover, [so did] all the men who were with him.

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

And they lamented aloud, 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.

13 And David inquired of the young man who had brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I am the son of a foreigner,” he answered. “I am an Amalekite.”

And David said unto the young man who was telling him, Whence art thou? And he said, Son of a sojourner—an Amalekite, am I.

14 So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”

And David said unto him, —How wast thou not afraid to thrust forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of Yahweh?

15 Then David summoned one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him!” So the young man struck him down, and he died.

So David called one of the young men, and said, —Go near—fall upon him. And he smote him, that he died.

16 For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, —for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.

17 Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan,

Then chanted David this dirge, —over Saul and over Jonathan his son;

18 and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:

and he thought to teach the sons of Judah [the song of] the Bow, —lo! it is written in the Book of the Upright: —

19 “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

The beauty of Israel! on thy high plumes—slain! How have fallen—the mighty!

20 Tell it not in Gath; proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, and the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

Do not tell it in Gath, Do not publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, —lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph.

21 O mountains of Gilboa, may you have no dew or rain, no fields yielding offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.

Ye mountains in Gilboa! Be there neither dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings, —for, there, were cast away, the shields of the mighty, The shield of Saul, unanointed with oil.

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

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan ne’er drew back, —and, the sword of Saul, ne’er returned, empty.

23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, were not divided in death. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, —Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!

24 O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and luxury, who decked your garments with ornaments of gold.

Ye daughters of Israel! For Saul, weep ye, —who clothed you in crimson, [decked] with lovely things, who hung ornaments of gold on your apparel!

25 How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

How have fallen the mighty, in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, on thy high places, slain!

26 I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.

I am distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, —Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women.

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

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