2 Samuel 1

1 Now it happened that, after Saul died, David returned from the slaughter of Amalek, and he remained for two days at Ziklag.

Now after the death of Saul, when David, having come back from the destruction of the Amalekites, had been in Ziklag for two days;

2 Then, on the third day, a man appeared, arriving from the camp of Saul, with his garments torn and dust sprinkled on his head. And when he came to David, he fell on his face, and he reverenced.

On the third day a man came from Saul's tents, with his clothing out of order and earth on his head: and when he came to David, he went down on the earth and gave him honour.

3 And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” And he said to him, “I have fled from the camp of Israel.”

And David said to him, Where have you come from? And he said, I have come in flight from the tents of Israel.

4 And David said to him: “What is the word that has happened? Reveal it to me.” And he said: “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people have fallen and died. Moreover, Saul and his son Jonathan have passed away.”

And David said to him, How did things go? Give me the news. And in answer he said, The people have gone in flight from the fight, and a great number of them are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.

5 And David said to the youth who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan have died?”

And David said to the young man who gave him the news, Why are you certain that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?

6 And the youth, who was reporting it to him, said: “I arrived by chance on mount Gilboa. And Saul was lying upon his spear. Then the chariots and horsemen drew near to him.

And the young man said, I came by chance to Mount Gilboa, and I saw Saul supporting himself on his spear; and the war-carriages and horsemen overtook him.

7 And turning behind his back and seeing me, he called to me. And when I had responded, “I am here,”

And looking back, he saw me and gave a cry to me. And answering him I said, Here am I.

8 he said to me, “Who are you?” And I said to him, “I am an Amalekite.”

And he said to me, Who are you? And I said, I am an Amalekite.

9 And he said to me: “Stand over me, and kill me. For anguish has taken hold of me, and still my whole life is in me.”

Then he said to me, Come here to my side, and put me to death, for the pain of death has me in its grip but my life is still strong in me.

10 And standing over him, I killed him. For I knew that he was not able to live after the fall. And I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”

So I put my foot on him and gave him his death-blow, because I was certain that he would not go on living after his fall: and I took the crown from his head and the band from his arm, and I have them here for my lord.

11 Then David, taking hold of his garments, tore them, with all the men who were with him.

Then David gave way to bitter grief, and so did all the men who were with him:

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

And till evening they gave themselves to sorrow and weeping, and took no food, weeping for Saul and for Jonathan, his son, and for the people of the Lord and for the men of Israel; because they had come to their end by the sword.

13 And David said to the youth who had reported it to him, “Where are you from?” And he responded, “I am the son of a man who is a new arrival from the Amalekites.”

And David said to the young man who had given him the news, Where do you come from? And he said, I am the son of a man from a strange land; I am an Amalekite.

14 And David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to put forth your hand, so that you would kill the Christ of the Lord?”

And David said to him, Had you no fear of stretching out your hand to put to death the one marked with the holy oil?

15 And calling one of his servants, David said, “Draw near and rush against him” And he struck him, and he died.

And David sent for one of his young men and said, Go near and put an end to him. And he put him to death.

16 And David said to him: “Your blood is upon your own head. For your own mouth has spoken against you, saying: ‘I have killed the Christ of the Lord.’”

And David said to him, May your blood be on your head; for your mouth has given witness against you, saying, I have put to death the man marked with the holy oil.

17 Then David mourned a lamentation over Saul and over his son Jonathan, in this way.

Then David made this song of grief for Saul and Jonathan, his son:

18 (And he instructed that they should teach the sons of Judah the bow, just as it is written in the Book of the Just.) And he said: “Consider, O Israel, on behalf of those who are dead, wounded upon your heights:

(It is recorded in the book of Jashar for teaching to the sons of Judah) and he said:

19 The illustrious of Israel have been killed upon your mountains. How could the valiant have fallen?

The glory, O Israel, is dead on your high places! How have the great ones been made low!

20 Do not choose to announce it in Gath, and do not announce it in the crossroads of Ashkelon. Otherwise, the daughters of the Philistines may rejoice; otherwise, the daughters of the uncircumcised may exult.

Give no news of it in Gath, let it not be said in the streets of Ashkelon; or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad, the daughters of men without circumcision will be uplifted in joy.

21 O mountains of Gilboa, let neither dew, nor rain fall over you, and may these not be the fields of the first-fruits. For in that place, the shield of the valiant was cast away, the shield of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oil.

O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, you fields of death: for there the arms of the strong have been shamed, the arms of Saul, as if he had not been marked with the holy oil.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the strong, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

From the blood of the dead, from the fat of the strong, the bow of Jonathan was not turned back, the sword of Saul did not come back unused.

23 Saul and Jonathan, worthy to be loved, and stately in their life: even in death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing; in their lives and in their death they were not parted; they went more quickly than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet finery, who offered ornaments of gold for your adornment.

O daughters of Israel, have sorrow for Saul, by whom you were delicately clothed in robes of red, with ornaments of gold on your dresses.

25 How could the valiant have fallen in battle? How could Jonathan have been slain on the heights?

How have the great ones been made low in the fight! Jonathan is dead on your high places.

26 I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan: exceedingly stately, and worthy to be loved above the love of women. As a mother loves her only son, so also did I love you.

I am full of grief for you, my brother Jonathan: very dear have you been to me: your love for me was a wonder, greater than the love of women.

27 How could the robust have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished?”

How have the great ones been made low, and the arms of war broken!