< 2 Samuel 1 >

1 After the death of Saul, David returned from attacking the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days.
וַיְהִ֗י אֽ͏ַחֲרֵי֙ מֹ֣ות שָׁא֔וּל וְדָוִ֣ד שָׁ֔ב מֵהַכֹּ֖ות אֶת־הָעֲמָלֵ֑ק וַיֵּ֧שֶׁב דָּוִ֛ד בְּצִקְלָ֖ג יָמִ֥ים שְׁנָֽיִם׃
2 Then on the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he approached David, he bowed before him, and fell to the ground in respect.
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וְהִנֵּה֩ אִ֨ישׁ בָּ֤א מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙ מֵעִ֣ם שָׁא֔וּל וּבְגָדָ֣יו קְרֻעִ֔ים וַאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֑ו וַיְהִי֙ בְּבֹאֹ֣ו אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּפֹּ֥ל אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him. “I got away from the Israelite camp,” he replied.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לֹו֙ דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה תָּבֹ֑וא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו מִמַּחֲנֵ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִמְלָֽטְתִּי׃
4 “Tell me what happened,” David asked. “The army ran away from the battle,” the man replied. “Many of them died, and Saul and his son Jonathan also died.”
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֥יו דָּוִ֛ד מֶה־הָיָ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַגֶּד־נָ֣א לִ֑י וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אֲשֶׁר־נָ֨ס הָעָ֜ם מִן־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְגַם־הַרְבֵּ֞ה נָפַ֤ל מִן־הָעָם֙ וַיָּמֻ֔תוּ וְגַ֗ם שָׁא֛וּל וִיהֹונָתָ֥ן בְּנֹ֖ו מֵֽתוּ׃
5 “How do you know Saul and Jonathan died?” David asked the man giving the report.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֔ד אֶל־הַנַּ֖עַר הַמַּגִּ֣יד לֹ֑ו אֵ֣יךְ יָדַ֔עְתָּ כִּי־מֵ֥ת שָׁא֖וּל וִיהֹֽונָתָ֥ן בְּנֹֽו׃
6 “I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” he replied. “I saw Saul, leaning on his spear, with the enemy chariots and the charioteers advancing on him.
וַיֹּ֜אמֶר הַנַּ֣עַר ׀ הַמַּגִּ֣יד לֹ֗ו נִקְרֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֙יתִי֙ בְּהַ֣ר הַגִּלְבֹּ֔עַ וְהִנֵּ֥ה שָׁא֖וּל נִשְׁעָ֣ן עַל־חֲנִיתֹ֑ו וְהִנֵּ֥ה הָרֶ֛כֶב וּבַעֲלֵ֥י הַפָּרָשִׁ֖ים הִדְבִּקֻֽהוּ׃
7 He turned around and saw me. He called out and I replied, ‘I'm here to help!’
וַיִּ֥פֶן אַחֲרָ֖יו וַיִּרְאֵ֑נִי וַיִּקְרָ֣א אֵלָ֔י וָאֹמַ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי׃
8 He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.’
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֖י מִי־אָ֑תָּה וַיֹּאמֶר (וָאֹמַ֣ר) אֵלָ֔יו עֲמָלֵקִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃
9 Then he told me, ‘Please come over here and kill me! I'm in terrible agony but life is still hanging on.’
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י עֲמָד־נָ֤א עָלַי֙ וּמֹ֣תְתֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י אֲחָזַ֖נִי הַשָּׁבָ֑ץ כִּֽי־כָל־עֹ֥וד נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּֽי׃
10 So I went over him and killed him, because I knew that wounded as he was he couldn't last long. I took the crown from his head and his bracelet from his arm, and I've brought them here to you, my lord.”
וָאֶעֱמֹ֤ד עָלָיו֙ וַאֲמֹ֣תְתֵ֔הוּ כִּ֣י יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽחְיֶ֖ה אַחֲרֵ֣י נִפְלֹ֑ו וָאֶקַּ֞ח הַנֵּ֣זֶר ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֗ו וְאֶצְעָדָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרֹעֹ֔ו וָאֲבִיאֵ֥ם אֶל־אֲדֹנִ֖י הֵֽנָּה׃
11 David grabbed hold of his clothes and ripped them, as did his men.
וַיַּחֲזֵ֥ק דָּוִ֛ד בִּבְגָדֹו (בִּבְגָדָ֖יו) וַיִּקְרָעֵ֑ם וְגַ֥ם כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתֹּֽו׃
12 They mourned and cried and fasted until the evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord, the Israelites, that had been killed by the sword.
וַֽיִּסְפְּדוּ֙ וַיִּבְכּ֔וּ וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ עַד־הָעָ֑רֶב עַל־שָׁא֞וּל וְעַל־יְהֹונָתָ֣ן בְּנֹ֗ו וְעַל־עַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ וְעַל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י נָפְל֖וּ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ ס
13 David asked man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I'm the son of a foreigner,” he replied “I'm an Amalekite.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר דָּוִ֗ד אֶל־הַנַּ֙עַר֙ הַמַּגִּ֣יד לֹ֔ו אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה אָ֑תָּה וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בֶּן־אִ֛ישׁ גֵּ֥ר עֲמָלֵקִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃
14 “Why weren't you worried about killing the Lord's anointed one?” David asked.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו דָּוִ֑ד אֵ֚יךְ לֹ֣א יָרֵ֔אתָ לִשְׁלֹ֙חַ֙ יָֽדְךָ֔ לְשַׁחֵ֖ת אֶת־מְשִׁ֥יחַ יְהוָֽה׃
15 David called over one of his men and said, “Go ahead, kill him!” So the man cut the Amalekite down and killed him.
וַיִּקְרָ֣א דָוִ֗ד לְאַחַד֙ מֵֽהַנְּעָרִ֔ים וַיֹּ֖אמֶר גַּ֣שׁ פְּגַע־בֹּ֑ו וַיַּכֵּ֖הוּ וַיָּמֹֽת׃
16 David had told the Amalekite, “Your death is your own fault because you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I killed the Lord's anointed one.’”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ דָּוִ֔ד דָּמֵיךָ (דָּמְךָ֖) עַל־רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ כִּ֣י פִ֗יךָ עָנָ֤ה בְךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָנֹכִ֥י מֹתַ֖תִּי אֶת־מְשִׁ֥יחַ יְהוָֽה׃ ס
17 Then David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan.
וַיְקֹנֵ֣ן דָּוִ֔ד אֶת־הַקִּינָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עַל־שָׁא֖וּל וְעַל־יְהֹונָתָ֥ן בְּנֹֽו׃
18 He ordered it to be taught to the people of Judah. It is called “the Bow” and is recorded in the Book of the Just:
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְלַמֵּ֥ד בְּנֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁת הִנֵּ֥ה כְתוּבָ֖ה עַל־סֵ֥פֶר הַיָּשָֽׁר׃
19 “Israel, the glorious one lies dead on your mountains. How the mighty have fallen!
הַצְּבִי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַל־בָּמֹותֶ֖יךָ חָלָ֑ל אֵ֖יךְ נָפְל֥וּ גִבֹּורִֽים׃
20 Don't announce it in the town of Gath, don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, so that the Philistine women won't rejoice, so that the heathen women won't celebrate.
אַל־תַּגִּ֣ידוּ בְגַ֔ת אַֽל־תְּבַשְּׂר֖וּ בְּחוּצֹ֣ת אַשְׁקְלֹ֑ון פֶּן־תִּשְׂמַ֙חְנָה֙ בְּנֹ֣ות פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים פֶּֽן־תַּעֲלֹ֖זְנָה בְּנֹ֥ות הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃
21 Mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you! May you have no fields that produce offerings of grain. For it was there that the shield of the mighty was defiled; Saul's shield, no longer cared for with olive oil.
הָרֵ֣י בַגִּלְבֹּ֗עַ אַל־טַ֧ל וְאַל־מָטָ֛ר עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וּשְׂדֵ֣י תְרוּמֹ֑ת כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ם נִגְעַל֙ מָגֵ֣ן גִּבֹּורִ֔ים מָגֵ֣ן שָׁא֔וּל בְּלִ֖י מָשִׁ֥יחַ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃
22 Jonathan with his bow did not retreat from attacking the enemy; Saul with his sword did not return empty-handed from shedding blood.
מִדַּ֣ם חֲלָלִ֗ים מֵחֵ֙לֶב֙ גִּבֹּורִ֔ים קֶ֚שֶׁת יְהֹ֣ונָתָ֔ן לֹ֥א נָשֹׂ֖וג אָחֹ֑ור וְחֶ֣רֶב שָׁא֔וּל לֹ֥א תָשׁ֖וּב רֵיקָֽם׃
23 During their lives, Saul and Jonathan were much loved and very pleasant, and death did not divide them. They were faster than eagles, stronger than lions.
שָׁא֣וּל וִיהֹונָתָ֗ן הַנֶּאֱהָבִ֤ים וְהַנְּעִימִם֙ בְּחַיֵּיהֶ֔ם וּבְמֹותָ֖ם לֹ֣א נִפְרָ֑דוּ מִנְּשָׁרִ֣ים קַ֔לּוּ מֵאֲרָיֹ֖ות גָּבֵֽרוּ׃
24 Women of Israel, mourn for Saul, who gave you fine scarlet clothes decorated with gold ornaments.
בְּנֹות֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־שָׁא֖וּל בְּכֶ֑ינָה הַמַּלְבִּֽשְׁכֶ֤ם שָׁנִי֙ עִם־עֲדָנִ֔ים הַֽמַּעֲלֶה֙ עֲדִ֣י זָהָ֔ב עַ֖ל לְבוּשְׁכֶֽן׃
25 How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on your mountains.
אֵ֚יךְ נָפְל֣וּ גִבֹּרִ֔ים בְּתֹ֖וךְ הַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה יְהֹ֣ונָתָ֔ן עַל־בָּמֹותֶ֖יךָ חָלָֽל׃
26 I weep so much for you, my brother Jonathan! You were so very dear to me! Your love for me was so wonderful, greater than the love women have!
צַר־לִ֣י עָלֶ֗יךָ אָחִי֙ יְהֹ֣ונָתָ֔ן נָעַ֥מְתָּ לִּ֖י מְאֹ֑ד נִפְלְאַ֤תָה אַהֲבָֽתְךָ֙ לִ֔י מֵאַהֲבַ֖ת נָשִֽׁים׃
27 How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are gone!”
אֵ֚יךְ נָפְל֣וּ גִבֹּורִ֔ים וַיֹּאבְד֖וּ כְּלֵ֥י מִלְחָמָֽה׃ פ

< 2 Samuel 1 >