2 Samuel 1
1 After Saul died, David [and the men who were with him] returned to Ziklag [town] after defeating the descendants of Amalek. They stayed in Ziklag for two days.
And it came to pass after Saul was dead, that David returned from smiting Amalec, and David abode two days in Sekelac.
2 On the third day, unexpectedly a man arrived there who had come from where Saul’s army was camped. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head [to show that he was grieving]. He came to David, and prostrated himself on the ground [in front of David to show respect for him].
And it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul, and his garments were rent, and earth [was] upon his head: and it came to pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and did obeisance to him.
3 David asked him, “Where have you come from?” The man replied, “I escaped from where the Israeli army had been camped.”
And David said to him, Whence comest thou? and he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.
4 David asked him, “What happened? Tell me [about the battle]!” The man replied, “The Israeli soldiers ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. And Saul and his son Jonathan (are dead/were also killed).”
And David said to him, What [is] the matter? tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.
5 David said to the young man, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
And David said to the young man who brought him the tidings, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
6 The young man replied, “It happened that I was on Gilboa Mountain [where the battle occurred], and I saw Saul, leaning on his spear. The [enemy] chariots and their drivers had come very close to Saul.
And the young man that brought the tidings, said to him, I happened accidentally to be upon mount Gelbue; and, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and, behold, the chariots and captains of horse pressed hard upon him.
7 Saul turned around and saw me, and he called out to me. I answered him and said, ‘What do you want me to do?’
And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called me; and I said, Behold, [here am] I.
8 He replied, ‘Who are you?’ I replied, ‘I am a descendant of Amalek.’
And he said to me, Who art thou? and I said, I am an Amalekite.
9 Then he said to me, ‘Come over here and kill me. I am still alive, but I am enduring a lot of pain.’
And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life [is] in me.
10 So I went to him and killed him, because I knew that he was wounded very badly and would (not continue to live/soon die). I took the crown that was on his head and the band/bracelet that was on his arm, and I have brought them to you.”
So I stood over him and slew him, because I knew he would not live after he was fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and I have brought them hither to my lord.
11 Then David and all the men who were with him tore their clothes [to show that they were very sad].
And David laid hold of his garments, and rent them; and all the men who were with him rent their garments.
12 They mourned for Saul and his son Jonathan, and they cried and (fasted/abstained from eating food) until it was evening. They also mourned for all the army of Yahweh, and for all the Israeli people, because many of their soldiers had been killed in the battle [MTY].
And they lamented, and wept, and fasted till evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Juda, and for the house of Israel, because they were smitten with the sword.
13 Then David asked the young man who had told him [about the battle], “Where are you from?” He replied, “My father is a descendant of Amalek, but we live in Israel.”
And David said to the young man who brought the tidings to him, Whence art thou? and he said, I am the son of an Amalekite sojourner.
14 David asked him, “(Why were you not afraid [that you would be punished if you] killed Saul, whom Yahweh had appointed [MTY] [to be the king]?/You should have been afraid [that you would be punished if you] killed Saul, whom Yahweh had appointed [MTY] [to be the king].) [RHQ]
And David said to him, How was it thou wast not afraid to lift thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord?
15 You yourself said, ‘I killed the man whom Yahweh appointed to be the king.’ So you have caused yourself to be guilty [MTY] of causing your own death!” Then David summoned one of his soldiers and said to him, “Kill him!” So the soldier killed him by striking him [with a sword].
And David called one of his young men, and said, Go and fall upon him: and he smote him, and he died.
And David said to him, Thy blood [be] upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.
17 Then David composed/wrote this sad song about Saul and Jonathan,
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.
18 and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. [The song is called] ‘The Bow [and Arrow]’ and it has been written in the Book of Jashar:
And he gave orders to teach it the sons of Juda: behold, it is written in the book of Right.
19 “You Israeli people, your glorious [MTY] leaders have been killed on the mountains! [It is very sad that] those mighty men have died!
Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 “Do not tell it [to our enemies in the Philistia area]; do not tell to the people who live in Gath [city] what happened; do not proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon [city], because if you tell them, [even] the women in that area will be happy; do not allow those (pagan women/women who do not know God) to rejoice.
Tell it not in Geth, and tell it not as glad tidings in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 I hope/desire that there will be no rain or dew on the mountains of [the] Gilboa [area] [APO], and that no grain will grow in the fields there, because there the shield of Saul, the mighty [king], fell on the ground. No one rubbed [olive] oil on Saul’s shield;
Ye mountains of Gelbue, let not dew no rain descend upon you, nor fields of first-fruits [be upon you], for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
22 instead, it was stained with the blood of those whom he had killed, and the fat of mighty enemy soldiers was smeared on it. Jonathan [PRS] did not retreat carrying his bow [and arrows], and Saul always [defeated his enemies when he fought them] with his sword. [PRS, LIT]
From the blood of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not empty; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan were loved and they pleased many people. They were together [LIT] while they lived and when they died. [In battles] they were swifter than eagles and they were stronger than lions.
Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not divided: comely [were they] in their life, and in their death they were not divided: [they were] swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than lions.
24 “You Israeli women, cry about Saul; He provided beautiful scarlet/red clothes for you and he gave you gold ornaments/jewelry to fasten on those clothes.
Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added golden ornaments to your apparel.
25 “[It is very sad that] this mighty soldier has died! Jonathan has been killed on the mountains/hills.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, even the slain ones upon thy high places!
26 Jonathan, my dear friend, I grieve for you; you were very dear to me. You loved me in a wonderful manner; it was better than the way that a woman loves [her husband and her children].
I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou wast very lovely to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women.
27 “It is very sad that those mighty men have died, and their weapons are now abandoned!
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
