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 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, 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].
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 David asked him, “Where have you come from?” The man replied, “I escaped from where the Israeli army had been camped.”
And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.
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 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 David said to the young man, “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 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 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 Saul turned around and saw me, and he called out to me. I answered him and said, ‘What do you want me to do?’
so he turned behind him, and saw me, —and cried out unto me, and I said, Behold me!
8 He replied, ‘Who are you?’ I replied, ‘I am a descendant of Amalek.’
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I.
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 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 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 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 and all the men who were with him tore their clothes [to show that they were very sad].
Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them, —yea moreover, [so did] all the men who were with him.
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 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 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 unto the young man who was telling him, Whence art thou? And he said, Son of a sojourner—an Amalekite, am I.
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 unto him, —How wast thou not afraid to thrust forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of Yahweh?
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].
So David called one of the young men, and said, —Go near—fall upon him. And he smote him, that he died.
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 composed/wrote this sad song about Saul and Jonathan,
Then chanted David this dirge, —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 thought to teach the sons of Judah [the song of] the Bow, —lo! it is written in the Book of the Upright: —
19 “You Israeli people, your glorious [MTY] leaders have been killed on the mountains! [It is very sad that] those mighty men have died!
The beauty of Israel! on thy high plumes—slain! How have fallen—the mighty!
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.
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 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 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 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, 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 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, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, —Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!
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.
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 “[It is very sad that] this mighty soldier has died! Jonathan has been killed on the mountains/hills.
How have fallen the mighty, in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, on thy high places, slain!
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 distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, —Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women.
27 “It is very sad that those mighty men have died, and their weapons are now abandoned!
How have fallen the mighty, and perished the weapons of war!
