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1 ויהי אחרי מות שאול ודוד שב מהכות את העמלק וישב דוד בצקלג ימים שנים

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.

2 ויהי ביום השלישי והנה איש בא מן המחנה מעם שאול ובגדיו קרעים ואדמה על ראשו ויהי בבאו אל דוד ויפל ארצה וישתחו

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].

3 ויאמר לו דוד אי מזה תבוא ויאמר אליו ממחנה ישראל נמלטתי

David asked him, “Where have you come from?” The man replied, “I escaped from where the Israeli army had been camped.”

4 ויאמר אליו דוד מה היה הדבר הגד נא לי ויאמר אשר נס העם מן המלחמה וגם הרבה נפל מן העם וימתו וגם שאול ויהונתן בנו מתו

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).”

5 ויאמר דוד אל הנער המגיד לו איך ידעת כי מת שאול ויהונתן בנו

David said to the young man, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

6 ויאמר הנער המגיד לו נקרא נקריתי בהר הגלבע והנה שאול נשען על חניתו והנה הרכב ובעלי הפרשים הדבקהו

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.

7 ויפן אחריו ויראני ויקרא אלי ואמר הנני

Saul turned around and saw me, and he called out to me. I answered him and said, ‘What do you want me to do?’

8 ויאמר לי מי אתה ויאמר (ואמר) אליו עמלקי אנכי

He replied, ‘Who are you?’ I replied, ‘I am a descendant of Amalek.’

9 ויאמר אלי עמד נא עלי ומתתני--כי אחזני השבץ כי כל עוד נפשי בי

Then he said to me, ‘Come over here and kill me. I am still alive, but I am enduring a lot of pain.’

10 ואעמד עליו ואמתתהו--כי ידעתי כי לא יחיה אחרי נפלו ואקח הנזר אשר על ראשו ואצעדה אשר על זרעו ואביאם אל אדני הנה

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.”

11 ויחזק דוד בבגדו ויקרעם וגם כל האנשים אשר אתו

Then David and all the men who were with him tore their clothes [to show that they were very sad].

12 ויספדו ויבכו ויצמו עד הערב על שאול ועל יהונתן בנו ועל עם יהוה ועל בית ישראל--כי נפלו בחרב

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].

13 ויאמר דוד אל הנער המגיד לו אי מזה אתה ויאמר בן איש גר עמלקי אנכי

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.”

14 ויאמר אליו דוד איך לא יראת לשלח ידך לשחת את משיח יהוה

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]

15 ויקרא דוד לאחד מהנערים ויאמר גש פגע בו ויכהו וימת

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].

16 ויאמר אליו דוד דמיך (דמך) על ראשך כי פיך ענה בך לאמר אנכי מתתי את משיח יהוה

17 ויקנן דוד את הקינה הזאת על שאול ועל יהונתן בנו

Then David composed/wrote this sad song about Saul and Jonathan,

18 ויאמר ללמד בני יהודה קשת הנה כתובה על ספר הישר

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:

19 הצבי ישראל על במותיך חלל איך נפלו גבורים

“You Israeli people, your glorious [MTY] leaders have been killed on the mountains! [It is very sad that] those mighty men have died!

20 אל תגידו בגת אל תבשרו בחוצת אשקלון פן תשמחנה בנות פלשתים פן תעלזנה בנות הערלים

“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.

21 הרי בגלבע אל טל ואל מטר עליכם--ושדי תרומת כי שם נגעל מגן גבורים--מגן שאול בלי משיח בשמן

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;

22 מדם חללים מחלב גבורים--קשת יהונתן לא נשוג אחור וחרב שאול לא תשוב ריקם

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]

23 שאול ויהונתן הנאהבים והנעימם בחייהם ובמותם לא נפרדו מנשרים קלו מאריות גברו

“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.

24 בנות ישראל--אל שאול בכינה המלבשכם שני עם עדנים המעלה עדי זהב על לבושכן

“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.

25 איך נפלו גברים בתוך המלחמה--יהונתן על במותיך חלל

“[It is very sad that] this mighty soldier has died! Jonathan has been killed on the mountains/hills.

26 צר לי עליך אחי יהונתן--נעמת לי מאד נפלאתה אהבתך לי מאהבת נשים

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].

27 איך נפלו גבורים ויאבדו כלי מלחמה

“It is very sad that those mighty men have died, and their weapons are now abandoned!