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2 Samuel 1:19-27
New International Version
2 Samuel 1:19-27
New International Version
20 “Tell it not in Gath,(C)
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(D)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(E) be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(F)
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(G)
may you have neither dew(H) nor rain,(I)
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](J)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(K)
22 “From the blood(L) of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(M) of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,(N)
they were stronger than lions.(O)
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(P)
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(Q) for you, Jonathan(R) my brother;(S)
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(T)
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”(U)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
2 Samuel 1:19-27
Amplified Bible
2 Samuel 1:19-27
Amplified Bible
19
“Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
20
“Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.
21
“[a]O mountains of Gilboa,
Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings;
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not [b]anointed with oil.
22
“From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23
“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives,
And in their death they were not separated;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
24
“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you [c]luxuriously in scarlet,
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25
“How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
26
“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been a good friend to me.
Your [d]love toward me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27
“How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war have perished!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:21 As an expression of his grief David curses the place of Saul’s death.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 It was necessary to lubricate leather shields with oil to preserve them.
- 2 Samuel 1:24 Lit with jewelry.
- 2 Samuel 1:26 Jonathan graciously accepted God’s choice of David as the next ruler of Israel, and supported him, honored him, and wanted the very best for him.
2 Samuel 1:19-27
New Living Translation
2 Samuel 1:19-27
New Living Translation
19 Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills!
Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen!
20 Don’t announce the news in Gath,
don’t proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon,
or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice
and the pagans will laugh in triumph.
21 O mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain.[a]
For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled;
the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.
22 The bow of Jonathan was powerful,
and the sword of Saul did its mighty work.
They shed the blood of their enemies
and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes.
23 How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan!
They were together in life and in death.
They were swifter than eagles,
stronger than lions.
24 O women of Israel, weep for Saul,
for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing,
in garments decorated with gold.
25 Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies dead on the hills.
26 How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan!
Oh, how much I loved you!
And your love for me was deep,
deeper than the love of women!
27 Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen!
Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead.
Footnotes
- 1:21 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
2 Samuel 1:19-27
The Message
2 Samuel 1:19-27
The Message
19-21 Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills,
the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen!
Don’t announce it in the city of Gath,
don’t post the news in the streets of Ashkelon.
Don’t give those coarse Philistine girls
one more excuse for a drunken party!
No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa,
and not a drop from springs and wells,
For there the warriors’ shields were dragged through the mud,
Saul’s shield left there to rot.
22 Jonathan’s bow was bold—
the bigger they were the harder they fell.
Saul’s sword was fearless—
once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it.
23 Saul and Jonathan—beloved, beautiful!
Together in life, together in death.
Swifter than plummeting eagles,
stronger than proud lions.
24-25 Women of Israel, weep for Saul.
He dressed you in finest cottons and silks,
spared no expense in making you elegant.
The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen
in the middle of the fight!
Jonathan—struck down on your hills!
26 O my dear brother Jonathan,
I’m crushed by your death.
Your friendship was a miracle-wonder,
love far exceeding anything I’ve known—
or ever hope to know.
27 The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen.
And the arms of war broken to bits.
2 Samuel 1:19-27
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 1:19-27
Contemporary English Version
19 Israel, your famous hero
lies dead on the hills,
and your mighty warriors
have fallen!
20 Don't tell it in Gath
or spread the news
on the streets of Ashkelon.
The godless Philistine women
will be happy
and jump for joy.
21 Don't let dew or rain fall
on the hills of Gilboa.
Don't let its fields
grow offerings for God.[a]
There the warriors' shields
were smeared with mud,
and Saul's own shield
was left unpolished.[b]
22 The arrows of Jonathan struck,
and warriors died.
The sword of Saul cut
the enemy apart.
23 It was easy to love Saul
and Jonathan.
Together in life,
together in death,
they were faster than eagles
and stronger than lions.
24 Women of Israel, cry for Saul.
He brought you fine red cloth
and jewelry made of gold.
25 Our warriors have fallen
in the heat of battle,
and Jonathan lies dead
on the hills of Gilboa.
26 Jonathan, I miss you most!
I loved you
like a brother.
You were truly loyal to me,
more faithful than a wife
to her husband.[c]
27 Our warriors have fallen,
and their weapons[d]
are destroyed.
Footnotes
- 1.21 Don't let its fields … for God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 1.21 unpolished: Some shields were made of leather and were polished with olive oil.
- 1.26 You … husband: Or “You loved me more than a wife could possibly love her husband.”
- 1.27 weapons: This may refer to Saul and Jonathan.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.