2 Samuel 1
EasyEnglish Bible
David hears that Saul is dead
1 After David had won the fight against the Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag. He stayed in Ziklag for two days. Saul had already died.[a] 2 The next day, a man arrived from the camp of Saul's army.[b] He had dirt on his head and he had torn his clothes. When the man met David, he threw himself down on the ground to give honour to David.
3 David asked him, ‘Where have you come from?’
The man replied, ‘I have run from the Israelite army's camp.’
4 David said, ‘Tell me what happened in the battle.’
The man replied, ‘The Israelites ran away and the enemy killed many of them. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.’
5 When the young man told this to David, David asked him, ‘How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?’
6 The young man said, ‘I was on Gilboa mountain. I saw Saul there. He had to use his spear like a stick to help him to stand. The enemy army with its horses and chariots were getting very near to him. 7 Saul turned round and he saw me. He shouted to me and I said, “Here I am, sir.”
8 He asked me, “Who are you?”
I said to him, “I am an Amalekite.”
9 He said to me, “Stand over me and kill me. I have a lot of pain and I am almost dead.”
10 I knew that he would soon fall down. He was too weak to live. So I stood over him and I killed him. Then I took the crown from his head and the ring that was on his arm. I have brought them here to you, my lord.’
11 Then David tore his clothes because he was very upset. The men who were with him did the same thing. 12 They cried and they wept until the evening. They did not eat any food. They were very upset about Saul and Jonathan, and all the Lord's people.[c] They were sad because so many Israelites had died in the battle.
13 David asked the young man who had brought the report to him, ‘Where are you from?’
The man replied, ‘I am an Amalekite, the son of a foreign man who lives in Israel.’
14 David said to him, ‘The Lord had chosen Saul to be Israel's king. You should have been very afraid to kill him!’
15 Then David said to one of his own young men, ‘Go and knock him down!’ So the man knocked him down so that he died. 16 David had said to the Amalekite, ‘You deserve to die because of what you have said. Your own words show that you did a bad thing. You yourself said, “I have killed the Lord's chosen king.” ’
David's song to remember Saul and Jonathan
17 David sang this song to remember the death of Saul and his son Jonathan. 18 He said that the people in Judah should learn this song. Its name is ‘The Bow’. It is written down in the Book of Jashar.[d]
19 ‘The greatest men of Israel now lie on the mountains. They are dead!
Those brave men have fallen to the ground!
20 Do not tell the people in Gath about it.
Do not tell the news in the streets of Ashkelon.
If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will sing with joy.
Yes, those foreign people who do not worship God will be happy.
21 You mountains of Gilboa, I hope that no rain or dew will come on you now.
I pray that no crops will grow in your fields to make grain offerings.
In those fields, the shields of brave soldiers became useless.
No longer will anyone clean Saul's shield with oil.[e]
22 When Jonathan shot arrows from his bow,
his enemies fell to the ground, dead.
He would never turn away from them.
Saul's sword also cut down his enemies.
He always finished the job.
23 People loved Saul and Jonathan as great people while they lived.
They were still together when they died.
They moved faster than eagles
They were stronger than lions.
24 You women of Israel, weep for Saul.
He gave you beautiful clothes to wear.
He gave you gold and jewels to fix on your clothes.
25 Brave soldiers have died as they fought a great battle!
Jonathan's dead body lies on Gilboa's hills.
26 My brother, Jonathan! I am very sad about your death.
You were my good friend.
Your love for me was very special.
It was better than the love of women.
27 The brave men have fallen in the battle!
Their weapons are now useless.’
Footnotes
- 1:1 See 1 Samuel 31:6. The book of 2 Samuel continues the story from 1 Samuel.
- 1:2 Saul's camp was about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of Ziklag. The young man would have taken about three days to walk or run that distance.
- 1:12 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It is his own name that he told Moses. See Exodus 3:14. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been there and he always will be there.
- 1:18 David was a musician. He wrote this poem and he sang it to sad music.
- 1:21 The Israelites made shields from leather and wood. They rubbed oil into the leather to make it strong. Then the leather did not become hard.
2 Samuel 1
English Standard Version
David Hears of Saul's Death
1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned (A)from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, (B)a man came from Saul's camp, (C)with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, (D)he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, (E)“How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, (F)“By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, (G)‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. (H)And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David took hold of his clothes and (I)tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept (J)and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not (K)afraid to put out your hand to destroy (L)the Lord's anointed?” 15 Then (M)David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, (N)“Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed (O)the Lord's anointed.’”
David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 And David (P)lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it[a] should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in (Q)the Book of Jashar.[b] He said:
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
(R)How the mighty have fallen!
20 (S)Tell it not in Gath,
(T)publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
(U)lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of (V)the uncircumcised exult.
21 (W)“You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings![c]
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not (X)anointed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
(Y)the bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were (Z)swifter than eagles;
they were (AA)stronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
(AB)who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 (AC)“How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
(AD)your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.
27 (AE)“How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:18 Septuagint; Hebrew the Bow, which may be the name of the lament's tune
- 2 Samuel 1:18 Or of the upright
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Septuagint firstfruits
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