2 Samuel 1
New Living Translation
David Learns of Saul’s Death
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked.
“I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied.
4 “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”
The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”
5 “How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David demanded of the young man.
6 The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. 7 When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. ‘How can I help?’ I asked him.
8 “He responded, ‘Who are you?’
“‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him.
9 “Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’
10 “So I killed him,” the Amalekite told David, “for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”
11 David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.
13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?”
And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.”
14 “Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
15 Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. 16 “You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.”
David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan
17 Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan, 18 and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The Book of Jashar.[a]
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.[b]
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.
2 Samuel 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Saul and Jonathan Are Dead
1 Now it happened after (A)the death of Saul, that David returned from (B)striking down the Amalekites. Then David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 Now it happened that on the third day, behold, (C)a man came out of the camp from Saul. And (D)his clothes were torn and [a]dust was on his head. And it happened when he came to David, that (E)he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. 3 Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “(F)How did things go? Tell me now.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” 5 So 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, “By chance I happened to be on (G)Mount Gilboa, and behold, (H)Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. 7 Then he turned to look behind him, and he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I [b]answered him, ‘(I)I am an Amalekite.’ 9 Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and put me to death, for agony has seized me because my [c]life still lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood beside him (J)and put him to death, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And (K)I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then (L)David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. 12 And they lamented and wept and (M)fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of [d]Yahweh and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he [e]answered, “(N)I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid (O)to send forth your hand to destroy the anointed of Yahweh?” 15 And David called one of the young men and said, “Approach and fall upon him.” (P)So he struck him and he died. 16 And David said to him, “(Q)Your blood is on your head, for (R)your mouth has answered against you, saying, ‘I have put the anointed of Yahweh to death.’”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 Then David (S)chanted with this funeral lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in (T)the book of Jashar.
19 “[f]Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
(U)How have the mighty fallen!
20 (V)Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Lest (W)the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
Lest the daughters of (X)the uncircumcised exult.
21 (Y)O mountains of Gilboa,
(Z)Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings;
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, not (AA)anointed with oil.
22 (AB)From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
(AC)The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life,
And in their death they were not separated;
(AD)They were swifter than eagles,
(AE)They were mightier than lions.
24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
Who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.
25 (AF)How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me.
(AG)Your love to me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27 (AH)How have the mighty fallen,
And (AI)the weapons of war perished!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:2 Lit ground
- 2 Samuel 1:8 Lit said to
- 2 Samuel 1:9 Lit whole life is still in me
- 2 Samuel 1:12 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- 2 Samuel 1:13 Lit said
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Lit The
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