
2 Samuel 1 International Standard Version (ISV)David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan1 Shortly after Saul had died, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and remained in Ziklag for two days. 2 The next[a] day, a man escaped from Saul’s camp! With torn clothes and dirty hair, he approached David, fell to the ground, and bowed down to him. 3 David asked him, “Where did you come from? He answered him, “I just escaped from Israel’s encampment.” 4 David continued questioning him, “How did things go? Please tell me!” He replied, “The army has fled the battlefield, many of the army are wounded[b] or have died, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 David asked the young man who related the story,[c] “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 The young man who had been relating the story[d] answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and there was Saul, leaning on his spear! Meanwhile, the chariots and horsemen were rapidly drawing near. 7 Saul[e] glanced behind him, saw me, and called out to me, so I replied, ‘Here I am!’ 8 He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I’m an Amalekite!’ 9 He begged me, ‘Please—come stand here next to me and kill me, because I’m still alive.’ 10 So I stood next to him and killed him, because I knew that he wouldn’t live after he had fallen. I took the crown that had been on his head, along with the bracelet that had been on his arm, and I have brought them to your majesty.”[f] 11 On hearing this,[g] David grabbed his clothes and tore them, as did all the men who were attending to him. 12 They mourned and wept, and then decided to fast[h] until dusk for Saul, for his son Jonathan, for the army of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen in battle.[i] 13 Meanwhile, David asked the young man who had told him the story,[j] “Where are you from?” He answered, “I’m an Amalekite, the son of a foreign man.” 14 At this David asked him, “How is it that you weren’t afraid to raise your hand to strike the Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then David called out to one of his young men and ordered him, “Go up to him and cut him down!” So he attacked him and killed him. 16 David told him, “Your blood is on your own head, because your own words[k] testified against you! After all, you said, ‘I myself have killed the Lord’s anointed!’” David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan17 So David intoned this song of lament about Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he gave orders[l] to teach the descendants of Judah the art of warfare,[m] as is recorded in the Book of Jashar:[n] 19 “Your beauty, Israel, lies slain on your high places! Footnotes:
International Standard Version (ISV) Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. |
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