⁶ Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the ^[a]Philistine, that ^(A)the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments.

Jephthah’s Daughter

³⁴ When Jephthah came to his house at ^(A)Mizpah, there was ^(B)his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

The Song of Miriam^(A)

²⁰ Then Miriam ^(B)the prophetess, ^(C)the sister of Aaron, ^(D)took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her ^(E)with timbrels and with dances. ²¹ And Miriam ^(F)answered them:

⁵⁷ before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the ^(A)reproach of the daughters of ^[a]Syria and all those around her, and of ^(B)the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere.

²⁷ “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your ^[a]allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, ^(A)the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.

⁸ So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to ^(A)proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people.

^4 (A)Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest ^(B)these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and ^[a]abuse me.”

But his armorbearer would not, ^(C)for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and ^(D)fell on it.