2 Samuel 1
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
1 Now after the death of Saul, when David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, he had stayed two days in Ziklag,
2 When on the third day a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.
3 David said to him, Where have you come from? He said, I have escaped from the camp of Israel.
4 David said to him, How did it go? Tell me. He answered, The men have fled from the battle. Many have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5 David said to the young man, How do you know Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
6 The young man said, By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and I saw Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and horsemen were close behind him.
7 When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, Here I am.
8 He asked me, Who are you? I answered, An Amalekite.
9 He said to me, Rise up against me and slay me; for terrible dizziness has come upon me, yet my life is still in me [and I will be taken alive].
10 So I stood up against him and slew him, because I was sure he could not live after he had fallen. So I took the crown on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.(A)
11 Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them; so did all the men with him.
12 They mourned and wept for Saul and Jonathan his son, and fasted until evening for the Lord’s people and the house of Israel, because of their defeat in battle.
13 David said to the young man who told him, Where are you from? He answered, I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.
14 David said to him, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?
15 David called one of the young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died.
16 David said to [the fallen man], Your blood be upon your own head; for you have testified against yourself, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.
17 David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,
18 And he commanded to teach it, [the lament of] the bow, to the Israelites. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar:
19 Your glory, O Israel, is slain upon your high places. How have the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, announce it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
21 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, or fields with offerings. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, as though he were not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In their lives and in their deaths they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with [other] delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How have the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
2 Samuel 1
King James Version
1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?
6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
13 And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?
15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed.
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
2 Samuel 1
Living Bible
1 1-2 Saul was dead and David had returned to Ziklag after slaughtering the Amalekites. Three days later a man arrived from the Israeli army with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head as a sign of mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.
3 “Where do you come from?” David asked.
“From the Israeli army,” he replied.
4 “What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.”
And the man replied, “Our entire army fled. Thousands of men are dead and wounded on the field, and Saul and his son Jonathan have been killed.”
5 “How do you know they are dead?”
6 “Because I was on Mount Gilboa and saw Saul leaning against his spear with the enemy chariots closing in upon him. 7 When he saw me he cried out for me to come to him.
8 “‘Who are you?’ he asked.
“‘An Amalekite,’ I replied.
9 “‘Come and put me out of my misery,’ he begged, ‘for I am in terrible pain but life lingers on.’
10 “So I killed him,[a] for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and one of his bracelets to bring 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 people, and for the men of Israel who had died that day.
13 Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?”
And he replied, “I am an Amalekite.”
14 “Why did you kill God’s chosen king?” David demanded.
15 Then he said to one of his young men, “Kill him!” So he ran him through with his sword and he died.
16 “You die self-condemned,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed God’s appointed king.”
17-18 Then David composed a dirge for Saul and Jonathan and afterward commanded that it be sung throughout Israel. It is quoted here from the book Heroic Ballads.
19 O Israel, your pride and joy lies dead upon the hills;
Mighty heroes have fallen.
20 Don’t tell the Philistines, lest they rejoice.
Hide it from the cities of Gath and Ashkelon,
Lest the heathen nations laugh in triumph.
21 O Mount Gilboa,
Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
Let no crops of grain grow on your slopes.[b]
For there the mighty Saul has died;
He is God’s appointed king no more.
22 Both Saul and Jonathan slew their strongest foes,
And did not return from battle empty-handed.
23 How much they were loved, how wonderful they were—
Both Saul and Jonathan!
They were together in life and in death.
They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 But now, O women of Israel, weep for Saul;
He enriched you
With fine clothing and gold ornaments.
25 These mighty heroes have fallen in the midst of the battle.
Jonathan is slain upon the hills.
26 How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan;
How much I loved you!
And your love for me was deeper
Than the love of women!
27 The mighty ones have fallen,
Stripped of their weapons, and dead.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:10 So I killed him. He was evidently lying. See 1 Samuel 31:3 for the true account. Probably he had found Saul dead upon the field and thought David would reward him for killing his rival.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Let no crops of grain grow on your slopes. The text is uncertain in the original manuscripts.
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