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2 Samuel 1:17-27
Amplified Bible
2 Samuel 1:17-27
Amplified Bible
David’s Dirge for Saul and Jonathan
17 Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in [a]the Book of Jashar:
19
“Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
20
“Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.
21
“[b]O mountains of Gilboa,
Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings;
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not [c]anointed with oil.
22
“From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23
“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives,
And in their death they were not separated;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
24
“O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you [d]luxuriously in scarlet,
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25
“How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
26
“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been a good friend to me.
Your [e]love toward me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27
“How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war have perished!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:18 An early poetic account of the wars of Israel and the heroic acts of the warriors.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 As an expression of his grief David curses the place of Saul’s death.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 It was necessary to lubricate leather shields with oil to preserve them.
- 2 Samuel 1:24 Lit with jewelry.
- 2 Samuel 1:26 Jonathan graciously accepted God’s choice of David as the next ruler of Israel, and supported him, honored him, and wanted the very best for him.
2 Samuel 1:17-27
New International Version
2 Samuel 1:17-27
New International Version
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament(A) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,(B) 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):(C)
20 “Tell it not in Gath,(F)
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(G)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(H) be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(I)
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(J)
may you have neither dew(K) nor rain,(L)
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](M)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(N)
22 “From the blood(O) of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(P) of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,(Q)
they were stronger than lions.(R)
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(S)
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(T) for you, Jonathan(U) my brother;(V)
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(W)
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”(X)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.