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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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:18 Or The Book of the Upright.
  2. 1:21 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 Then David (A)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 (B)the book of Jashar.

19 [a]Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
(C)How have the mighty fallen!
20 (D)Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Lest (E)the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
Lest the daughters of (F)the uncircumcised exult.
21 (G)O mountains of Gilboa,
(H)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 (I)anointed with oil.
22 (J)From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,
(K)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;
(L)They were swifter than eagles,
(M)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 (N)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.
(O)Your love to me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27 (P)How have the mighty fallen,
And (Q)the weapons of war perished!”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 1:19 Lit The