The Second Book of Samuel

4 It was told David of Saul’s death. 15 He causeth him to be slain that brought the tidings. 19 He lamenteth the death of Saul and Jonathan.

After the death of Saul, when David was returned from the (A)slaughter of the Amalekites, and had been two days in Ziklag,

Behold, a man came the third day out of the host from Saul with [a]his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and when he came to David, he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

Then David said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the host of Israel I am escaped.

And David said unto him, What is done? I pray thee, tell me. Then he said, that the people is fled from the battle, and many of the people are overthrown, and dead, and also Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.

And David said unto the young man that told it him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

Then the young man that told him, answered, [b]As I came to mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear, and lo, the chariots and [c]horsemen followed hard after him.

And when he looked back, he saw me, and called me. And I answered, Here am I.

And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an [d]Amalekite.

Then said he unto me, I pray thee,[e]come upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my [f]life is yet whole in me.

10 So [g]I came upon him, and slew him, and because I was sure that he could not live, after that he had fallen, I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and brought them hither unto my lord.

11 Then David took hold on his clothes, (B)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 slain with the sword.

13 [h]Afterward David said unto the young man that told it him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger an Amalekite.

14 And David said unto him, (C)How wast thou not afraid, to put forth thine hand to destroy the Anointed of the Lord?

15 Then David called one of his young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

16 Then said David unto him, [i]Thy blood be upon thine own head: for thine own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord’s Anointed.

17 ¶ Then David mourned with this lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son,

18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah to [j]shoot, as it is written in the book of (D)[k]Jasher.)

19 O noble Israel, [l]he is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty overthrown!

20 (E)Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, upon you be neither dew nor rain, nor [m]be there fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is cast down, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

22 The bow of Jonathan never turned back, neither did the sword of Saul return empty from the blood of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their deaths they were not [n]divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, which clothed you in scarlet, [o]with pleasures, and hanged ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

25 How were the mighty slain in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

26 Woe is me for thee, my brother Jonathan: very kind hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of [p]women: how are the mighty overthrown, and the weapons of war destroyed!

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 1:2 Seeming to lament the overthrow of the people of Israel.
  2. 2 Samuel 1:6 As I fled in the chase.
  3. 2 Samuel 1:6 Or, captains.
  4. 2 Samuel 1:8 He was an Amalekite born, but renounced his country, and joined with the Israelites.
  5. 2 Samuel 1:9 Hebrew, stand upon.
  6. 2 Samuel 1:9 I am sorry, because I am yet alive.
  7. 2 Samuel 1:10 Hebrew, I stood upon him.
  8. 2 Samuel 1:13 After the lamentation, he examined him again.
  9. 2 Samuel 1:16 Thou art justly punished for thy fault.
  10. 2 Samuel 1:18 That they might be able to match their enemies the Philistines in that art.
  11. 2 Samuel 1:18 Or, righteous.
  12. 2 Samuel 1:19 Meaning, Saul.
  13. 2 Samuel 1:21 Let their fertile fields be barren, and bring forth no fruit to offer to the Lord.
  14. 2 Samuel 1:23 They died both together in Gilboa.
  15. 2 Samuel 1:24 As rich garments and costly jewels.
  16. 2 Samuel 1:26 Either toward their husbands, or their children.

David Hears of Saul’s Death(A)

After the death(B) of Saul, David returned from striking down(C) the Amalekites(D) and stayed in Ziklag two days. On the third day a man(E) arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.(F) When he came to David, he fell(G) to the ground to pay him honor.(H)

“Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,(I)” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“‘An Amalekite,(J)’ I answered.

“Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me!(K) I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’

10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown(L) that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore(M) them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,(N)” he answered.

14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?(O)

15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!”(P) So he struck him down, and he died.(Q) 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head.(R) Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 David took up this lament(S) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,(T) 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):(U)

19 “A gazelle[a] lies slain on your heights, Israel.
    How the mighty(V) have fallen!(W)

20 “Tell it not in Gath,(X)
    proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(Y)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(Z) be glad,
    lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(AA)

21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(AB)
    may you have neither dew(AC) nor rain,(AD)
    may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](AE)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
    the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(AF)

22 “From the blood(AG) of the slain,
    from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(AH) 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,(AI)
    they were stronger than lions.(AJ)

24 “Daughters of Israel,
    weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
    who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(AK)

25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
    Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(AL) for you, Jonathan(AM) my brother;(AN)
    you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(AO)
    more wonderful than that of women.

27 “How the mighty have fallen!
    The weapons of war have perished!”(AP)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
  2. 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings