2 Samuel 1

1^*Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from ^athe slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; ²It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, ^ba man came out of the camp from Saul ^cwith his clothes rent, and ^dearth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. ³And David said unto him, ^eFrom whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. ⁴And 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. ⁵And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? ⁶And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, ^fSaul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, ^†Here am I. ⁸And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. ⁹He 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. ¹⁰So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took ^gthe crown that was upon his head, and ^hthe bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. ¹¹Then David took hold on his clothes, and ^crent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: ¹²And 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. ¹³And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. ¹⁴And David said unto him, How wast thou not ⁱafraid to ^jstretch forth thine hand to destroy ^kthe Lord’s anointed? ¹⁵And ^lDavid called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. ¹⁶And David said unto him, ^mThy blood be upon thy head; for ⁿthy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain ^kthe Lord’s anointed.

¹⁷And David ^olamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: ¹⁸(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of ^pthe bow: behold, it is written in the book ^||of Jasher.)

¹⁹The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places:

^qHow are the mighty fallen!

^20rTell it not in Gath,

Publish it not in the streets of ^sAskelon;

Lest the daughters of the Philistines ^trejoice,

Lest the daughters of ^uthe uncircumcised triumph.

²¹Ye ^wmountains 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 ^xanointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain,

From the fat of the mighty,

^yThe bow of Jonathan turned not back,

And the sword of Saul returned not empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan were lovely and ^||pleasant in their lives,

And in their death they were not divided:

They were ^zswifter than eagles,

They were ^astronger than lions.

²⁴Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

Who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights,

Who put on ^bornaments of gold upon your apparel.

²⁵How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!

O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

²⁶I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan:

Very pleasant hast thou been unto me:

^cThy love to me was wonderful,

Passing the love of women.

^27dHow are the mighty fallen,

And the weapons of war perished!