The Preacher's Bible

After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, ²on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the earth and showed respect.

³David said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”

⁴David said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.” He answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

⁶The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him. ⁷When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’ ¹⁰So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹Then David took hold on his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise. ¹²They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Jehovah’s anointed?” ¹⁵David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died. ¹⁶David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Jehovah’s anointed.’”

¹⁷David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son ¹⁸(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):

¹⁹“Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

²¹You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away, the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In their death, they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

²⁴You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you delicately in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.

²⁵How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan was slain on your high places.

²⁶I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.

²⁷How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!”