2 Samuel

David Mourns for Saul and Jonathan

1After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. ⁷When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, “Here, sir.” ⁸And he said to me, “Who are you?” I answered him, “I am an Amalekite.” ⁹He said to me, “Come, stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.” ¹⁰So I stood over him, and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.’

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did the same. ¹²They mourned and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³David said to the young man who had reported to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ He answered, ‘I am the son of a resident alien, an Amalekite.’ ¹⁴David said to him, ‘Were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?’ ¹⁵Then David called one of the young men and said, ‘Come here and strike him down.’ So he struck him down and he died. ¹⁶David said to him, ‘Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, “I have killed the Lord’s anointed.” ’

17 David intoned this lamentation over Saul and his son Jonathan. ¹⁸(He ordered that The Song of the Bow^* be taught to the people of Judah; it is written in the Book of Jashar.) He said:
¹⁹Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places!
   How the mighty have fallen!
²⁰Tell 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 will exult.

²¹You mountains of Gilboa,
   let there be no dew or rain upon you,
   nor bounteous fields!^*
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
   the shield of Saul, anointed with oil no more.

²²From the blood of the slain,
   from the fat of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
   nor the sword of Saul return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
   In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles,
   they were stronger than lions.

²⁴O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
   who clothed you with crimson, in luxury,
   who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

²⁵How 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;
greatly beloved were you to me;
   your love to me was wonderful,
   passing the love of women.

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