The Book of
II Kingdoms
II Kingdoms
Chapter 1
And it came to pass after Saul was dead, that David returned from smiting Amalek, and David stayed two days in Sekelak. 2 And it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul, and his garments were torn, and earth was upon his head; and it came to pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and did obeisance to him. 3 And David said to him, From where does thou come? And he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel. 4 And David said to him, What is this word? Tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead. 5 And David said to the young man who was reporting this to him, How does thou know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? 6 And the young man who was telling him said, I happened accidentally to be upon Mount Gelboue; and, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and, behold, the chariots and captains of horse pressed hard upon him. 7 And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called me; and I said, Behold, here am I. 8 And he said to me, Who art thou? And I said, I am an Amalekite. 9 And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and kill me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life is in me. 10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew he would not live after he had fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and I have brought them hither to my lord. 11 And David laid hold of his garments, and tore them; and all the men who were with him tore their garments. 12 And they lamented, and wept, and fasted till evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Judah, and for the house of Israel, because they were smitten with the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who had told him these things, Whence art thou? And he said, I am the son of an Amalekite traveler. 14 And David said to him, How was it thou were not afraid to lift thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord? 15 And David called one of his young men, and said, Go and fall upon him, and he struck him down, and he died. 16 And David said to him, Thy blood is upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have put to death the anointed of the Lord. 17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. 18 And he gave orders to teach it the sons of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of the Upright. 19 Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the wounded that have died upon thy high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Geth, and proclaim it not in the streets of Askalon, lest the daughters of the * Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 21 Ye mountains of Gelbue, let neither dew nor rain descend upon you, nor fields of first fruits be upon you, for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil. 22 From the blood of the wounded, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not empty; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty. 23 Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not divided: comely were they in their life and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than lions. 24 Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added golden ornaments to your apparel. 25 How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, even the wounded ones upon thy high places! 26 I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou were very lovely to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women. 27 How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
* This word is used in the Septuagint as a distinct reference to “Philistines”, but is literally translated as “foreigners”, or “those of another people or tribe”.
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