2 Samuel 1:1-27
David Hears of Saul's Death
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4 “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.”
5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! 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 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 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,” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
19 “A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel.
How the mighty have fallen!
20 “Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,
may you have neither dew nor rain,
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow 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,
they were stronger than lions.
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”
After David defeated the Amalekites, he went back to Ziklag...This was just after Saul had been killed...David had been there two days...Then, on the third day, a young soldier from Saul’s camp came to Ziklag...His clothes were torn, and he had dirt on his head...He came to David and bowed with his face to the ground...David asked him, “Where have you come from?”...The man answered, “I just came from the Israelite camp.”...David asked him, “Please tell me, who won the battle?”...The man answered, “Our people ran away from the battle...Many of them were killed in the battle...Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”...David said to the young soldier, “How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”...The young soldier said, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa...I saw Saul leaning on his spear...The Philistine chariots and horse soldiers were coming closer and closer to Saul...Saul looked back and saw me...He called to me and I answered him...Then Saul asked me who I was...I told him that I was an Amalekite...Then Saul said, ‘Please kill me...I am hurt badly...And I am about to die anyway.’...He was hurt so badly that I knew he wouldn’t live...So I stopped and killed him...Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm and brought them here to you, my lord.”...
Then David tore his clothes to show he was very sad...All the men with him did the same thing...They were very sad and cried...They did not eat until evening...They cried because Saul and his son Jonathan were dead...David and his men cried for the LORD’s people, and they cried for Israel...They cried because Saul, his son Jonathan, and many Israelites had been killed in battle...
Then David talked with the young soldier who had told him about Saul’s death. David asked, “Where are you from?”...The young soldier answered, “I am the son of a foreigner...I am an Amalekite.”...David said to the young soldier, “Why were you not afraid to kill the LORD’s chosen king?”...Then David told the Amalekite, “You are responsible for your own death...You said you killed the LORD’s chosen king, so your own words prove you are guilty.”...Then David called one of his young servants and told him to kill the Amalekite...So the young Israelite killed him...
David sang a sad song about Saul and his son Jonathan...David told his men to teach the song to the people of Judah...This song is called “The Bow,” and it is written in the Book of Jashar... “Israel, your beauty was ruined on your hills...
Oh, how those heroes fell!...
Don’t tell the news in Gath...
Don’t announce it in the streets of Ashkelon...
Those Philistine cities would be happy!...
Those foreigners would be glad...
“May no rain or dew fall
on you, mountains of Gilboa...
May there be no offerings
coming from your fields...
The shields of the heroes rusted there...
Saul’s shield was not rubbed with oil...
Jonathan’s bow killed its share of enemies,
and Saul’s sword killed its share!...
They have spilled the blood of men now dead...
They cut into the fat of strong men...
“Saul and Jonathan—how dear they were to us!...
In life they loved being together,
and even death did not separate them!...
They were faster than eagles
and stronger than lions...
Daughters of Israel, cry for Saul!...
Saul gave you beautiful red dresses
and covered them with gold jewelry!...
“Strong men have fallen in the battle...
Jonathan is dead on Gilboa’s hills...
Jonathan, my brother, I miss you!...
I enjoyed your friendship so much...
Your love for me was wonderful,
stronger than the love of women...
Heroes have fallen in battle...
Their weapons of war are lost.”...