2 Samuel 1

¹And it came to pass after the death of Saul, and David had returned from striking Amalek, and David stayed in Ziklag two days.

²And it came to pass on the third day, and behold, a man came from the camp from Saul, with his garments torn and dirt upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and did obeisance.

³And David said to him, 'Where do you come from?' And he said to him, 'From the camp of Israel I have escaped.'

⁴And David said to him, 'What happened? Tell me, please.' And he said, 'The people fled from the battle, and also many fell from the people and died; and also Saul and Jonathan his son died.'

⁵And David said to the young man who had told him, 'How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?'

⁶And the young man who had told him said, 'By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and behold, the chariotry and the riders of horses had overtaken him.'

⁷And he turned around behind him and saw me, and called to me and said, 'Here I am.'

⁸And he said to me, 'Who are you?' And I said to him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

⁹And he said to me, 'Stand over me, please, and kill me, for the agony has seized me, for my life is still in me.'

¹⁰And I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he would not live after his fall. And I took the crown that was upon his head and the armlet that was upon his arm, and I brought them to my lord here.

¹¹And David took hold of his garments and tore them, and also all the men who were with him.

¹²And they mourned and wept and fasted until the evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³And David said to the young man who had told him, 'Where are you from?' And he said, 'I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.'

¹⁴And David said to him, 'How were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the anointed of the LORD?'

¹⁵And David called to one of the young men and said, 'Come, fall upon him.' And he struck him and he died.

¹⁶And David said to him, 'Your blood is upon your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, "I myself have killed the anointed of the LORD."'

¹⁷And David chanted this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.

¹⁸And he said to teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of the Upright.

¹⁹Your glory, O Israel, upon your heights lies slain! How have the mighty fallen!

²⁰Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

²¹O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of first-fruit offerings, for there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the pleasant in their lives, even in their death they were not separated; swifter than eagles they were, stronger than lions.

²⁴O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your clothing.

²⁵How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, upon your heights lies slain.

²⁶I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you were very dear to me, your love to me more wonderful than the love of women.

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