2 Samuel 1 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

David Learns of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 after ^H310 the death ^H4194 of Saul ^H7586, when David ^H1732 had returned ^H7725 from the slaughter ^H5221 of the Amalekites ^H6002, that David ^H1732 stayed ^H3427 two ^H8147 days ^H3117 in Ziklag ^H6860.

2 And on the third ^H7992 day ^H3117, behold ^H2009, a man ^H376 came ^H935 from [fn]Saul’s ^H7586 camp ^H4264 with his clothes ^H899 torn ^H7167 and [fn]dust ^H127 on his head ^H7218. And it happened ^H1961 when he came ^H935 to David ^H1732, he fell ^H5307 to the ground ^H776 and prostrated ^H2331 himself. 3 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “From where ^H335 do you come ^H935?” And he said ^H559 to him, “I have escaped ^H4422 from the camp ^H4264 of Israel ^H3478.” 4 David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “How ^H4100 did things ^H1697 go ^H1961? Please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me.” And he said ^H559, “The people ^H5971 have fled ^H5127 from the battle ^H4421, and many ^H7235 of the people ^H5971 also ^H1571 have fallen ^H5307 and are dead ^H4191; and Saul ^H7586 and his son ^H1121 Jonathan ^H3083 are also ^H1571 dead ^H4191.” 5 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 who told ^H5046 him, “How ^H349 do you know ^H3045 that Saul ^H7586 and his son ^H1121 Jonathan ^H3083 are dead ^H4191?” 6 The young ^H5288 man ^H5288 who told ^H5046 him said ^H559, “By ^H7122 chance ^H7122 I happened ^H7136 to ^H7136 be ^H7136 on Mount ^H2022 Gilboa ^H1533, and behold ^H2009, Saul ^H7586 was leaning ^H8172 on his spear ^H2595. And behold ^H2009, the chariots ^H7393 and the horsemen ^H6571 had overtaken ^H1692 him. 7 When he looked ^H6437 behind ^H310 himself, he saw ^H7200 me, and called ^H7121 to me. And I said ^H559, ‘Here ^H2009 I am.’ 8 Then he said ^H559 to me, ‘Who ^H4310 are you?’ And I [fn]answered ^H559 him, ‘I am an Amalekite ^H6003.’ 9 And he said ^H559 to me, ‘Please ^H4994 stand ^H5975 next ^H5921 to me and finish ^H4191 me off ^H4191, for [fn]agony ^H7661 has seized ^H270 me because ^H3588 my [fn]life ^H5315 still ^H5750 lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood ^H5975 next ^H5921 to him and finished ^H4191 him off ^H4191, because ^H3588 I knew ^H3045 that he could not live ^H2421 after ^H310 he had fallen ^H5307. And I took ^H3947 the crown ^H5145 which ^H834 was on his head ^H7218 and the band ^H685 which ^H834 was on his arm ^H2220, and I have brought ^H935 them here ^H2008 to my lord ^H113.”

11 Then David ^H1732 took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of his clothes ^H899 and tore ^H7167 them, and so also ^H1571 did all ^H3605 the men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him. 12 And they mourned ^H5594 and wept ^H1058 and fasted ^H6684 until ^H5704 evening ^H6153 for Saul ^H7586 and his son ^H1121 Jonathan ^H3083, and for the people ^H5971 of the LORD ^H3068 and the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478, because ^H3588 they had fallen ^H5307 by the sword ^H2719. 13 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 who informed ^H5046 him, “Where ^H335 are you from?” And he [fn]answered ^H559, “I am the son ^H1121 of a stranger ^H1616, an Amalekite ^H6003.” 14 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “How ^H349 is it you were ^H3372 not afraid ^H3372 to reach ^H7971 out ^H7971 with your hand ^H3027 to destroy ^H7843 the LORD’S ^H3068 anointed ^H4899?” 15 Then David ^H1732 called ^H7121 one ^H259 of the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 and said ^H559, “Come ^H5066 forward ^H5066, [fn]put ^H6293 him to ^H6293 death ^H6293.” So he struck ^H5221 him and he died ^H4191. 16 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to him, “[fn]Your blood ^H1818 is on your head ^H7218, because ^H3588 your own mouth ^H6310 has testified ^H6030 against you, saying ^H559, ‘I have finished ^H4191 off ^H4191 the LORD’S ^H3068 anointed ^H4899.’”

David’s Song of Mourning for Saul and Jonathan

17 Then David ^H1732 sang ^H6969 this ^H2088 song ^H7015 of ^H7015 mourning ^H7015 over ^H5921 Saul ^H7586 and his son ^H1121 Jonathan ^H3083,

18 and he told ^H559 them to teach ^H3925 the sons ^H1121 of Judah ^H3063 the mourning song of the bow ^H7198; behold ^H2009, it is written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of Jashar ^H3477.

19 “[fn]Your beauty ^H6643, Israel ^H3478, is [fn]slaughtered ^H2491 on your high ^H1116 places ^H1116!

How ^H349 the mighty ^H1368 have fallen ^H5307!

20 “Tell ^H5046 it not in Gath ^H1661,

Proclaim ^H1319 it not in the streets ^H2351 of Ashkelon ^H831,

Or ^H6435 the daughters ^H1323 of the Philistines ^H6430 will rejoice ^H8055,

The daughters ^H1323 of the uncircumcised ^H6189 will celebrate ^H5937.

21 “Mountains ^H2022 of Gilboa ^H1533,

May there be no ^H408 dew ^H2919 nor ^H408 rain ^H4306 on you, or fields ^H7704 of offerings ^H8641!

For there ^H8033 the shield ^H4043 of the mighty ^H1368 was defiled ^H1602,

The shield ^H4043 of Saul ^H7586, not anointed ^H4899 with oil ^H8081.

22 “From the blood ^H1818 of those [fn]slaughtered ^H2491, from the fat ^H2459 of the mighty ^H1368,

The bow ^H7198 of Jonathan ^H3083 did not turn ^H5472 back ^H268,

And the sword ^H2719 of Saul ^H7586 did not return ^H7725 [fn]unstained ^H7387.

23 “Saul ^H7586 and Jonathan ^H3083, beloved ^H157 and delightful ^H5273 in [fn]life ^H2416,

And in their deaths ^H4194 they were not separated ^H6504;

They were ^H7043 swifter ^H7043 than ^H4480 eagles ^H5404,

They were mightier ^H1396 than ^H4480 lions ^H738.

24 “Daughters ^H1323 of Israel ^H3478, weep ^H1058 over ^H413 Saul ^H7586,

Who clothed ^H3847 you in scarlet ^H8144, with jewelry ^H5730,

Who put ^H5927 gold ^H2091 jewelry ^H5716 on your apparel ^H3830.

25 “How ^H349 the mighty ^H1368 have fallen ^H5307 in the midst ^H8432 of the battle ^H4421!

Jonathan ^H3083 is [fn]slaughtered ^H2491 on your high ^H1116 places ^H1116.

26 “I am ^H6887 distressed ^H6887 for you, my brother ^H251 Jonathan ^H3083;

You have been ^H5276 [fn]a ^H5276 close ^H3966 friend ^H5276 to me.

Your love ^H160 for me was ^H6381 more ^H4480 wonderful ^H6381

Than ^H4480 the love ^H160 of women ^H802.

27 “How ^H349 the mighty ^H1368 have fallen ^H5307,

And the weapons ^H3627 of war ^H4421 have perished ^H6!”