2 Samuel

¹ Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites.

² Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect before David.

³ He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel."

⁴ He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

⁵ David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?"

⁶ "I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him.

⁷ He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. 'Yes sir,' I said, 'at your service.'

⁸ He asked me who I was, and I told him, 'I'm an Amalekite.' "

⁹ "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on."

¹⁰ "So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are."

¹¹ In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him did the same.

¹² They wept and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of God and the nation Israel, victims in a failed battle.

¹³ "I'm from an immigrant family—an Amalekite."

¹⁴ "Do you mean to say," said David, "that you weren't afraid to up and kill God's anointed king?"

¹⁵ Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, "Strike him dead!" The soldier struck him, and he died.

¹⁶ "You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed God's anointed king."

¹⁷ Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan,

¹⁸ and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar.

¹⁹ the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen!

²⁰ don't post the news in the streets of Ashkelon. Don't give those coarse Philistine girls one more excuse for a drunken party!

²¹ and not a drop from springs and wells, For there the warriors' shields were dragged through the mud, Saul's shield left there to rot.

²² the bigger they were the harder they fell. Saul's sword was fearless— once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it.

²³ Together in life, together in death. Swifter than plummeting eagles, stronger than proud lions.

²⁴ He dressed you in finest cottons and silks, spared no expense in making you elegant.

²⁵ in the middle of the fight! Jonathan—struck down on your hills!

²⁶ I'm crushed by your death. Your friendship was a miracle-wonder, love far exceeding anything I've known— or ever hope to know.

²⁷ And the arms of war broken to bits.