2 Samuel 1

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 After the death of Saul, David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag.	1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2 On the third day a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage.	2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 David asked him, "Where do you come from?" He replied, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."	3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.
4 "Tell me what happened," David bade him. He answered that the soldiers had fled the battle and that many of them had fallen and were dead, among them Saul and his son Jonathan.	4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5 Then David said to the youth who was reporting to him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"	5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?
6 The youthful informant replied: "It was by chance that I found myself on Mount Gilboa and saw Saul leaning on his spear, with chariots and horsemen closing in on him.	6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 He turned around and, seeing me, called me to him. When I said, 'Here I am,'	7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8 he asked me, 'Who are you?' and I replied, 'An Amalekite.'	8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
9 Then he said to me, 'Stand up to me, please, and finish me off, for I am in great suffering, yet fully alive.'	9 And he said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.
10 So I stood up to him and dispatched him, for I knew that he could not survive his wound. I removed the crown from his head and the armlet from his arm and brought them here to my lord."	10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
11 David seized his garments and rent them, and all the men who were with him did likewise.	11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
12 They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.	12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
13 Then David said to the young man who had brought him the information, "Where are you from?" He replied, "I am the son of an Amalekite immigrant."	13 And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand to desecrate the LORD'S anointed?"	14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?
15 David then called one of the attendants and said to him, "Come, strike him down"; and the youth struck him a mortal blow.	15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 Meanwhile David said to him, "You are responsible for your own death, for you testified against yourself when you said, 'I dispatched the LORD'S anointed.'"	16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.
17 Then David chanted this elegy for Saul and his son Jonathan,	17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 which is recorded in the Book of Jashar to be taught to the Judahites. He sang:	18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
19 "Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen!	19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 "Tell it not in Gath, herald it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Lest the Philistine maidens rejoice, lest the daughters of the strangers exult!	20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Mountains of Gilboa, may there be neither dew nor rain upon you, nor upsurgings of the deeps! Upon you lie begrimed the warriors' shields, the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.	21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22 "From the blood of the slain, from the bodies of the valiant, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, or the sword of Saul return unstained.	22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions!	23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold.	24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 "How can the warriors have fallen-- in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights!	25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou was slain in thine high places.
26 "I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother! most dear have you been to me; More precious have I held love for you than love for women.	26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 "How can the warriors have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!"	27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!