II KINGS

1

And it came to pass after Saul was dead that David returned from smiting Amalec, and David abode two days in Sekelac. ²And it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Gaul, and his garments were rent, and earth was upon his head: and it came to pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and did obeisance to him.

³And David said to him, Whence comest thou? and he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel. ⁴And David said to him, What is the matter? tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the ¹ battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

⁵And David said to the young man who brought him the tidings, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead ? ⁶And the young man that brought the tidings said to him, I happened accidentally to be upon mount Gelbue; and, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and, behold, the chariots and captains of horse pressed hard upon him. ⁷And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called me; and I said Behold, here am I. ⁸And he said to me, Who art thou ? and I said I am an Amalekite. ⁹And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee over me, and slay me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me for all my life is in me. ¹⁰So I stood over him and slew him, because I knew he ² would not live after he was fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm and I have brought them hither to my lord.

¹¹And David laid hold of his garments,

401

and rent them; and all the men who were with him rent their garments. ¹²And they lamented, and wept, and fasted till evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Juda, and for the house of Israel, because they were smitten with the sword.

¹³And David said to the young man who brought the tidings to him, Whence art thou? and he said, I am the son of an Amalekite sojourner.

¹⁴And David said to him, How was it thou wast not afraid to lift thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord? ¹⁵And David called one of his young men, and said, Go and fall upon him: and he smote him, and he died. ¹⁶And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thine own head; for thy mouth has ³ testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.

¹⁷And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, his son. ¹⁸And he ⁴ gave orders, to teach it the sons of Juda: behold, it is written in the book of ⁵ Right.

^{19 6} Set up a pillar; O Israel, for ⁷ the slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! ²⁰Tell it not in Geth, and tell it not as glad tidings in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. ²¹Ye mountains of Gelbue; let not dew nor rain descend upon you, nor fields of first-fruits be upon you, for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil. ²²From the blood of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not empty; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty. ²³Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not divided: comely were they in their life, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than lions. ²⁴Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added golden ornaments to your apparel. ²⁵How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, even the slain ones upon thy high places! ²⁶I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou wast very lovely to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women. ²⁷How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!