David Hears of Saul’s Death
1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned afrom striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, ba man came from Saul’s camp, cwith his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, dhe fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, e“How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, f“By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, g‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. hAnd I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David took hold of his clothes and itore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept jand fasted until 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. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not kafraid to put out your hand to destroy lthe Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then mDavid called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, n“Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed othe Lord’s anointed.’”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 And David plamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it1 should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in qthe Book of Jashar.2 He said:
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
rHow the mighty have fallen!
20 sTell it not in Gath,
tpublish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
ulest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of vthe uncircumcised exult.
21 w“You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings!3
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not xanointed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
ythe bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were zswifter than eagles;
they were astronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
bwho put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 c“How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
dyour love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.
27 c“How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!”
Cast Your Burden on the Lord
To the choirmaster: with fstringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David.
1 gGive ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2 Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless hin my complaint and I imoan,
3 because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they jdrop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me;
kthe terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
7 nyes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter
from othe raging wind and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, pdivide their tongues;
for I see qviolence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and riniquity and trouble are within it;
11 ruin is in its midst;
soppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.
12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who tdeals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
13 uBut it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14 We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in vthe throng.
15 Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol walive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
16 But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
17 xEvening and ymorning and at znoon
I autter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for bmany are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
he who is centhroned from of old, Selah
because they do not dchange
and do not fear God.
20 My companion2 estretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.
21 His fspeech was gsmooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were hdrawn swords.
22 iCast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
jhe will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
23 But you, O God, kwill cast them down
into lthe pit of destruction;
men of mblood and treachery
shall not nlive out half their days.
But I will otrust in you.
