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¹ NOW it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had abode two days in Zinklag;² It came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and earth upon his head; and so it was that when he came to David, he fell to the earth and did obeisance.³ And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he replied, Out of the camp of Israel have I escaped.⁴ And David said to him, What is the news? Tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and many of them also have fallen; and Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead.⁵ And David said to the young man, Tell me, how did Saul and Jonathan his son die?⁶ And the young man said to him, I happened by chance to be on mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and lo, the chariots and horsemen overtook him.⁷ And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, Here am I.⁸ And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.⁹ Then he said to me, Stand over me and slay me; for anguish has seized me because my life is still whole in me.¹⁰ So I stood over him and slew him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.

¹¹ Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them; and likewise all the men who were with him;¹² And they mourned and wept and 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 Then David said to the young man who told him, Where do you come from? And he answered, I am the son of a proselyte, an Amalekite.¹⁴ And David said to him. How was it that you were not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the LORDS anointed?¹⁵ And David called one of the young men and said to him, Go near and fall upon him. And he drew near and fell upon him, and he smote him so that he died.¹⁶ And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head; for your mouth has testified against you, for you have said, I have slain the LORDS anointed.

¹⁷ And David lamented with this song of mourning over Saul and over Jonathan his son¹⁸ (Also he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Asher):¹⁹ Israel was swift like a gazelle, and is slain upon her proud hills! How are the mighty fallen!²⁰ Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.²¹ O you mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor upon the choicest fields; for there the shield of the mighty was broken, the shield of Saul, who was anointed with oil.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 were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.²⁴ O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and dyed garments, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.²⁵ How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, upon her high places are many slain.²⁶ I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you were very dear to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.²⁷ How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished!