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. And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he
said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. And David said
unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered,
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. And David
said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and
Jonathan his son be dead? 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.
And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I
answered, Here am I. And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered
him, I am an Amalekite. 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. 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. Then David took hold on his clothes,
and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him.
[Sidenote: II. SAMUEL 1]
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan
his son:
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty
fallen!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet,
with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou
wast slain in thine high places.
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.
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
[Illustration]
BOOK VIII--DAVID THE KING
CHAPTER 88
DAVID ANOINTED KING
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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