David Hears of Saul’s Death
1After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
3“Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
8“He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“ ‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.
9“Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
10“So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
11Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”
“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.
14David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
15Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 16For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
19“A gazelle1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary. lies slain on your heights, Israel.
How the mighty have fallen!
20“Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
21“Mountains of Gilboa,
may you have neither dew nor rain,
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.
22“From the blood of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
24“Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
25“How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
27“How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”
Dawid Te Saulo Owuo
1Saulo owuo akyi no, Dawid sane firii nkonim a ɔdii Amalekfoɔ so no mu bɛtenaa Siklag nnanu. 2Ne nnansa so no, ɔbarima bi firi Saulo sraban mu a watete ne ntadeɛ mu, atu mfuturo agu ne tiri mu, de rekyerɛ sɛ ɔretwa adwo baeɛ. Ɔduruu Dawid nkyɛn no, ɔdanee ne ho hwee fam anidie mu.
3Dawid bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛhe na wofiri?”
Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Madwane afiri Israel sraban mu.”
4Dawid bisaa no sɛ, “Na ɛyɛɛ dɛn? Ɔko no kɔsii sɛn?”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Mmarima no dwane firii akono. Bebree totɔeɛ. Na Saulo ne ne babarima Yonatan nso atotɔ.”
5Enti, Dawid bisaa aberanteɛ a ɔbɛbɔɔ no saa amaneɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛɛ dɛn na wohunuu sɛ Saulo ne ne babarima Yonatan awuwu?”
6Aberanteɛ no buaa sɛ, “Mekɔfirii Gilboa bepɔ so, na mekɔtoo sɛ Saulo sina ne pea so a atamfoɔ no nteaseɛnam ne nʼapɔnkɔsotefoɔ abɛn no ara. 7Ɔdanee ne ho a ɔhunuu me no, ɔteaam frɛɛ me sɛ memmra. Mebisaa no sɛ, ‘Menyɛ ɛdeɛn?’
8“Ɔbisaa me sɛ, ‘Wone hwan?’
“Mebuaa no sɛ, ‘Meyɛ Amalekni.’
9“Na ɔsrɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Bɛgyina me so na kum me, na me ho yera me yie, na mepɛ sɛ mewu.’
10“Enti, megyinaa ne so kumm no, ɛfiri sɛ, na menim sɛ tebea a ɔwɔ mu no, ɔrennya nkwa. Na metuu nʼahenkyɛ a ɛhyɛ no no ne nʼabasa so kapo no sɛ mede rebrɛ wo, me wura.”
11Dawid ne ne mmarima no tee asɛm no, wɔde awerɛhoɔ sunsuanee wɔn ntadeɛ mu. 12Wɔtwaa ho agyaadwoɔ, suiɛ, bua daa da mu no nyinaa wɔ Saulo ne ne babarima Yonatan wuo ne Awurade akodɔm ne Israelman sɛ wɔn mu pii wuwuu saa da no.
13Na Dawid bisaa aberanteɛ a ɔbɛbɔɔ wɔn saa amaneɛ no sɛ, “Wofiri he?”
Na ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meyɛ ɔhɔhoɔ Amalekni a mete mo asase so.”
14Dawid bisaa no sɛ, “Na wonsuro sɛ wobɛkum obi a Awurade asra no no?”
15Dawid ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima no mu baako sɛ, “Ku no!” Enti, ɔbarima no twee nʼakofena de wɔɔ Amalekni no, kumm no. 16Na Dawid kaa sɛ, “Wʼano ayi mmusuo ama wo ama woawu, ɛfiri sɛ, wo ara na wokaa sɛ woakum obi a Awurade asra no no.”
Dawid Dwom A Ɔhyehyɛ Maa Saulo Ne Yonatan
17Na Dawid too kwadwom maa Saulo ne Yonatan. 18Na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔnkyerɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda nyinaa to. Wɔtoo no edin sɛ agyan dwom a wɔatwerɛ wɔ Yasar Nwoma mu.
19“Wʼanimuonyam ne wʼahosɛpɛ, Ao Israel, awu da mmepɔ so!
Akofoɔ akɛseɛ atotɔ!
20“Monnka asɛm yi wɔ Gat,1.20 Gat ne Askelon yɛ Filistia nkuro.
na Filistifoɔ abɔ ose!
Monnka wɔ Askelon mmɔntene so,
na abosonsomfoɔ ansere ahosɛpɛ mu.
21“Ao Gilboa mmepɔ,
mma bosuo anaa osuo ntɔ ngu wo so,
anaa wo nsianeɛ so.
Ɛfiri sɛ, ɛhɔ na wɔguu ɔkofoɔ kɛseɛ no akokyɛm ho fi;
wɔremfa ngo nsra Saulo akokyɛm ho bio.
22“Saulo ne Yonatan kunkumm wɔn atamfoɔ ahoɔdenfoɔ!
Wɔamfiri akono amma no nsapan.
23Ɔdɔ ne ahoɔfɛ bɛn
na na Saulo ne Yonatan nni,
wɔn mu antete da, nkwa ne owuo mu.
Na wɔn ho yɛ hare kyɛn akɔdeɛ;
na wɔn ho yɛ den kyɛn agyata.
24“Ao, Israel mmaa,
monsu Saulo,
ɛfiri sɛ, ɔfiraa mo ntoma pa,
hyehyɛɛ mo sikakɔkɔɔ agudeɛ.
25“Akofoɔ akɛseɛ atotɔ akono.
Yonatan awu da mmepɔ no so.
26Hwɛ sɛdeɛ mesu woɔ, me nua Yonatan;
Ao, hwɛ ɔdɔ a mede dɔɔ woɔ!
Na wo dɔ a wode dɔɔ me no mu dɔ;
emu dɔ sene mmaa dɔ!
27“Hwɛ sɛdeɛ akofoɔ akɛseɛ atotɔ!
Wɔayiyi wɔn akodeɛ afiri wɔn ho, na wɔawuwu deda hɔ.”
