David sabe da morte de Saul
1Saul morrera e David voltara para Ziclague após ter derrotado os amalequitas. Aí permaneceu dois dias. 2No terceiro dia chegou um homem do exército de Saul com a roupa rasgada e com terra na cabeça em sinal de consternação. Aproximando-se de David inclinou-se até ao chão em atitude de profundo respeito.
3“Donde vens?”, perguntou David. “Do exército de Israel”, replicou o homem.
4“Que foi que aconteceu? Como é que correu o combate?” O homem respondeu: “Todos fugiram em debandada. Milhares foram mortos e feridos no campo de batalha. Saul e Jónatas também morreram.”
5“E como sabes que foram mortos?”, insistiu David.
6“Porque chegando, por acaso, ao monte de Gilboa, vi Saul inclinado sobre a sua espada e a cavalaria e os carros de combate do inimigo apertando a luta contra a posição em que se encontrava. 7Olhando para trás, Saul reparou em mim e gritou-me que fosse ter com ele e perguntou-me: ‘Quem és tu?’ 8‘Sou amalequita’, respondi. 9‘Mata-me’, pediu-me ele, ‘e tira-me desta angústia, porque estou a sofrer muito e a vida está presa a mim.’ 10Então matei-o, pois sabia que não poderia continuar com vida. Depois peguei na sua coroa e numa pulseira que trazia no braço e trouxe-as para ti, meu senhor.”
11David e os seus homens rasgaram a roupa que tinham vestida, em manifestação de tristeza, ao ouvirem aquelas notícias. 12Choraram, lamentaram-se e jejuaram todo o dia por Saul e pelo seu filho Jónatas, assim como pelo povo do Senhor e pelos homens de Israel que tinham morrido naquele dia. 13David disse àquele que lhe trouxera as notícias: “Donde és tu?” Ele respondeu: “Eu sou amalequita.”
14“E como te atreveste a matar o rei ungido por o Senhor?” E David, dirigindo-se a um dos seus mancebos, disse: 15“Mata-o!” O rapaz atravessou-o com a sua espada e ele morreu. 16E acrescentou: “Foste vítima da tua própria condenação, porque confessaste, tu mesmo, ter matado o rei ungido do Senhor.”
Cântico de David sobre a morte de Saul e Jónatas
17David compôs então uma elegia à memória de Saul e Jónatas. 18E ordenou que fosse cantada através de todo o Israel. É este o texto, tal como está no Livro do Justo:
19“Ó Israel, aqueles que eram para ti o teu orgulho e a tua alegria
jazem mortos sobre as colinas.
Morreram os poderosos heróis!
20Não o contes aos filisteus,
para que não rejubilem.
Esconde-o das cidades de Gate e de Asquelom,
para que povos pagãos não venham a rir-se triunfantemente.
21Ó montes de Gilboa, que não caia mais chuva,
nem sequer orvalho sobre vós;
que não cresçam searas nas vossas vertentes.
Porque foi aí que o escudo dos heróis
foi tristemente arrojado no chão;
o escudo de Saul não mais ungido com óleo.
22Tanto Saul como Jónatas eram capazes de liquidar
os seus mais fortes inimigos;
nunca regressavam da batalha de mãos vazias.
23Como eram amados! Eram pessoas admiráveis!
Tanto Saul como o seu filho!
Sempre estiveram juntos, tanto na vida como na morte!
Eram mais velozes do que águias, mais fortes do que leões.
24Por isso, mulheres de Israel,
chorem agora por Saul.
Ele enriqueceu-vos, vestiu-vos de finas roupas
e deu-vos belos adornos.
25Foram valentes heróis que morreram no campo da batalha.
Jónatas foi morto sobre a colina.
26Como eu choro por ti, meu irmão Jónatas,
como eu te amava!
O teu amor tinha mais profundidade para mim
do que o amor de uma mulher.
27Foram valentes homens que caíram.
Despojados das suas armas, morreram!”
David Hears That Saul Has Died
1After Saul died, David returned to Ziklag. He had won the battle over the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days. 2On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to show him respect.
3“Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I’ve escaped from Israel’s camp.”
4“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
He said, “Israel’s men ran away from the battle. Many of them were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5David spoke to the young man who brought him the report. He asked him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6“I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said. “Saul was there too. He was leaning on his spear. The enemy chariots and chariot drivers had almost caught up with him. 7Then he turned around and saw me. He called out to me. I said, ‘What do you want me to 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 close to death, but I’m still alive.’
10“So I stood beside him and killed him. I did it because I knew that after he had lost the battle he would be killed anyway. So I took the crown that was on his head. I also took his armband. I’ve brought them here to you. You are my master.”
11Then David tore his clothes. And all his men tore their clothes. 12All of them were filled with sadness. They mourned over the whole nation of Israel. They didn’t eat anything until evening. That’s because Saul and Jonathan and the Lord’s army had been killed by swords.
13David spoke to the young man who had brought him the report. He asked, “Where are you from?”
“I’m the son of an outsider, an Amalekite,” he answered.
14David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to kill the Lord’s anointed king?”
15Then David called for one of his men. He said, “Go! Strike him down!” So he struck the man down, and the man died. 16That’s because David had said to him, “Anything that happens to you will be your own fault. What your own mouth has spoken is a witness against you. You said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed king.’ ”
David’s Song of Sadness About Saul and Jonathan
17David sang a song of sadness about Saul and his son Jonathan. 18He ordered that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is a song that is played on a stringed instrument. It is written down in the Book of Jashar. David sang,
19“Israel, a gazelle lies dead on your hills.
Your mighty men have fallen.
20“Don’t announce it in Gath.
Don’t tell it in the streets of Ashkelon.
If you do, the daughters of the Philistines will be glad.
The daughters of men who haven’t been circumcised will be joyful.
21“Mountains of Gilboa,
may no dew or rain fall on you.
May no showers fall on your hillside fields.
The shield of the mighty king wasn’t respected there.
The shield of Saul lies there. It isn’t rubbed with oil anymore.
22The bow of Jonathan didn’t turn back.
The sword of Saul didn’t return without being satisfied.
They spilled the blood of their enemies.
They killed mighty men.
23“When they lived, Saul and Jonathan were loved and respected.
When they died, they were not parted.
They were faster than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
24“Daughters of Israel, mourn over Saul.
He dressed you in the finest clothes.
He decorated your clothes with ornaments of gold.
25“Your mighty men have fallen in battle.
Jonathan lies dead on your hills.
26My brother Jonathan, I’m filled with sadness because of you.
You were very special to me.
Your love for me was wonderful.
It was more wonderful than the love of women.
27“Israel’s mighty men have fallen.
Their weapons of war are broken.”
