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!”
大卫得知扫罗的死讯
1大卫战胜了亚玛力人之后便回到洗革拉，在那里住了两天。那时扫罗已经死了。 2第三天，有一个衣服撕裂、头蒙灰尘的人从扫罗军营中跑到大卫面前，俯伏下拜。 3大卫问他：“你从哪里来？”那人答道：“我是从以色列军营逃出来的。” 4大卫说：“请告诉我那边的情况。”他说：“以色列军溃逃，伤亡惨重，就连扫罗和他儿子约拿单都死了！” 5大卫又问报信的青年：“你怎么知道扫罗和他儿子约拿单死了？” 6青年说：“我偶然到基利波山，看见扫罗在那里倚枪而立，敌人的战车骑兵紧紧追来。 7他回头看到我，便呼唤我。我说，‘我在这里。’ 8他问我是什么人。我告诉他我是亚玛力人。 9扫罗说他痛苦不堪，却又死不掉，要我杀了他。 10我知道他身受重伤，必死无疑，就把他杀了，并取下他头上的王冠和臂上的镯子带来献给我主。”
11大卫就撕裂衣服，他的随从也撕裂衣服。 12他们因扫罗、他的儿子约拿单和耶和华的子民以色列同胞阵亡而悲哀痛哭，禁食直到黄昏。 13大卫又问报信的青年：“你是哪里的人？”他答道：“我是寄居在以色列的亚玛力人。” 14大卫说：“你怎么敢下手杀耶和华所膏立的王？ 15-16你是咎由自取！因为你亲口承认自己杀了耶和华所膏立的王。”大卫随即命令一个年轻的随从杀死他，随从便杀死了他。
大卫的哀歌
17大卫作了一首挽歌哀悼扫罗和他儿子约拿单， 18并吩咐人教导犹大人唱这首弓歌。这首歌记在《雅煞珥书》上，歌词说：
19“以色列啊，
你荣耀的王伏尸山上，
勇士竟然倒下！
20不要在迦特宣告，
不要在亚实基伦的街上传扬，
免得非利士的妇女幸灾乐祸，
免得未受割礼之人的女子欢喜雀跃。
21“基利波山啊，愿你没有雨露，
你的田地不长献祭用的五谷，
因为那里有勇士锈污的盾牌，
扫罗的盾牌没有抹油。
22“约拿单的弓射敌无数，
扫罗的剑不杀强敌不收回。
23“扫罗和约拿单深受爱戴，
生死不分离。
他们比鹰更敏捷，
比狮子还强壮。
24“以色列的女子啊，
为扫罗哀哭吧！
他曾使你们衣服华美，
穿金戴银。
25“勇士竟战死沙场！
约拿单竟伏尸山上！
26我的兄弟约拿单啊，
我为你悲伤，
你对我情深义重，
你对我的爱胜过女人的恋情。
27“勇士竟然倒下！
兵器竟然耗损！”
