New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 Now Saul was dead. After David haddefeated the Amalekites, he returned to Ziklag and stayed there two days.
1
Sha'ul had died, and David had been two days in Ziklag after returning from the slaughter of the 'Amaleki.
2 On the third day a young man from Saul's camp came to Ziklag. To show his sadness, his clothes were torn and he had dirt on his head. He came and bowed facedown on the ground before David.
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On the third day, there came a man from Sha'ul's camp with his clothes torn and earth on his head. He approached David, fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
3 David asked him, "Where did you come from?" The man answered, "I escaped from the Israelite camp."
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David said to him, "Where are you coming from?""I escaped from the camp of Isra'el," he replied.
4 David asked him, "What happened? Please tell me!" The man answered, "The people have run away from the battle, and many of them have fallen and are dead. Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also."
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"Tell me, please, how did things go?" asked David. "The people have fled the battle," he answered, "and many of them are wounded or dead. Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son are dead too."
5 David asked him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
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David asked the young man who had told him this, "How do you know that Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son are dead?"
6 The young man answered, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa. There I saw Saul leaning on his spear. The Philistine chariots and the men riding in them were coming closer to Saul.
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The young man who had told him said, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa when I saw Sha'ul leaning on his spear. The chariots and cavalry were bearing down on him.
7 When he looked back and saw me, he called to me. I answered him, 'Here I am!'
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He looked behind him, saw me and called to me. I answered, 'Here I am.'
8 "Then Saul asked me, 'Who are you?' "I told him, 'I am an Amalekite.'
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He said to me, 'Who are you?' and I answered, 'I'm an 'Amaleki'
9 "Then Saul said to me, 'Please come here and kill me. I am badly hurt and am almost dead already.'
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He said to me, 'I'm in agony, and I'm going to die, but I'm still alive. So please, stand next to me; and kill me.'
10 "So I went over and killed him. He had been hurt so badly I knew he couldn't live. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my master."
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So I stood next to him and killed him, because I was sure he was so badly wounded that he couldn't live. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."
11 Then David tore his clothes to show his sorrow, and all the men with him did also.
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Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and likewise all the men who were with him.
12 They were very sad and cried and did not eat until evening. They cried for Saul and his son Jonathan and for all the people of the Lord and for all the Israelites who had died in the battle.
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They wailed and cried, and they fasted until evening for Sha'ul, for Y'honatan his son, for ADONAI's people and for the house of Isra'el; because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David asked the young man who brought the report, "Where are you from?" The young man answered, "I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite."
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David said to the young man who had told him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I'm the son of a [resident] foreigner, an 'Amaleki."
14 David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord's appointed king?"
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David asked him, "How is it that you weren't afraid to raise your hand to destroy ADONAI's anointed?"
15 Then David called one of his men and told him, "Go! Kill the Amalekite!" So the Israelite killed him.
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David called one of his young men and said, "Go over to him, and kill him." The man struck him down, and he died.
16 David had said to the Amalekite, "You are responsible for your own death. You confessed by saying, 'I have killed the Lord's appointed king.'"
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David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head. Your own mouth convicted you when you said, 'I killed ADONAI's anointed.'"
17 David sang a funeral song about Saul and his son Jonathan,
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Then David pronounced this lament over Sha'ul and over Y'honatan his son,
18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this song. It is called "The Bow," and it is written in the Book of Jashar:
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in order to teach the people of Y'hudah [not to underestimate] archery (the lament has been written down in the book of Yashar):
19 "Israel, your leaders have been killed on the hills. How the mighty have fallen in battle!
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"Your glory, Isra'el, lies dead on your high places! How the heroes have fallen!
20 Don't tell it in Gath. Don't announce it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the Philistine women will be happy. The daughters of the Philistines will rejoice.
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Don't speak of it in Gat; don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon; then the daughters of the P'lishtim won't rejoice, the daughters of the uncircumcised won't gloat.
21 "May there be no dew or rain on the mountains of Gilboa, and may their fields produce no grain, because there the mighty warrior's shield was dishonored. Saul's shield will no longer be rubbed with oil.
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"Mountains of Gilboa - may there be on you no dew, no rain, no fields with good crops; because there the shields of the heroes were dishonored, the shield of Sha'ul was no longer rubbed with oil.
22 Jonathan's bow did not fail to kill many soldiers. Saul's sword did not fail to wound many strong men.
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"From the blood of the dead, from the flesh of heroes, the bow of Y'honatan did not retreat or the sword of Sha'ul return unsatisfied.
23 "We loved Saul and Jonathan and enjoyed them while they lived. They are together even in death. They were faster than eagles. They were stronger than lions.
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Sha'ul and Y'honatan, loved and gracious while alive, were not separated even in death; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 "You daughters of Israel, cry for Saul. Saul clothed you with red dresses and put gold decorations on them.
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"Daughters of Isra'el, weep over Sha'ul! He clothed you luxuriously in scarlet and put gold jewelry on your clothing.
25 "How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan is dead on Gilboa's hills.
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"How the heroes have fallen in the heat of battle, Y'honatan killed on your high places!
26 I cry for you, my brother Jonathan. I enjoyed your friendship so much. Your love to me was wonderful, better than the love of women.
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I grieve for you, my brother Y'honatan, you meant so much to me! Your love for me was deeper than the love of women.
27 "How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are gone."
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How the heroes have fallen and the weapons of war perished"
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.