Saul’s Death Reported to David 1After ye death of Saul whan Dauid was come agayne from the slaughter of ye Amalechites, and had remayned two dayes at Siclag, 2beholde, on the thirde daye there came a man out of Sauls hoost, with his clothes rente, and earth vpon his heade. And whan he came vnto Dauid, he fell downe to the grounde, and worshipped. 3Dauid sayde vnto him: Whence commest thou? He sayde vnto him: Out of the hoost of Israel am I fled. 4Dauid sayde vnto him: Tell me, what is the matter? He sayde: the people is fled from the battayll, and many of the people are fallen: Yee and Saul also is deed and his sonne Ionathas. 5Dauid sayde vnto the yonge ma that brought him this worde: How knowest thou that Saul and Ionathas his sonne are deed? 6The yonge man yt tolde him this, sayde: I came by chaunce vnto mount Gelboa, and beholde, Saul leaned vpon his speare, & the charettes and horsme folowed harde after him: 7and he turned him aboute, and sawe me, and called me. And I sayde: Here, am I. 8And he sayde vnto me: What art thou? I sayde vnto him: I am an Amalechite. 9And he saide vnto me: Come to me, and kyll me, for anguysh hath gotten holde of me: for my life is yet whole within me. 10Then stepte I to him, and slewe him, for I knowe well that he coulde not lyue after his fall. And I toke the crowne from his heade, and the armelet fro his arme, and haue broughte it here vnto ye my lorde. 11Then toke Dauid holde of his clothes, and rente them, and so dyd all the me that were with him, 12& mourned, and wepte, and fasted vntyll the euen, ouer Saul & Ionathas his sonne, and ouer the people of the LORDE, and ouer the house of Israel, because they were fallen thorow the swerde. 13And Dauid sayde to the yonge man that broughte him worde: What art thou? He sayde: I am ye sonne of a straunger an Amalechite. 14Dauid sayde: How happeneth it that thou wast not afrayed to laye thine hade vpon the LORDES anointed to destroye him? 15And Dauid sayde vnto one of his yonge men: Come hither, and slaye him. And he smote him that he dyed. 16Then sayde Dauid vnto him: Thy bloude be vpon thyne owne heade. For thy mouth hath spoken against thyselfe and sayde: I haue slayne the anoynted of the LORDE. David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan 17And Dauid mourned this lamentacion ouer Saul and Ionathas his sonne, 18and commaunded to teach the childre of Iuda the bowe. Beholde, it is wrytten in the boke of the righteous. 19The Eldest in Israel are slayne vpon the heigth of the. How are the Worthies falle? 20Tell it not at Gath: speake not of it in ye stretes at Ascalon: lest the doughters of ye Philistynes reioyse, lest the doughters of ye vncircumcysed tryumphe. 21Ye mountaynes of Gelboa, nether dew ner rayne come vpo you, nether lode be wherof commeth Heueofferynges: for there is ye shylde of the Worthies smytten downe, the shylde of Saul, as though he had not bene anoynted with oyle. 22The bowe of Ionathas fayled not, and the swerde of Saul came not agayne voyde from the bloude of the slayne, and fro the fat of the giauntes. 23Saul and Ionathas louely and pleasaut in their lyfe, and in their deeth were not parted asunder: lighter then Aegles, and stronger then lyons. 24Ye doughters of Israel wepe ouer Saul which clothed yow with purple in pleasures, and decked you with Iewels of golde on youre garmentes. 25How are the Worthies fallen so in the battayll? Ionathas is slayne vpon ye heigth of the. 26I am sory for the my brother Ionathas: thou hast bene very louely vnto me: Thy loue hath bene more speciall vnto me, then the loue of wemen. 27How are the Worthies fallen, and ye weapens destroyed? |
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