| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; | 1After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. |
| 2It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. | 2On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect. |
| 3And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. | 3“Where have you come from?” David asked. “I escaped from the Israelite camp,” the man replied. |
| 4And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. | 4“What happened?” David demanded. “Tell me how the battle went.” The man replied, “Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” |
| 5And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? | 5“How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David demanded of the young man. |
| 6And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. | 6The man answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him. |
| 7And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. | 7When he turned and saw me, he cried out for me to come to him. ‘How can I help?’ I asked him. |
| 8And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. | 8“He responded, ‘Who are you?’ “‘I am an Amalekite,’ I told him. |
| 9He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. | 9“Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’ |
| 10So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. | 10“So I killed him,” the Amalekite told David, “for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.” |
| 11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: | 11David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. |
| 12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. | 12They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the LORD’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day. |
| 13And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. | 13Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?” And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.” |
| 14And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed? | 14“Why were you not afraid to kill the LORD’s anointed one?” David asked. |
| 15And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. | 15Then David said to one of his men, “Kill him!” So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him. |
| 16And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed. | 16“You have condemned yourself,” David said, “for you yourself confessed that you killed the LORD’s anointed one.” David’s Song for Saul and Jonathan |
| 17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: | 17Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan, |
| 18(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) | 18and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The Book of Jashar. |
| 19The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! | 19Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills! Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! |
| 20Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. | 20Don’t announce the news in Gath, don’t proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice and the pagans will laugh in triumph. |
| 21Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. | 21O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil. |
| 22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. | 22The bow of Jonathan was powerful, and the sword of Saul did its mighty work. They shed the blood of their enemies and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes. |
| 23Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. | 23How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. |
| 24Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. | 24O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold. |
| 25How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. | 25Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on the hills. |
| 26I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. | 26How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women! |
| 27How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! | 27Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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