had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. 22Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said: 'Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.' 23Then said David: 'Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24And who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as is the share of him that goeth down to the battle, so shall be the share of him that tarrieth by the baggage; they shall share alike.' 25And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying: 'Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord'; 27to them that were in Beth-el, and to them that were in Ramoth of the South, and to them that were in Jattir; 28and to them that were in Aroer, and to them that were in Siphmoth, and to them that were in Eshtemoa; 29and to them that were in Racal, and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites; 30and to them that were in Hormah, and to them that were in Bor-ashan, and to them that were in Athach; 31and to them that were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
31Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3And the battle went sore against Saul, an the archers overtook him; and he was in great anguish by reason of the archers. 4Then said Saul to his armour-bearer: 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make a mock of me.' But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it. 5And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him. 6So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 7And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. 9And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people. 10And they put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
1. That is, There is no glory.
2. From the Hewbrew root abel.
3. That is, The stone of help.
4. The number is wanting in the Hebrew.
5. Heb. Geba.
6. That is, two-thirds of a shekel.
7. Heb. Abiner.
8. That is, The rock of divisions.
9. That is, Churl.
10. Heb. Abigal.
שמואל ב
SECOND SAMUEL (Shmû’ēl)
1And 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; 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 prostrated himself. 3And David said unto him: 'From whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.' 4And David said unto him: 'How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me.' And he answered: '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.' 5And David said unto the young man that told him: 'How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?' 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 the horsemen pressed hard upon him. 7And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered: Here am I. 8And he said unto me: Who art thou? And I answered him: I am an Amalekite. 9And he said unto me: Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for the agony hath taken hold of me; because my life is just yet in me. 10So I stood beside 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.'
11Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him. 12And they wailed, 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. 13And David said unto the young man that told him: 'Whence art thou?' And he answered: 'I am the son of an Amalekite stranger.' 14And David said unto him: 'How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?' 15And David called one of the young men, and said: 'Go near, and fall upon him.' And he smote him that he died. 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.'
17And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18and said—To teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jashar:
19Thy beauty, O Israel, upon thy high places is slain!How are the mighty fallen! 20Tell it not in Gath,Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon;Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.21Ye mountains of Gilboa,Let there be no dew nor rain upon you,Neither fields of choice fruits;For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away,The shield of Saul, not 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.23Saul and Jonathan, the lovely and the pleasantIn their lives, even in their death they were not divided;They were swifter than eagles,They were stronger than lions.24Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,Who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights,Who put ornaments of gold upon