1 En n die dood van Saul, toe Dawid terug was van die verslaan van die Amalekiete en Dawid twee dae in Siklag gebly het,
2 kom daar op die derde dag 'n man uit die leër, van Saul af, met geskeurde klere en grond op sy hoof. En toe hy by Dawid kom, val hy op die grond en buig hom neer.
3 En Dawid sê vir hom: Waar kom jy vandaan? En hy antwoord hom: Ek het ontvlug uit die leër van Israel.
4 Verder sê Dawid vir hom: Wat het gebeur? Vertel my tog. Toe antwoord hy: Die manskappe het uit die geveg gevlug, en baie van die manskappe het ook geval en gesterwe; ja, ook Saul en sy seun Jonatan is dood.
5 En Dawid vra die jongman wat hom die boodskap gebring het: Hoe weet jy dat Saul en sy seun Jonatan dood is?
6 Daarop sê die jongman wat hom die boodskap gebring het: Ek was bygeval op die gebergte Gilboa, en kyk, Saul het op sy spies geleun, terwyl die strydwaens en perderuiters hom agternasit;
7 en hy het agter hom omgekyk en my gesien en my geroep, en ek het gesê: Hier is ek.
8 Toe vra hy my: Wie is jy? En ek antwoord hom: Ek is 'n Amalekiet.
9 Daarop sê hy vir my: Kom staan tog by my en maak my van kant, omdat 'n duiseling my bevang het; want my lewe is nog heeltemal in my.
10 En ek het by hom gaan staan en hom van kant gemaak, want ek het geweet dat hy n sy val nie sou leef nie; en ek het die kroon wat op sy hoof en die armband wat om sy arm was, geneem en dit hier na my heer gebring.
11 Toe gryp Dawid sy klere en skeur dit; net so al die manne wat by hom was.
12 En hulle het gerouklaag en geween en gevas tot die aand toe oor Saul en oor sy seun Jonatan en oor die volk van die HERE en oor die huis van Israel, omdat hulle deur die swaard geval het.
13 Verder sê Dawid aan die jongman wat hom die boodskap gebring het: Waar kom jy vandaan? En hy antwoord: Ek is die seun van 'n vreemde man, 'n Amalekiet.
14 En Dawid sê vir hom: Hoe? Jy was nie bevrees om jou hand uit te steek om die gesalfde van die HERE om te bring nie?
15 Daarop roep Dawid een van die jongmanne en sê: Kom nader, val op hom aan! En die het hom neergeslaan, dat hy gesterf het.
16 En Dawid het vir hom gesê: Jou bloed is op jou hoof, want jou mond getuig teen jou, omdat jy sê: Ek het die gesalfde van die HERE gedood.
17 Toe het Dawid hierdie klaaglied aangehef oor Saul en oor sy seun Jonatan,
18 en hy het beveel om die kinders van Juda die Booglied te leer; kyk, dit is geskrywe in die Boek van die Opregte.
19 Die sieraad, o Israel -- op jou hoogtes lê dit verslaan. Hoe het die helde geval!
20 Vertel dit nie in Gat, verkondig dit nie op die strate van Askelon nie, sodat die dogters van die Filistyne hulle nie verheug, die dogters van die onbesnedenes nie jubel nie!
21 Berge van Gilboa, mag op julle geen dou en geen reën en geen velde van offergawes wees nie! Want daar is die skild van die helde weggegooi, die skild van Saul, sonder dat dit met olie gesalf is.
22 Sonder die bloed van die gesneuweldes, sonder die vet van die helde het die boog van Jonatan nie agteruitgewyk en die swaard van Saul nie leeg teruggekeer nie.
23 Saul en Jonatan, die bemindes en lieflikes, is in hulle lewe en in hulle dood nie geskeie nie. Vinniger as arende was hulle, sterker as leeus.
24 Dogters van Israel, ween oor Saul, wat julle weelderig beklee het met skarlaken, wat goue versiersels aangebring het op julle gewaad.
25 Hoe het die helde geval diep in die geveg! Jonatan lê verslaan op jou hoogtes.
26 Ek is benoud om jou ontwil, my broer Jonatan! Jy was vir my baie lieflik; jou liefde was vir my wonderliker as die liefde van vroue.
27 Hoe het die helde geval en die oorlogswapens verlore gegaan!
1 Now after the death of Saul, when David, having come back from the destruction of the Amalekites, had been in Ziklag for two days;
2 On the third day a man came from Saul's tents, with his clothing out of order and earth on his head: and when he came to David, he went down on the earth and gave him honour.
3 And David said to him, Where have you come from? And he said, I have come in flight from the tents of Israel.
4 And David said to him, How did things go? Give me the news. And in answer he said, The people have gone in flight from the fight, and a great number of them are dead; and Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.
5 And David said to the young man who gave him the news, Why are you certain that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?
6 And the young man said, I came by chance to Mount Gilboa, and I saw Saul supporting himself on his spear; and the war-carriages and horsemen overtook him.
7 And looking back, he saw me and gave a cry to me. And answering him I said, Here am I.
8 And he said to me, Who are you? And I said, I am an Amalekite.
9 Then he said to me, Come here to my side, and put me to death, for the pain of death has me in its grip but my life is still strong in me.
10 So I put my foot on him and gave him his death-blow, because I was certain that he would not go on living after his fall: and I took the crown from his head and the band from his arm, and I have them here for my lord.
11 Then David gave way to bitter grief, and so did all the men who were with him:
12 And till evening they gave themselves to sorrow and weeping, and took no food, weeping for Saul and for Jonathan, his son, and for the people of the Lord and for the men of Israel; because they had come to their end by the sword.
13 And David said to the young man who had given him the news, Where do you come from? And he said, I am the son of a man from a strange land; I am an Amalekite.
14 And David said to him, Had you no fear of stretching out your hand to put to death the one marked with the holy oil?
15 And David sent for one of his young men and said, Go near and put an end to him. And he put him to death.
16 And David said to him, May your blood be on your head; for your mouth has given witness against you, saying, I have put to death the man marked with the holy oil.
17 Then David made this song of grief for Saul and Jonathan, his son:
18 (It is recorded in the book of Jashar for teaching to the sons of Judah) and he said:
19 The glory, O Israel, is dead on your high places! How have the great ones been made low!
20 Give no news of it in Gath, let it not be said in the streets of Ashkelon; or the daughters of the Philistines will be glad, the daughters of men without circumcision will be uplifted in joy.
21 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, you fields of death: for there the arms of the strong have been shamed, the arms of Saul, as if he had not been marked with the holy oil.
22 From the blood of the dead, from the fat of the strong, the bow of Jonathan was not turned back, the sword of Saul did not come back unused.
23 Saul and Jonathan were loved and pleasing; in their lives and in their death they were not parted; they went more quickly than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 O daughters of Israel, have sorrow for Saul, by whom you were delicately clothed in robes of red, with ornaments of gold on your dresses.
25 How have the great ones been made low in the fight! Jonathan is dead on your high places.
26 I am full of grief for you, my brother Jonathan: very dear have you been to me: your love for me was a wonder, greater than the love of women.
27 How have the great ones been made low, and the arms of war broken!