31
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armour bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me!” But his armour bearer would not, for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armour bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died with his three sons, his armour bearer, and all his men that same day together.
7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head, stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose, 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. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk† tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
† 1:3: When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
‡ 1:17: The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
§ 1:20: Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for “heard by God.”
† 1:24: 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
† 2:6: Sheol is the place of the dead.
‡ 2:20: or, seed
§ 2:31: “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
† 2:33: or, blind your eyes with tears
† 4:21: “Ichabod” means “no glory”.
† 7:12: “Ebenezer” means “stone of help”.
† 9:8: A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1/4 shekel would be a small coin of about 2.5 grams.
† 13:1: The traditional Hebrew text omits “thirty” and “forty-”. The blanks are filled in here from a few manuscripts of the Septuagint.
‡ 13:21: A payim (or pim) was 2/3 shekel of silver, or 0.26 ounces, or 7.6 grams
† 15:23: teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.
† 17:4: A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres. A span is the length from the tip of a man’s thumb to the tip of his little finger when his hand is stretched out (about half a cubit, or 9 inches, or 22.8 cm.) Therefore, Goliath was about 9 feet and 9 inches or 2.97 metres tall.
‡ 17:5: A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 5000 shekels is about 50 kilograms or 110 pounds.
§ 17:7: A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 600 shekels is about 6 kilograms or about 13 pounds.
† 17:17: 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
† 19:13: teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.
† 23:28: “Sela Hammahlekoth” means “rock of parting”.
† 25:18: 1 seah is about 7 litres or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks
‡ 25:22: or, male.
§ 25:25: “Nabal” means “foolish”.
† 25:34: or, one male.
† 31:13: or, salt cedar
2 Samuel
The Second Book of Samuel
1
1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, 2 on the third day, behold,† a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the earth and showed respect.
3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?”
He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”
4 David said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.”
He answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”
5 David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”
6 The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him. 7 When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David took hold on his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise. 12 They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD,‡ and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”
He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”
14 David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died. 16 David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain the LORD’s anointed.’ ”
17 David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son 18 (and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):
19 “Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
20 Don’t tell it in Gath.
Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings;
for there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away,
the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back.
Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.
23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives.
In their death, they were not divided.
They were swifter than eagles.
They were stronger than lions.
24 You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you delicately in scarlet,
who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.
25 How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle!
Jonathan was slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan.
You have been very pleasant to me.
Your love to me was wonderful,
surpassing the love of women.
27 How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war have perished!”
2
1 After this, David enquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?”
The LORD said to him, “Go up.”
David said, “Where shall I go up?”
He said, “To Hebron.”
2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 3 David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by the LORD, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him. 6 Now may the LORD show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have
