live after that he had fallen: and I took the crown that was upon 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 likewise all the men that were with him:
12 And they mourned, and 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 And David said to the young man that told him, From where art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And David said to him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?
15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.
16 And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he told them to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) [1]
19 Thy glory, O Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither 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.
22 From 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.
23 Saul 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. [2]
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places.
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been to me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27 How have the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
CHAP. 2.
1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.
2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.
3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
5 And David sent messengers to the men of Jabeshgilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth to you: and I also will repay you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. [3]
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; [4] [5]
9 And he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. [6]
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. [7]
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and fight before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And they caught every one his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together: therefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.[8]
