1 Samuel 31

Saul and Jonathan, Dead on the Mountain

1 The Philistines made war on Israel. The men of Israel were in full retreat from the Philistines, falling left and right, wounded on Mount Gilboa.2 The Philistines caught up with Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua, Saul's sons.

3 The battle was hot and heavy around Saul. The archers got his range and wounded him badly.

4 Saul said to his weapon bearer, "Draw your sword and put me out of my misery, lest these pagan pigs come and make a game out of killing me."5 When the weapon bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.6 So Saul, his three sons, and his weapon bearer-the men closest to him-died together that day.

7 When the Israelites in the valley opposite and those on the other side of the Jordan saw that their army was in full retreat and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities and ran for their lives. The Philistines moved in and occupied the sites.

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to rob the dead, they found Saul and his three sons dead on Mount Gilboa.9 They cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they spread the good news all through Philistine country in the shrines of their idols and among the people.10 They displayed his armor in the shrine of the Ashtoreth. They nailed his corpse to the wall at Beth Shan.

11 The people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.12 Their valiant men sprang into action. They traveled all night, took the corpses of Saul and his three sons from the wall at Beth Shan, and carried them back to Jabesh and burned off the flesh.13 They then buried the bones under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted in mourning for seven days.

2 Samuel 1

1 Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites.

2 Three days later a man showed up unannounced from Saul's army camp.3 David asked, "What brings you here?" He answered, "I've just escaped from the camp of Israel."

4 "So what happened?" said David. "What's the news?" He said, "The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

5 David pressed the young soldier for details: "How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?"

6 "I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him.7 He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. 'Yes sir,' I said, 'at your service.'8 He asked me who I was, and I told him, 'I'm an Amalekite.'"

9 "Come here," he said, "and put me out of my misery. I'm nearly dead already, but my life hangs on."

10 "So I did what he asked-I killed him. I knew he wouldn't last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are."

11 In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him did the same.12 They wept and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of God and the nation Israel, victims in a failed battle.

13 Then David spoke to the young soldier who had brought the report: "Who are you, anyway?" "I'm from an immigrant family-an Amalekite."

14 "Do you mean to say," said David, "that you weren't afraid to up and kill God's anointed king?"15 Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, "Strike him dead!" The soldier struck him, and he died.

16 "You asked for it," David told him. "You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed God's anointed king."

17 Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan,18 and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it's even inscribed in The Book of Jashar.

19 Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills, the mighty warriors-fallen, fallen!20 Don't announce it in the city of Gath, don't post the news in the streets of Ashkelon. Don't give those coarse Philistine girls one more excuse for a drunken party!21 No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa, and not a drop from springs and wells, For there the warriors' shields were dragged through the mud, Saul's shield left there to rot.

22 Jonathan's bow was bold-the bigger they were the harder they fell. Saul's sword was fearless-once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it.

23 Saul and Jonathan-beloved, beautiful! Together in life, together in death. Swifter than plummeting eagles, stronger than proud lions.

24 Women of Israel, weep for Saul. He dressed you in finest cottons and silks, spared no expense in making you elegant.25 The mighty warriors-fallen, fallen in the middle of the fight! Jonathan-struck down on your hills!

26 O my dear brother Jonathan, I'm crushed by your death. Your friendship was a miracle-wonder, love far exceeding anything I've known-or ever hope to know.

27 The mighty warriors-fallen, fallen. And the arms of war broken to bits.

2 Samuel 2

1 After all this, David prayed. He asked God, "Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?" God said, "Yes, move." "And to which city?" "To Hebron."

2 So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.3 David's men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.

4 The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: "God bless you for this-for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral.6 God honor you and be true to you-and I'll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness.7 Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king."

8 In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim9 and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin-king, as it turns out, over all Israel.10 Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David.11 David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.

12 One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon.13 Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on one side, Joab's on the other.

14 Abner challenged Joab, "Put up your best fighters. Let's see them do their stuff." Joab said, "Good! Let them go at it!"

15 So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David's side.16 The men from each side grabbed their opponents' heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead-the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It's right there at Gibeon.

17 The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David's men.18 The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope19 on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.

20 Abner turned and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "It surely is," he said.

21 Abner said, "Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!" But Asahel wouldn't let up.

22 Abner tried again, "Turn back. Don't force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?"

23 When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped-Asahel dead!24 But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon.25 The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.

26 Abner called out to Joab, "Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don't you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?"

27 "As God lives," said Joab, "if you hadn't spoken up, we'd have kept up the chase until morning!"28 Then he blew the ram's horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.

29 Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning's march, arrived at Mahanaim.

30 After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David's men (besides Asahel) were missing.31 David's men had cut down three hundred and sixty of Abner's men, all Benjaminites-all dead.32 They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.