David Finds Out about Saul's Death
1 Saul was dead.
Meanwhile, David had defeated the Amalekites and returned to Ziklag. 2 Three days later, a soldier came from Saul's army. His clothes were torn, and dirt was on his head. He went to David and knelt down in front of him.
3 David asked, “Where did you come from?”
The man answered, “From Israel's army. I barely escaped with my life.”
4 “Who won the battle?” David asked.
The man said, “Our army turned and ran, but many were wounded and died. Even King Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5 David asked, “How do you know Saul and Jonathan are dead?”
6 The young man replied:
I was on Mount Gilboa and saw King Saul leaning on his spear. The enemy's war chariots and cavalry were closing in on him. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called me over. I went and asked what he wanted.
8 Saul asked me, “Who are you?”
“An Amalekite,” I answered.
9 Then he said, “Kill me! I'm dying, and I'm in terrible pain.”
10 So I killed him. I knew he was too badly wounded to live much longer. Then I took his crown and his arm-band, and I brought them to you, Your Majesty. Here they are.
11 At once, David and his soldiers tore their clothes in sorrow. 12 They cried all day long and would not eat anything. Everyone was sad because Saul, his son Jonathan, and many of the Lord's people had been killed in the battle.
13 David asked the young man, “Where is your home?”
The man replied, “My father is an Amalekite, but we live in Israel.”
14-16 David said to him, “Why weren't you afraid to kill the Lord's chosen king? And you even told what you did. It's your own fault that you're going to die!”
Then David told one of his soldiers, “Come here and kill this man!”
David Sings in Memory of Saul
17 David sang a song in memory of Saul and Jonathan, 18 and he ordered his men to teach the song to everyone in Judah. He called it “The Song of the Bow,” and it can be found in The Book of Jashar. This is the song:
19 Israel, your famous hero
lies dead on the hills,
and your mighty warriors
have fallen!
20 Don't tell it in Gath
or spread the news
on the streets of Ashkelon.
The godless Philistine women
will be happy
and jump for joy.
21 Don't let dew or rain fall
on the hills of Gilboa.
Don't let its fields
grow offerings for God.
There the warriors' shields
were smeared with mud,
and Saul's own shield
was left unpolished.
22 The arrows of Jonathan struck,
and warriors died.
The sword of Saul cut
the enemy apart.
23 It was easy to love Saul
and Jonathan.
Together in life,
together in death,
they were faster than eagles
and stronger than lions.
24 Women of Israel, cry for Saul.
He brought you fine red cloth
and jewelry made of gold.
25 Our warriors have fallen
in the heat of battle,
and Jonathan lies dead
on the hills of Gilboa.
26 Jonathan, I miss you most!
I loved you
like a brother.
You were truly loyal to me,
more faithful than a wife
to her husband.
27 Our warriors have fallen,
and their weapons
are destroyed.
Davidi ge Sauli ǁōb xa ra ǁnâu
1 Sauli ǁōb khaoǃgâb ge Davida Amalekǁînab ge dans khaoǃgâ oahā tsî ǀgam tsēra Siklags ǃnâ ge hâ. 2 Tsîb ge ǃnonaǁî tsēs ai ǂkham khoeba Sauli di toroǃkhamaogu hâǃkhaiba xu Davidi tawa ge hā. ǁÎb ge saran âba ǀkhau tsî danas âb ai ǃhūba ge tsoro hâ i, ǃoab âba ǁgaus ǃaroma. Tsîb ge ǁîba Davidi aiǃâ ge ǃgamǃgâ. 3 Ob ge Davida “Mâpa xuts ra hā?” ti ge dî bi.
Ob ge ǁîba “Israelǁîgu di hâǃkhaiba xu ta ge go ǃkhoeniǀkhī” ti ge ǃeream.
4 ǃAruǀîb ge Davida ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Mâti i go hā? Mîba te re.”
Ob ge ge ǃeream: “Israeli toroǂnubis ge ǃkhamma xu go ǁhâ tsî ǂguigu âgu ge go ǃgamhe; Sauli tsî ǁîb ôab Jonatanni tsîkha on ge go ǁō.”
5 Ob ge Davida ge dî bi: “Mâtits a ǂan Sauli tsî ǁîb ôab Jonatanni tsîkha go ǁō ǃkhaisa?”
6 Ob ge ge ǃeream: “Tita ge Gilboaǃhommi ai go hâ i tsî ta ge go mû Sauli ǁhâigôab âb ai ǁgâibasen hâse mâ ǃkhaisa, khākhoen di torokunidi tsî ǃgapi-aogu ǁîba ra ǀgū hîa. 7 Ob ge Saula ǂnan tsîb ge mû te, o ge ǂgai te. O ta ge ‘Tare-e ta nî dība tsi, ǃgôahesatse?’ ti ge mî. 8 Ob ge ‘Taritsa?’ ti ge dî te, o ta ge ‘Amalekǁîta ge’ ti ge ǃeream. 9 ǁÎb ge tita ǃoa ge mî: ‘Toxopa ǀgūse hā, î ǃgam te re, ǁkhōǁkhōsase ta tsuihe hâ, tsî ta ǀnai ra ǁō ǁga xuige.’ 10 O ta ge ǀgūse sī tsî ge ǃgam bi, ǂan ta ge i xui-ao ǁnāb kas khaoǃgâb ûi tide ǃkhaisa. Tita ge kronsa danas âba xu tsî ǃganusa ǁôab âba xu ūǁnâ tsî ǁîra go hā-ūba tsi, ǃgôahesatse.”
11 Ob ge Davida tsûaǂgaob xa saran âba ge ǀkhau; ǁnās ǁkhāsa gu ge ǁkhāti ǁîb khoegu ona ge dī. 12 Tsî gu ge ǃuis kōse Sauli tsî ǁîb ôab Jonatanni tsî ǃKhūb ǁaes, Israelǁaes ǂama ǃoa tsî ā tsî ǂûtama ge hâ, ǂguin ân ge ǃgamhe amaga.
13 Davidi ge ǂhôasa ge hā-ūba bi ǂkham khoeba ge dî: “Mâ ǃkhai-i dits a?”
Ob ge ge ǃeream: “Tita ge nē ǃhūb ǃnâ ǃhaokhoese ǁan hâ, xawe ta ge a Amalekǁî.”
14 Ob ge Davida ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Tsîts kha ǃao tama go hâ i, sa ǃomma ūkhâi tsî ǃKhūb di ǀnausabeba ǃgamsa?” 15 Tsîb ge ǁîb aogu di ǀguiba ǂgai tsî “ǃGam bi” ti ge mî. Ob ge ǁnā khoeba Amalekǁîba ǁnāǂam tsî ge ǃgam. 16 Tsîb ge Davida ǃaruǀî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Sa ǁōbats ge aitsama go ôaǂui. ‘Tita ge ǃKhūb di ǀnausabeba go ǃgam ta’ tits go mî, ots ge aitsama go ǀgoraǃgâsen.”
Davidi ǃgaetsanas Sauli tsî Jonatanni tsîkha ǂama
17 Davidi ge nē ǃgaetsanasa Sauli tsî ǁîb ôab Jonatanni tsîkha ǂama xoa tsî ge ǁnae. 18 ǁÎb ge ge mîmā în Judab khoena khās di ǃgaetsanasa ǁkhāǁkhāhe. ǁÎs ge ǁkhāti ǂKhanis ǂHauǃnân dis ǃnâ xoamâihe hâ.
19 “Israeli ǂkhaisib ge ǃhomgu ai ǃgamhe hâse ǁgoe.
Ae, mû re mâti kha ǃgari-aokha go ǁnāsa!
20 Tā ǁîsa Gats ǃnâ ǂhôa;
tā ǁîsa Askelons ǃgangu ǃnâ ǂanǂan.
ǁNās ka i, o di ge Filisteǁî ǀgôade nî ǃgâiaǂgao,
o di ge ǀūben di ôade nî dâ.
21 “Gilboaǃhomgo, ab ǀaub kas ǀnanub kas hoasa tā sago ai ǁnā;
a gu sa ǃhanaga hoaǁae ǂûtanioǃnâ.
ǃGari-aokha di ǁkhaukhōra ge ǁnāpa taotaosase ǁgoe;
Sauli ǁkhaukhōs ge ǃaruǀî oli-i ǀkha ǂkhauǀkhāhe tama hâ.
22 ǀAob ǃgamhe hâgu dib ǀkha,
kaub ǃgari-aogu dib ǀkha!
Jonatanni khās ge ǂnoasā tama ge hâ i,
Sauli gôab ge ǀkhomoǃnâ ge i.
23 “Sauli tsî Jonatanni tsîkha, ǃgâi tsî ǀnamǀnamsa ge i kha;
ûib ǃnâ ǀgui, ǁōb ǃnâ ǀgui ti ge ī i kha;
ǃariǃkhādi ǃgâ-ai ǃhae tsî xamgu ǃgâ-ai ge ǀgaisa i kha.
24 “Israelǁî khoeso, ā re Sauli ǂama.
ǁÎb ge ǀgapiǀgau sarana ana so
tsî ǃhuniǀurib ǀkha gere ani so.
25 “Ae, mû re mâti kha go ǃgari-aokha ǃkhammi ǃnâ ǁnāsa!
Jonatanni ge ǃhomgu ai ǃgamǁguihe hâ.
26 “Ti ǀnam ǀhōsa Jonatantse, sats ǃaroma ta ge ǃoa hâ,
kaisets ge ge ǀnamǀnamsaba te i.
Sa ǀnammi ge tita taradi ǀnammi ǃgâ-ai ge buruburuxaba i.
27 “Ae, mû re mâti kha go ǃgari-aokha ǁnāsa,
tsîn ǁâtanin âkha aoxūsase ǁgoesa.”
