A.C. 1055.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16¶ And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

*

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto Heb. their the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

morrow.

+ Or, asked them how they did.

Heb. men.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

21 ¶ And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him and when David came near to the people, he + saluted them.

22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

25 And it was so from that day *forward, that he made A.C. 1055. it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. * Heb. and 26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the forward. spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a † present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the + Heb. blessLORD;

27 To them which were in Beth-el, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,

28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,

29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,

30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chor-ashan, and to them which were in Athach,

31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

1 SAMUEL XXXI.

1 Saul having lost his army, and his sons slain, he and his armourbearer kill themselves. 7 The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites. 8 They triumph over the dead carcases. 11 They of Jabesh-gilead, recovering the bodies by night, burn them at Jabesh, and mournfully bury their bones.

ing.

I-12.

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the g 1 Chron. x men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons.

+Or,wounded.

3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the §archers Heb. shoot

I hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

ers, men with bows.

|| Heb. found

him.

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and * abuse me. But his ar- ✶ Or, mock mourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7¶ And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philis

me.

A.C. 1055. tines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

10 And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard *Or, concern of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

ing him.

12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of h Jer. xxxiv. Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. 13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

5.

i 2 Sam. ii. 4.

+ Heb. transgressed.

23.

i

1 CHRONICLES X. VER. 13 & 14.

k

13 ¶ So Saul died for his transgression which he † com1 Sam. xv. mitted against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, 'to enquire of it;

11 Sam.

xxviii. 7.

14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, Heb. Isai. and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

Lamentation of David over Saul and Jonathan.
2 SAMUEL 1.

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when Dam 1 Sam.xxx. vid was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;

17.26.

$ Heb. What was, &c.

me.

2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

4 And David said unto him, § How went the matter? I pray thee tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.

5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and callHeb. Behold ed unto me. And I answered, || Here am I.

8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered A.C. 1055. him, I am an Amalekite.

9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

Or, my coat

of mail, or, my embroid ered coat hin

dereth me,

10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took that my, &c. the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

n Ch. iii. 31.

11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and " rent them; &, 31. and likewise all the men that were with him:

12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

13 ¶ And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed? o Pa. cv. 15. 15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed.

near,

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:

Josh. x. 33.

18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of the Jasher.)

19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!

upright.

20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of a Mic, i. 10, 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 let there be 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 Or, sweet. lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed

A.C. 1055. you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

r1 Sam. xxxi. 1, 2.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan : very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

1 CHRON. X. VER. 1-13.

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from *Or, wound- before the Philistines, and fell down * slain in mount Gilboa.

ed.

+ Or, Ishui, 1 Sam. xiv. 49.

↑ Heb. shoot

ers with bows.
Heb. found

him.
|| Or, mock

me.

2 And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and † Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers § hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

4 Then said Saul to his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me But his through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me. armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword, and died.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

7 And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities, and filed: and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

8

And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.

10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

11 And when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 They arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

CHAPTER VII.

The Reign of David.

SECTION I.

David made King in Hebron-Civil War in Israel.

2 SAMUEL II.

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