2 Samuel 1:17-27

New American Standard Bible

David’s Song of Mourning for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷Then David ^(A)sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the mourning song of the bow; behold, it is written in ^(B)the Book of Jashar.

¹⁹“^[a]Your beauty, Israel, is ^[b]slaughtered on your high places!
^(C)How the mighty have fallen!
²⁰^(D)Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or ^(E)the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of ^(F)the uncircumcised will celebrate.
²¹^(G)Mountains of Gilboa,
^(H)May there be no dew nor rain on you, or fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, not ^(I)anointed with oil.
²²^(J)From the blood of those ^[c]slaughtered, from the fat of the mighty,
^(K)The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return ^[d]unstained.
²³Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in ^[e]life,
And in their deaths they were not separated;
^(L)They were swifter than eagles,
^(M)They were mightier than lions.
²⁴Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry,
Who put gold jewelry on your apparel.
²⁵^(N)How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is ^[f]slaughtered on your high places.
²⁶I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been ^[g]a close friend to me.
^(O)Your love for me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
²⁷^(P)How the mighty have fallen,
And ^(Q)the weapons of war have perished!”