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2 Samuel 1-2
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 1-2
Contemporary English Version
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.[a] 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 (A) 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.”[b]
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 (B) 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.[c] 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.[d]
There the warriors' shields
were smeared with mud,
and Saul's own shield
was left unpolished.[e]
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.[f]
27 Our warriors have fallen,
and their weapons[g]
are destroyed.
David Becomes King of Judah
2 Later, David asked the Lord, “Should I go back to one of the towns of Judah?”
The Lord answered, “Yes.”
David asked, “Which town should I go to?”
“Go to Hebron,” the Lord replied.
2 (C) David went to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. Ahinoam was from Jezreel, and Abigail was the widow of Nabal from Carmel. 3 David also told his men and their families to come and live in the villages near Hebron.
4 (D) The people of Judah met with David at Hebron and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king. Then they told David, “The people from Jabesh in Gilead buried Saul.”
5 David sent messengers to tell them:
The Lord bless you! You were kind enough to bury Saul your ruler, 6 and I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you. I will be your friend because of what you have done. 7 Saul is dead, but the tribe of Judah has made me their king. So be strong and have courage.
Ishbosheth Becomes King of Israel
8 Abner the son of Ner[h] had been the general of Saul's army. He took Saul's son Ishbosheth[i] across the Jordan River to Mahanaim 9 and made him king of Israel,[j] including the areas of Gilead, Asher,[k] Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. 10 Ishbosheth was 40 years old at the time, and he ruled for two years. But the tribe of Judah made David their king, 11 and he ruled from Hebron for seven and a half years.
The War between David and Ishbosheth
12 One day, Abner and the soldiers of Ishbosheth[l] left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13 Meanwhile, Joab the son of Zeruiah[m] was leading David's soldiers, and the two groups met at the pool in Gibeon.[n] Abner and his men sat down on one side of the pool, while Joab and his men sat on the other side. 14 Abner yelled to Joab, “Let's get some of our best soldiers to stand up and fight each other!”
Joab agreed, 15 and twelve of Ishbosheth's men from the tribe of Benjamin got up to fight twelve of David's men. 16 They grabbed each other by the hair and stabbed each other in the side with their daggers. They all died right there! That's why the place in Gibeon is called “Field of Daggers.”[o] 17 Then everyone started fighting. Both sides fought very hard, but David's soldiers defeated Abner and the soldiers of Israel.
18 Zeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel could run as fast as a deer in an open field, 19 and he ran straight after Abner, without looking to the right or to the left.
20 When Abner turned and saw him, he said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
Asahel answered, “Yes it is.”
21 Abner said, “There are soldiers all around. Stop chasing me and fight one of them! Kill him and take his clothes and weapons for yourself.”
But Asahel refused to stop.
22 Abner said, “If you don't turn back, I'll have to kill you! Then I could never face your brother Joab again.”
23 But Asahel would not turn back, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the back end of his spear. The spear went all the way through and came out of his back. Asahel fell down and died. Everyone who saw Asahel lying dead just stopped and stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai went after Abner. Finally, about sunset, they came to the hill of Ammah, not far from Giah on the road to Gibeon Desert. 25 Abner brought the men of Benjamin together in one group on top of a hill, and they got ready to fight.
26 Abner shouted to Joab, “Aren't we ever going to stop killing each other? Don't you know that the longer we keep on doing this, the worse it's going to be when it's all over? When are you going to order your men to stop chasing their own relatives?”
27 Joab shouted back, “I swear by the living God, if you hadn't spoken, my men would have chased their relatives all night!” 28 Joab took his trumpet and blew the signal for his soldiers to stop chasing the soldiers of Israel. At once, the fighting stopped.
29 Abner and his troops marched through the Jordan River valley all that night. Then they crossed the river and marched all morning[p] until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
30 As soon as Joab stopped chasing Abner, he got David's troops together and counted them. There were 19 missing besides Asahel. 31 But David's soldiers had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32 Joab and his troops carried Asahel's body to Bethlehem and buried him in the family burial place. Then they marched all night and reached Hebron before sunrise.
Footnotes
- 1.2 His clothes … his head: People tore their clothes and put dirt on their heads to show they were sad because someone had died.
- 1.9 in terrible pain: Or “very weak.”
- 1.18 The Book of Jashar: This book may have been a collection of ancient war songs.
- 1.21 Don't let its fields … for God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 1.21 unpolished: Some shields were made of leather and were polished with olive oil.
- 1.26 You … husband: Or “You loved me more than a wife could possibly love her husband.”
- 1.27 weapons: This may refer to Saul and Jonathan.
- 2.8 son of Ner: Abner was Saul's cousin (see 1 Samuel 14.50).
- 2.8 Ishbosheth: One ancient translation has “Ishbaal” (see also 1 Chronicles 8.33). In Hebrew “baal” means “lord” and was used as the name of a Canaanite god. The people of Israel often changed “baal” to “bosheth” (which means “shame”) in personal names. Ishbosheth was probably called Ishvi or Ishyo in 1 Samuel 14.49.
- 2.9 Israel: Sometimes “Israel” means the northern tribes and does not include the tribes of Judah and Simeon. That is how it is used in this verse.
- 2.9 Asher: The Hebrew text has “Ashur,” which is the Hebrew name for the Assyrians. It may be another spelling for Asher (one of the tribes of Israel) or it may refer to Geshur (a small area between Gilead and Jezreel, east of Lake Galilee).
- 2.12 Ishbosheth: See the note at 2.8.
- 2.13 the son of Zeruiah: Zeruiah was David's older sister, so Joab was David's nephew (see 1 Chronicles 2.12-17 and the note at 2 Samuel 17.25).
- 2.13 pool in Gibeon: This pool was located just inside the city wall and was used for storing water. It was in the shape of a circle and was eleven meters wide and eleven meters deep.
- 2.16 Field of Daggers: Or “Field of Opponents” or “Battlefield.”
- 2.29 all morning: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2 Samuel 1-2
New International Version
2 Samuel 1-2
New International Version
David Hears of Saul’s Death(A)
1 After the death(B) of Saul, David returned from striking down(C) the Amalekites(D) and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man(E) arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.(F) When he came to David, he fell(G) to the ground to pay him honor.(H)
3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.
He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
4 “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”
“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,(I)” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’
8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’
“‘An Amalekite,(J)’ I answered.
9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me!(K) I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown(L) that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore(M) them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”
“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,(N)” he answered.
14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?(O)”
15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!”(P) So he struck him down, and he died.(Q) 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head.(R) Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan
17 David took up this lament(S) concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,(T) 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):(U)
20 “Tell it not in Gath,(X)
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,(Y)
lest the daughters of the Philistines(Z) be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.(AA)
21 “Mountains of Gilboa,(AB)
may you have neither dew(AC) nor rain,(AD)
may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b](AE)
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.(AF)
22 “From the blood(AG) of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow(AH) of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
23 Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and admired,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,(AI)
they were stronger than lions.(AJ)
24 “Daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.(AK)
25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve(AL) for you, Jonathan(AM) my brother;(AN)
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,(AO)
more wonderful than that of women.
27 “How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!”(AP)
David Anointed King Over Judah
2 In the course of time, David inquired(AQ) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.
The Lord said, “Go up.”
David asked, “Where shall I go?”
“To Hebron,”(AR) the Lord answered.
2 So David went up there with his two wives,(AS) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,(AT) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David also took the men who were with him,(AU) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron(AV) and its towns. 4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,(AW) and there they anointed(AX) David king over the tribe of Judah.
When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead(AY) who had buried Saul, 5 he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless(AZ) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. 6 May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,(BA) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. 7 Now then, be strong(BB) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
War Between the Houses of David and Saul(BC)
8 Meanwhile, Abner(BD) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth(BE) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.(BF) 9 He made him king over Gilead,(BG) Ashuri(BH) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.(BI)
10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. 11 The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.(BJ)
12 Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.(BK) 13 Joab(BL) son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.”
“All right, let them do it,” Joab said.
15 So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger(BM) into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.[c]
17 The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated(BN) by David’s men.(BO)
18 The three sons of Zeruiah(BP) were there: Joab,(BQ) Abishai(BR) and Asahel.(BS) Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.(BT) 19 He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. 20 Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”
“It is,” he answered.
21 Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
22 Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”(BU)
23 But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach,(BV) and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.(BW)
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. 25 Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.
26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour(BX) forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”
27 Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”
28 So Joab(BY) blew the trumpet,(BZ) and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.
29 All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah.(CA) They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours[d] and came to Mahanaim.(CB)
30 Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing. 31 But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb(CC) at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
- 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
- 2 Samuel 2:16 Helkath Hazzurim means field of daggers or field of hostilities.
- 2 Samuel 2:29 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
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