1 Samuel 30–31; 1 Chronicles 9:40–10:14; 1 Chronicles 12:20–22; 2 Samuel 1

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1 Samuel 30–31

David’s Wives Are Captured

Now when David and his men came to uZiklag on the third day, vthe Amalekites had wmade a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all1 who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s xtwo wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke yof stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,2 each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

zAnd David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, Bring me the ephod. So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. aAnd David inquired of the Lord, Shall I pursue after this bband? Shall I overtake them? He answered him, Pursue, for you shall surely overtake cand shall surely rescue. So David set out, and dthe six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. eTwo hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, fhis spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, To whom do you belong? And where are you from? He said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 gWe had made a raid against the Negeb of hthe Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15 And David said to him, Will you take me down to this band? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this iband.

David Defeats the Amalekites

16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 jDavid recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. jDavid brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,3 and said, This is David’s spoil.

21 Then David came to kthe two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left kat the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart. 23 But David said, You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? lFor as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike. 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. 27 It was for those in mBethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in nJattir, 28 in oAroer, in Siphmoth, in pEshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of qthe Jerahmeelites, in the cities of rthe Kenites, 30 in sHormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in tHebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

The Death of Saul

uNow the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain von Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down wJonathan and xAbinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. yThe battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. zThen Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these auncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me. But his armor-bearer would not, bfor he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword cand fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, dto carry the good news eto the house of their idols and to the people. 10 fThey put his armor in the temple of gAshtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of hBeth-shan. 11 iBut when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 jall the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh kand burned them there. 13 And they took their bones land buried them under mthe tamarisk tree in Jabesh and nfasted seven days.


1 Chronicles 9:40–10:14

40 And the son of Jonathan was vMerib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. 41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and wAhaz.1 42 And Ahaz fathered xJarah, and Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. And Zimri fathered Moza. 43 Moza fathered Binea, and yRephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son. 44 Azel had six sons and these are their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

The Death of Saul and His Sons

zNow the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died. Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army2 had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon. 11 But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

13 So Saul died afor his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also bconsulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He cdid not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and dturned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.


1 Chronicles 12:20–22

20 As he went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh. 21 They helped David against nthe band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor and were commanders in the army. 22 For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.


2 Samuel 1

David Hears of Saul’s Death

After the death of Saul, when David had returned afrom striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. And on the third day, behold, ba man came from Saul’s camp, cwith his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, dhe fell to the ground and paid homage. David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. And David said to him, eHow did it go? Tell me. And he answered, The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead. Then David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead? And the young man who told him said, fBy chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here I am. And he said to me, Who are you? I answered him, I am an Amalekite. And he said to me, gStand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers. 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. hAnd I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and itore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept jand fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, Where do you come from? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite. 14 David said to him, How is it you were not kafraid to put out your hand to destroy lthe Lord’s anointed? 15 Then mDavid called one of the young men and said, Go, execute him. And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, nYour blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed othe Lord’s anointed.

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 And David plamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it1 should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in qthe Book of Jashar.2 He said:

19  Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!

rHow the mighty have fallen!

20  sTell it not in Gath,

tpublish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,

ulest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,

lest the daughters of vthe uncircumcised exult.

21  wYou mountains of Gilboa,

let there be no dew or rain upon you,

nor fields of offerings!3

For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,

the shield of Saul, not xanointed with oil.

22  From the blood of the slain,

from the fat of the mighty,

ythe bow of Jonathan turned not back,

and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

23  Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!

In life and in death they were not divided;

they were zswifter than eagles;

they were astronger than lions.

24  You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,

who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,

bwho put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

25  cHow the mighty have fallen

in the midst of the battle!

Jonathan lies slain on your high places.

26  I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;

very pleasant have you been to me;

dyour love to me was extraordinary,

surpassing the love of women.

27  cHow the mighty have fallen,

and the weapons of war perished!