Bilingual reading

After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,

on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the earth and showed respect.

David said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”

David said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.” He answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him.

When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’

He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’

So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise.

They mourned, wept, and 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.

David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”

David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”

David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died.

David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain the LORD’s anointed.’”

David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):

“Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away, the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In their death, they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you delicately in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.

How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan was slain on your high places.

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.

How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!”

وكانَ بَعدَ مَوتِ شاوُلَ أَنَّ داوُدَ رَجَعَ مِن ضَربِ العَمالِقَة، فمَكَثَ يَومَينِ في صِقْلاج

ولَمَّا كانَ اليَومُ الثالِث، إِذا بِرَجُلٍ قد أَقبَلَ مِنَ المُعَسكَرِ مِن عِندِ شاوُل، وثِيابُه مُمَزَّقَةٌ وعلى رَأسِه تُراب. فلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلى داوُد، اِرْتمى على الأَرضِ وسَجَدَ لَه

فقالَ لَه داوُد: «مِن أَينَ أَقبَلتَ؟» قال: «نَجَوتُ بِنَفْسي مِن مُعَسكَرِ إِسْرائيل»

فقالَ لَه داوُد: «ما الخَبَر؟ أَعلِمْني». قال: «إِنهَزَمَ الشَّعبُ مِنَ القِتال، وسَقَطَ مِنَ الشَّعبِ كَثيرونَ وماتوا، وشاوُلُ ويوناتانُ ٱبنُه قد ماتا أَيضًا»

فقالَ داوُدُ لِلفَتى الَّذي أَخبَرَه: «كَيفَ عَرَفتَ أَنَّه قد ماتَ شاوُلُ ويوناتانُ ٱبنُه؟»

فقالَ لَه الفَتى الَّذي أَخبَرَه: «إِتَّفَقَ لي أَن كُنتُ في جَبَلِ الجِلْبوع، فإِذا شاوُلُ مُتَّكِئٌ على رُمحِه، والمَركَباتُ والفُرْسانُ يَجِدُّونَ في إِثرِه

فٱلتَفَتَ وَراءَه فرَآني وناداني، فقُلتُ: هاءَنَذا

فقالَ لي: مَن أَنتَ؟ فقُلتُ لَه: عماليقيّ

فقالَ لي: إِنهَضْ علَيَّ فٱقتُلْني، فقَد أَخَذَني الدُّوار، معَ أَنَّ نَفْسي لم تَزَلْ فِيَّ

فنَهَضتُ علَيه فقَتَلتُه، لِأَنِّي عَلِمتُ أَنَّه لا يَحْيا بَعدَ سُقوطِه. وأَخَذتُ التَّاجَ الَّذي على رَأسِه والسِّوارَ الَّذي في ساعِدِه، فأَتَيتُ بِهما إِلى سَيِّدي هٰهُنا»

فَأَمْسَكَ دَاوُدُ ثِيَابَهُ وَمَزَّقَهَا، وَكَذَا جَمِيعُ الرِّجَالِ الَّذِينَ مَعَهُ.

وناحوا وبَكَوا وصاموا إِلى المساءِ على شاوُلَ ويوناتانَ ٱبنِه وعلى شعبِ الرَّبِّ وبَيتِ إِسْرائيل، لِأَنَّهم سَقَطوا بِالسَّيف

ثُمَّ قالَ داوُدُ لِلفَتى الَّذي أَخبَرَه: «مِن أَينَ أَنتَ؟» فقالَ لَه: «أَنا ٱبنُ رَجُلٍ نَزيلٍ عَماليقيّ»

فقالَ لَه داوُد: «كَيفَ لم تَهَبْ أَن تَمُدَّ يَدَكَ لِتُهلِكَ مَسيحَ الرَّبّ؟»

ودعا داوُدُ واحِدًا مِنَ الفِتْيانِ وقال: «تَقَدَّمْ فأَوقِعْ بِه». فضَرَبَه فمات

فقالَ لَه داوُد: «دَمُكَ على رَأسِكَ، لِأَنَّ فَمَكَ شَهِدَ علَيكَ، إِذ قُلتَ: إِنِّي قَتَلتُ مَسيحَ الرَّبّ»

ورَثَى داوُدُ شاوُلَ ويوناتانَ ٱبنَه بِقَصيدَةِ الرِّثاءِ هٰذه

وأَمَرَ بِأَن تُعَلَّمَ لِبَني يَهوذا. هي قَصيدةُ القَوسِ المَكْتوبةُ في سِفرِ المُستَقيم

بَهاءُ إِسْرائيلَ قَتيلٌ على رَوابيكَ كَيفَ سَقَطَتِ الأَبْطال؟

في جَتَّ لا تُخبِروا وفي أَسْواقِ أَشْقَلونَ لا تُبَشِّروا لِئَلَّا تَفرَحَ بَناتُ الفَلِسطينِيِّين وتَبتَهِجَ بَناتُ القُلْف

يا جِبالَ الجِلْبوعِ لا يَكُنْ علَيْكم نَدًى ولا مَطَرٌ ولا حُقولٌ خَصيبة لأَنَّ هُناكَ تَلَطَّخَ تُرسُ الأَبطال. تُرسُ شاوُلَ لَم يُمسَحْ بِدُهنٍ

بل بِدَمِ القَتْلى وشَحمِ الأَبْطال. قَوسُ يوناتانَ لم يَرجِعْ إِلى الوَراء وسَيفُ شاوُلَ لم يَرتَدَّ خائِبًا

شاوُلُ ويوناتانُ مَحْبوبانِ عَزيزان في حَياتِهما وفي مَماتِهما لم يَفتَرِقا. أَسرَعُ مِنَ العِقْبانِ وأَشَدُّ مِنَ الأُسود

يا بَناتِ إِسْرائيل إِبْكينَ على شاوُل كانَ يَكْسوكُنَّ القِرمِزَ زينَةً وبِحُلِيِّ الذَّهَبِ يَزيدُ ثِيابَكُنَّ بَهاءً

كيفَ سَقَطَتِ الأَبطالُ في وَسَطِ القِتال؟ يوناتانُ قَتيلٌ على رَوابيكَ

قد ضاقَ صَدْري علَيكَ يا أَخي يوناتان لقَد كُنتَ عَزيزًا علَيَّ جِدًّا وكانَ حُبُّكَ عِندي أَعجَبَ مِن حُبِّ النِّساء

كَيفَ سَقَطَتِ الأَبْطال وبادَت آلاتُ الحَرْب؟