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Judges 20

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

² The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.

³ The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.

⁴ Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me." But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So[1] Saul took his sword and fell on it.

⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.

⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day.

⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹ So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

¹⁰ And they put Saul's weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

¹¹ When the[2] inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹² all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there.

¹³ They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days.

¹⁴ Now it happened after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that he stayed two days in Ziklag.

¹⁵ On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission].

¹⁶ Then David asked him, "Where do you come from?" He said, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."

¹⁷ David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead."

¹⁸ So David said to the young man who informed him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

¹⁹ And the young man who told him explained, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen [of the Philistines] were close behind him.

²⁰ When he turned to look behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'

²¹ He asked me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

²² He said to me, 'Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].'

²³ So I stood facing him[1] and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the[2] band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

²⁴ Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him.

²⁵ They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord's people and the house of[3] Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle].

²⁶ David said to the young man who informed him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite."

²⁷ David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"

²⁸ David called one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him." So he struck the Amalekite and he died.

²⁹ David said to the [fallen] man, "[4] Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.'"

³⁰ Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan,

³¹ and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in[5] the Book of Jashar:

³² "Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

³³ "Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.

³⁴ "[6] O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not[7] anointed with oil.

³⁵ "From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.

³⁶ "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

³⁷ "O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you[8] luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

³⁸ "How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.

³⁹ "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your[9] love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.

⁴⁰ "How the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war have perished!"

⁴¹ So it happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" And He said, "To Hebron."

⁴² So David went up there [to Hebron] with his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel [in Judah].

⁴³ And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.

⁴⁴ Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."

⁴⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD because you showed this graciousness and loyalty to Saul your lord (king), and buried him.

⁴⁶ Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth and faithfulness to you. I too will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.

⁴⁷ So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

⁴⁸ Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to[1] Mahanaim.

#	AMP
1	Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2	The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and they killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, Saul's sons.
3	The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was severely wounded by the archers.
4	Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised [Philistines] will come and pierce me through and abuse and mock me." But his armor bearer would not, because he was terrified [of doing such a thing]. So[1] Saul took his sword and fell on it.
5	When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him.
6	So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together on that day.
7	When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley [of Jezreel], and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the other men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.
8	The next day, when the Philistines came to plunder the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9	So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his weapons and armor and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to bring the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.
10	And they put Saul's weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11	When the[2] inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12	all the brave men stood and walked all night, and they took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and cremated them there.
13	They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted [as a sign of mourning and respect] for seven days.
14	Now it happened after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that he stayed two days in Ziklag.
15	On the third day a man came [unexpectedly] from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as in mourning]. When he came to David, he bowed to the ground and lay himself face down [in an act of great respect and submission].
16	Then David asked him, "Where do you come from?" He said, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel."
17	David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle. Also, many of the people have fallen and are dead; Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead."
18	So David said to the young man who informed him, "How do you know Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
19	And the young man who told him explained, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and the chariots and horsemen [of the Philistines] were close behind him.
20	When he turned to look behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'
21	He asked me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'
22	He said to me, 'Stand up facing me and kill me, for [terrible] agony has come over me, yet I still live [and I will be taken alive].'
23	So I stood facing him[1] and killed him, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the[2] band which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."
24	Then David grasped his own clothes and tore them [in mourning]; so did all the men who were with him.
25	They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan his son, and for the Lord's people and the house of[3] Israel, because they had fallen by the sword [in battle].
26	David said to the young man who informed him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I am the son of a foreigner (resident alien, sojourner), an Amalekite."
27	David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?"
28	David called one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him." So he struck the Amalekite and he died.
29	David said to the [fallen] man, "[4] Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.'"
30	Then David sang this dirge (funeral song) over Saul and his son Jonathan,
31	and he told them to teach the sons of Judah, the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in[5] the Book of Jashar:
32	"Your glory and splendor, O Israel, is slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!
33	"Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised (pagans) will exult.
34	"[6] O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be upon you, nor fields with offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, [dry, cracked] not[7] anointed with oil.
35	"From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
36	"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.
37	"O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you[8] luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
38	"How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places.
39	"I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a good friend to me. Your[9] love toward me was more wonderful Than the love of women.
40	"How the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war have perished!"
41	So it happened after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" And He said, "To Hebron."
42	So David went up there [to Hebron] with his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel [in Judah].
43	And David brought up his men who were with him, each one with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
44	Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Then they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul."
45	So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD because you showed this graciousness and loyalty to Saul your lord (king), and buried him.
46	Now may the LORD show lovingkindness and truth and faithfulness to you. I too will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.
47	So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for your lord Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
48	Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to[1] Mahanaim.

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