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I.

NOW after the death of Saul when David returned from 2 the slaughter of the Amelekites, and had been at Sekelak two days, behold there came a man, on the third day, from the camp-from the people of Saul with his clothes rent, and earth on his head, and when he came to David he fell on the ground, 3 and made obeisance to him. And David said to him, Whence comest thou? And he replied, I have escaped from the camp 4 of Israel, Thereupon David said to him, What is the news? Tell me. And when he said, The people fled from the battle, and many of the people have fallen, and died; Saul also is dead, 5 and his son Jonathan; David said to the young man who told

him, How knowest thou that Saul and his son Jonathan are 6 dead? And the young man who told him said, By accident I happened to be on mount Gelbua, and behold Saul was lean7 ing on his spear; and lo! the chariots and horsemen were close

upon him; and when he looked back and saw me, he called me: 8 and I said, Here I am. Then he said to me, Who art thou? 9 and I said, I am an Amelekite. Then he said to me, Stand over

me, I pray thee, and kill me; for I am seized with a gloomy 10 horror, because all my life is in me. So I went up to him and killed him, for I am sure he could not live after he fell; and I took the crown which was on his head, and the bracelet which 11 was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord. Then David took hold of his garments, and rent them, and all the 12 men who were with him rent their garments, and beat their breasts, and wept, and fasted till evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Juda, and for the house 13 of Israel, because they had been smitten with the sword. And David said to the young man who told him, Whence art thou? 14 And he said, I am the son of a stranger-an Amelekite. And David said to him, How couldst thou not be afraid to lift up 15 thy hand to kill the Lord's anointed. Then David called one

of his young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. So he 16 smote him that he died. And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy own head, for thy own mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.

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Then David sung this funereal Ode over Saul, and over Jonathan his son, and gave orders that the children of Juda should 18 learn it. Behold it is written in the book Straight.

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Erect, O Israel, a monument for the dead-
For the slain on thy lofty mountains.

How are the mighty fallen!

Proclaim not ye the news in Geth—

Tell it not as good news in the streets of Ascalon;
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice-
Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult with joy.
On you, mountains of Gelbua, let not dew descend—
On you, let there be no rain, nor fields of first fruit offer-
ings!

For there the shield of the mighty was battered—
The shield of Saul. Was he not anointed with oil?
From the blood of the wounded-

From the fat of the mighty,

The bow of Jonathan recoiled not empty-
The sword of Saul bended not in vain.

Saul and Jonathan were beloved

They were lovely and inseparable;
Comely in their life-

And in their death they were not divided.
Than eagles they were swifter-

And than lions more courageous.

O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who adorned your dress with scarlet—
Who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen!

In the midst of the battle, Jonathan!
On thy lofty mountains slain!

I mourn for thee, my brother Jonathan,

To me thou wast very lovely.

Thy love for me was wonderful-
Far surpassing the love of women.

How are the mighty fallen!

And the weapons of war perished!

Now after these things David inquired of the Lord saying, May I go up to one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go? And he said, To Chebron. So David went up to Chebron, with his two wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia late the wife

3 of Nabal, the Carmelite, and the men who were with him, every

one with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Che4 bron. And the men of Judea came, and anointed David there, 5 to be king over the house of Juda. And when they told David, saying, The men of Jabis Galaad have buried Saul, David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabis Galaad, and said unto them, Blessed are ye of the Lord, because you have shewn this kindness for your lord; for Saul, the anointed of the 6 Lord; and have buried him and his son Jonathan. Now therefore may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with you! As for me I will recompense you for this kindness, because you have 7 done this thing. Now therefore let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.

8

But Abenner, son of Ner, Saul's captain general, took Jebosthe, the son of Saul, and brought him from the camp to 9 Manaem, and made him king over Galaaditis, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, 10 and over all Israel. Jebosthe the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and when he had reigned two years, (except over the house of Juda who followed David; now the time which David reigned at Chebron 12 over the house of Juda was seven years and six months) Abenner, son of Ner, and the servants of Jebosthe, son of Saul, came out from Manaem to Gabaon; and Joab, son of Sa13 ruia, and the servants of David went out from Chebron, and they met each other at the pool of Gabaon, and sat down one on one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the 14 pool. And Abenner said to Joab, let the young men, I pray 15 thee, arise and shew feats before us. And Joab said, let them arise. Then there arose, and went over by number, twelve Benjaminites who were for Jebosthe, son of Saul, and twelve 16 of the servants of David; and they seized, every one with his hand, the head of his fellow, and plunged each his sword into his adversary's side, and fell together. So the name of that place was called, Portion of ill designs. It is near Gabaon. And 17 the battle became very furious that day. And Abenner, with the men of Israel, retreated before the servants of David. Now there 18 were there three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa and Asael.

19 And Asael was swift of foot as a wild roe. And Asael pursu

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ed Abenner, and turned not aside to the right, nor to the left 20 from following him. And Abenner looked back and said, Art 21 thou Asael? And he said, I am. Then Abenner said to him,

Turn thee to the right, or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take his armour. But Asael would not turn 22 aside from following him. And Abenner again said to Asael, Desist from following me, that I may not smite thee to the ground. For how then could I hold up my face to Joab? And 23 what do these things tend to? Return to thy brother Joab. But he would not desist. So Abenner smote him with a back stroke of his spear, into the loin, and the spear passed quite through him, and he fell there and died under him. And every one who came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood 24 still. But Joab and Abessa continued the pursuit after Aben

ner, and as the sun was setting they had got as far as the hill Amman, which is in front of Gai, on the way to the wilderness 25 of Gabaon. And the Benjaminites who followed Abenner

crouded together, and having formed themselves into one 26 body, they stood on the summit of a hill. Then Abenner called to Joab, and said, Must the sword devour to a complete victory? Knowest thou not that in the last extremity it will be very bitter? How long shall it be ere thou command the peo27 ple to return from pursuing our brethren? Whereupon Joab said, As the Lord liveth, but for thy speech the people might, from the morning, have gone up every one from the pursuit of 28 his brother. Then Joab sounded a trumpet and the people halt29 ed, and did not pursue Israel, nor continue the battle longer. And

Abenner and his men bent their course homeward that whole night, and having crossed the Jordan and passed over the ad30 joining plain, they came to the camp. And when Joab returned from pursuing Abenner, and had assembled all the people, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men, including 31 Asael. But the servants of David had smitten of the children of Benjamin, even of Abenner's men, three hundred and sixty. 32 Then they took up Asael, and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. And Joab and the men who were with him, marched all night, and arrived at Chebron by break of day.

III.

Though the war was lengthened out between the house

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