And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.

Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, - How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

And the young man who was telling him said, It, so happened, that I was on Mount Gilboa, when lo! Saul, leaning upon his spear, and lo! the chariots and horsemen, hotly pursued him;

And they lamented aloud, and wept, and fasted until the evening, - for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

Then chanted David this dirge, - over Saul and over Jonathan his son;

Ye mountains in Gilboa! Be there neither dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings, - for, there, were cast away, the shields of the mighty, The shield of Saul, unanointed with oil.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan ne'er drew back, - and, the sword of Saul, ne'er returned, empty.

Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, - Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!

Ye daughters of Israel! For Saul, weep ye, - who clothed you in crimson, decked with lovely things, who hung ornaments of gold on your apparel!

Then came the men of Judah, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, Men of Jabesh-gilead, were they who buried Saul.

So David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, - and said unto them - Blessed, be ye of Yahweh, that ye did this lovingkindness unto your lord, unto Saul, and buried him.

Now, therefore, let your hands be made firm, and become ye sons of valour, for your lord Saul is dead, - and, me, moreover have the house of Judah anointed, to be king over them.

But, Abner son of Ner, prince of the host that pertained unto Saul, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

Forty years old, was Ish-bosheth son of Saul, when he began to reign over Israel, and, two years, reigned he, - but, the house of Judah, followed David.

And Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Then there arose, and went over by number, - twelve of Benjamin, pertaining to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve, of the servants of David.

And the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was prolonged, - and, David, waxed stronger and stronger, and, the house of Saul, became weaker and weaker.

And it came to pass, while the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, that, Abner, shewed himself courageous for the house of Saul.

Now, Saul, had a concubine, whose name, was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, - and Ish-bosheth said unto Abner, Why, wentest thou in, unto my father's concubine?

And it provoked Abner greatly, on account of the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said - Am I, the head of the dogs, that pertain unto Judah? To-day, would I deal in lovingkindness with the house of Saul thy father, towards his brethren, and towards his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, - and yet thou hast charged upon me the transgression of the woman, today.

by turning over the kingdom from the house of Saul, - and establishing the throne of David, over Israel and over Judah, from Dan, even unto Beer-sheba.

And he said - Good! I, will solemnise with thee a covenant, - but, one thing, must I ask of thee, saying - Thou shalt not see my face, except thou have brought in Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

And David sent messengers unto Ish-bosheth son of Saul, saying, - Give up my wife, Michal, whom I espoused to myself, for a hundred foreskins of Philistines.

Now, when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands became feeble, - and, all Israel, were dismayed.

And two men, captains of bands, pertained to Ish-bosheth son of Saul - the name of the one, was Baanah, and, the name of the other, Rechab - sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, - for, even Beeroth, used to be reckoned unto Benjamin;

And, Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son, lame of his feet, - five years old, was he, when tidings came in of Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, so his nurse took him up, and fled, and it came to pass, when she started up to flee, that he fell and was lamed, and, his name, was, Mephibosheth.

and brought in the head of Ish-bosheth unto David, at Hebron, and said unto the king, Lo! the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life: so hath Yahweh given to my lord the king, avengement this day, on Saul and on his seed.

when he that brought tidings to me, saying, Lo! Saul is dead, though, he, was as one that bringeth good tidings, in his own eyes, yet I seized him, and slew him in Ziklag, - which was how I gave him reward for his tidings:

Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou, wast he that led out and brought in, Israel, - and Yahweh said to thee - Thou, shalt be shepherd unto my people, Israel, and, thou, shalt become leader over Israel.

Now it so came about that, when the ark of Yahweh entered the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter, looked out through the window, and saw King David, leaping and dancing before Yahweh, and she despised him, in her heart.

and David returned, to bless his household. Then came forth Michal Saul's daughter to meet David, and said - How honoured, to-day, was the king of Israel in disrobing himself to-day, in the sight of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the low people, might disrobe himself?

Therefore, Michal Saul's daughter, had no child, - unto the day of her death.

But, my lovingkindness, shall not depart from him, - as I caused it to depart from Saul, whom I caused to depart from before thee.

And David said, Is there yet one left unto the house of Saul, - that I may show him lovingkindness, for the sake of, Jonathan?

Now, unto the house of Saul, belonged a servant, whose name, was Ziba, and, when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him - Art, thou, Ziba? And he said - Thy servant!

Then said the king - Is there never a man remaining unto the house of Saul, that I may show him the lovingkindness of God? And Ziba said unto the king, There remaineth a son unto Jonathan, lame in his feet.

Now, when Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came in unto David, he fell on his face and did homage. And David said, Mephibosheth? And he said, Lo! thy servant.

And David said to him - Do not fear, for I will, indeed shew, thee lovingkindness, for the sake of Jonathan thy father, and will restore unto thee all the land of Saul thy father, - but, thou thyself, shall eat bread at my table, continually.

Then the king called for Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, - All that pertained unto Saul and unto all his house, have I given unto the son of thy lord:

Then said Nathan unto David: Thou, art the man! Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel - I, anointed thee to be king over Israel, and, I, delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

And, when King David had come as far as Bahurim, lo! from thence a man coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, whose name, was Shimei son of Gera, coming out and cursing as he came.

Yahweh, hath brought back upon thee, all the shed-blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Yahweh hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absolom thy son, - and, here thou art, in thy ruin, for that, a man of bloodshed, thou art.

And, a thousand men, were with him, out of Benjamin, Ziba also, servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants, with him, - and they went through the Jordan, before the king.

And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.

And there came to be a famine, in the days of David, for three years, year after year, so then David sought the face of Yahweh, - and Yahweh said - It respecteth Saul and his house, as to bloodshed, in that he put to death the Gibeonites.

The king therefore called the Gibeonites, and said unto them (now, the Gibeonites, were, not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, with whom, the sons of Israel, had entered into an oath, and Saul had sought to smite them, in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah) -

And the Gibeonites said unto him - It is not a matter with us of silver or gold, with Saul or with his house, neither would we have a man put to death in Israel. And he said, - What do ye say I should do for you?

let there be delivered up to us - seven men of his sons, and we will crucify them unto Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh. And the king said, I, will deliver them up.

But the king had pity upon Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, Saul's son, - because of the oath of Yahweh that was between them, between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.

So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, even Armoni and Mephibosheth, - and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai, the Meholathite;

And it was told David, - what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done.

So David went and fetched the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the owners of Jabesh-gilead, - who stole them from the broadway of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day when the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;

and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, - and they gathered together the bones of them who had been crucified;

so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the grave of Kish his father, thus did they all that the king commanded, - and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, after this.

And David spake unto Yahweh, the words of this song, in the day when Yahweh had rescued him, out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul;