2 Samuel 1:17–27

¹⁷Then David took up this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow.^a It is written in the Book of Jashar:^b

¹⁹“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.

How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰Tell it not in Gath;

proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,

lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,

and the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

²¹O mountains of Gilboa,

may you have no dew or rain,

no fields yielding offerings of grain.^c

For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,

the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.

²²From the blood of the slain,

from the fat of the mighty,

the bow of Jonathan did not retreat,

and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life,

were not divided in death.

They were swifter than eagles;

they were stronger than lions.

²⁴O daughters of Israel,

weep for Saul,

who clothed you in scarlet and luxury,

who decked your garments with ornaments of gold.

²⁵How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle!

Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

²⁶I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother.

You were delightful to me;

your love to me was extraordinary,

surpassing the love of women.

²⁷How the mighty have fallen,

and the weapons of war have perished!”