35 All day long people came to encourage David to eat food. But David had made a special promise. He said, “May God punish me and give me many troubles if I eat bread or any other food before the sun goes down.”
35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
35 All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was yet day; but David took an oath, saying, May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, till the sun is down.
35 And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David sware, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down.
35 Then all the soldiers came to urge David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, “May God deal harshly with me and worse still if I eat bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”
35 And when the entire multitude had arrived to take food with David, while it was still broad daylight, David swore, saying, "May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets."
35 And when all the people came to take meat with David, while it was yet broad day, David swore, saying: So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or any thing else before sunset.
They were very sad and cried. They did not eat until evening. They cried because Saul and his son Jonathan were dead. David and his men cried for the Lord’s people {that had been killed}, and they cried for Israel. They cried because Saul, his son Jonathan, and many Israelites had been killed in battle.
All the brave men from Jabesh Gilead went to get the bodies of Saul and his sons. They brought them back to Jabesh Gilead. Those brave men buried the bones of Saul and his sons under the large tree in Jabesh. Then they showed their sadness and fasted for seven days.
No person will bring food to the people that are crying for the dead. No person will comfort those people whose mother or father has died. No person will offer a drink to comfort the people that are crying for the dead.
but you must make your sad sounds quietly. Don’t cry out loud for your dead wife. \{You must wear the clothes you normally wear.\} Wear your turban {\cf2\super [206]} and your shoes. Don’t cover your mustache \{to show your sadness\}. And don’t eat the food people normally eat when a person dies.”
But you will do the same things that I have done \{about my dead wife\}. You won’t cover your mustache \{to show your sadness\}. You won’t eat the food people normally eat when a person dies.
Then all the people of Israel went up to the city of Bethel. At that place they sat down and cried to the Lord. They did not eat anything all day, until evening. They also offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
Where you die, I will die. And that is where I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me if I do not keep this promise: Only death will separate us.” [3]