2 Samuel

¹ And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David abode two days in Ziklag. ² And it came to pass on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his garments rent, and earth upon his head; and as soon as he came to David, he fell to the earth and did obeisance. ³ And David said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. ⁴ And David said to him, What has taken place? I pray thee, tell me. And he said that the people had fled from the battle, and many of the people also had fallen and died, and that Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also. ⁵ And David said to the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? ⁶ And the young man that told him said, I happened by chance to be upon mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul leaned on his spear; and behold, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷ And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called to me. And I said, Here am I. ⁸ And he said to me, Who art thou? And I said to him, I am an Amalekite. ⁹ He said to me again, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me; for anguish has seized me; for my life is yet whole in me. ¹⁰ So I stood over him, and put him to death, for I knew that he would not live after his fall; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither to my lord.

¹¹ Then David took hold of his garments and rent them; and all the men that were with him did likewise. ¹² And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Jehovah, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. ¹³ And David said to the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he said, I am the son of an Amalekite stranger. ¹⁴ And David said to him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed? ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, Draw near, and fall on him. And he smote him that he died. ¹⁶ And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

¹⁷ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son; ¹⁸ and he bade them teach the children of Judah the song of the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jasher: -- ¹⁹ The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! ²⁰ Tell it not in Gath, carry not the tidings in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. ²¹ Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, no rain upon you, nor fields of heave-offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, as not anointed with oil. ²² From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty. ²³ Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their lives, Even in their death were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. ²⁴ Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with splendour, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. ²⁵ How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain upon thy high places. ²⁶ I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant wast thou unto me; Thy love to me was wonderful, passing women's love. ²⁷ How are the mighty fallen, and the instruments of war perished!

¹ And it came to pass after this that David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. ² So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jizreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. ⁴ And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, It is the men of Jabesh-Gilead that have buried Saul. ⁵ And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, that ye have shewn this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him! ⁶ And now Jehovah shew kindness and faithfulness to you; and I also will requite you this good, because ye have done this thing. ⁷ And now let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

⁸ And Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; ⁹ and made him king over Gilead, and over the Asshurites, and over Jizreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. ¹⁰ Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. However, the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. ¹² And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out. And they met together by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, these on the one side of the pool, and those on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and make sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. ¹⁵ And they arose and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. ¹⁶ And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side, and they fell down together. And that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is by Gibeon. ¹⁷ And the battle that day was very severe; and Abner and the men of Israel were routed before the servants of David.

¹⁸ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot, as one of the gazelles that are in the field. ¹⁹ And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from behind Abner. ²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he said, I am. ²¹ And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside, to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold of one of the young men, and take for thyself his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. ²² And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: why should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? ²³ But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the belly, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. ²⁴ And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner; and the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill. ²⁶ And Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? and how long shall it be ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? ²⁷ And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. ²⁸ And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither did they fight any more. ²⁹ And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. ³⁰ And Joab returned from following Abner, and gathered all the people together; and there lacked of David's servants nineteen men, and Asahel. ³¹ And the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, three hundred and sixty men, who had died. ³² And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

¹ And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker. ² And to David were sons born in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jizreelitess; ³ and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maachah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; ⁴ and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. ⁶ And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

⁷ And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine? ⁸ Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, I who against Judah do shew kindness this day to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou reproachest me this day with the fault of this woman? ⁹ So do God to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah has sworn to David, I do not so to him; ¹⁰ to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba! ¹¹ And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him. ¹² And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also , Make thy covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee, to turn all Israel to thee. ¹³ And he said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee; only I require one thing of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face. ¹⁴ And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. ¹⁵ And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, from Phaltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶ And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return. And he returned. ¹⁷ Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David aforetime to be king over you; ¹⁸ and now do it , for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. ¹⁹ And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin. ²⁰ So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a repast. ²¹ And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy heart desires. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

²² And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from an expedition, and brought in a great spoil with them; but Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ And Joab and all the host that was with him came; and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away; and he is gone in peace. ²⁴ Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came to thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is gone? ²⁵ Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest. ²⁶ And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. ²⁷ And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him secretly, and smote him there in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸ And afterwards David heard it , and he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner: ²⁹ let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread! ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. ³¹ And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier. ³² And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. ³³ And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth? ³⁴ Thy hands were not bound, Nor thy feet put into fetters; As a man falleth before wicked men, Fellest thou! And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵ And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or aught else till the sun be down! ³⁶ And all the people remarked it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ And all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. ³⁸ And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!

¹ And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were enfeebled, and all Israel was troubled. ² And Saul's son had two men, captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin; for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin. ³ And the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day. ⁴ And Jonathan Saul's son had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jizreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth. ⁵ And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in about the heat of the day into the house of Ishbosheth, who was taking his noonday rest. ⁶ And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would fetch wheat; and they smote him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ They came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him; and they took his head, and went by the way of the plain all night. ⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, thine enemy who sought thy life; and Jehovah has given to my lord the king to be avenged this day of Saul and of his seed.

⁹ Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As Jehovah liveth, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, ¹⁰ when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead! and he was in his own sight a messenger of good, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag--to whom forsooth I should give a reward for his good tidings: ¹¹ how much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? and should I not now demand his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? ¹² And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

¹ Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. ² Even aforetime, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel. ³ And all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign; he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶ And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they spoke to David, saying, Thou shalt not come in hither, but the blind and the lame will drive thee back; as much as to say, David will not come in hither. ⁷ But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is the city of David. ⁸ And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites and gets up to the watercourse, and the lame and the blind hated of David's soul...! Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. ⁹ So David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from the Millo and inward. ¹⁰ And David became continually greater; and Jehovah the God of hosts was with him.

¹¹ And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. ¹² And David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom because of his people Israel. ¹³ And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David. ¹⁴ And these are the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, ¹⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, ¹⁶ and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷ And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it , and went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt thou give them into my hand? And Jehovah said to David, Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into thy hand. ²⁰ And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Jehovah has broken in upon mine enemies before me, as the breaking forth of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. ²¹ And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away. ²² And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. ²³ And David inquired of Jehovah; and he said, Thou shalt not go up; turn round behind them and come upon them opposite the mulberry-trees. ²⁴ And it shall be, when thou hearest a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then will Jehovah have gone forth before thee, to smite the army of the Philistines. ²⁵ And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou comest to Gezer.

¹ And David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baale-Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God which is called by the name, the name of Jehovah of hosts who sitteth between the cherubim. ³ And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was upon the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. ⁴ And they brought it with the ark of God out of the house of Abinadab which was upon the hill; and Ahio went before the ark. ⁵ And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of instruments made of cypress wood, with harps, and with lutes, and with tambours, and with sistra, and with cymbals.

⁶ And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached after the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. ⁸ And David was indignant, because Jehovah had made a breach upon Uzzah; and he called that place Perez-Uzzah to this day. ⁹ And David was afraid of Jehovah that day, and said, How shall the ark of Jehovah come to me? ¹⁰ So David would not bring the ark of Jehovah home unto himself into the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. ¹¹ And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months; and Jehovah blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

¹² And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that is his, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy. ¹³ And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted beast. ¹⁴ And David danced before Jehovah with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁵ And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶ And as the ark of Jehovah came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Jehovah; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of Jehovah, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had spread for it. And David offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before Jehovah. ¹⁸ And when David had ended offering up the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Jehovah of hosts. ¹⁹ And he dealt to all the people, to the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a measure of wine , and a raisin-cake. And all the people departed every one to his house.

²⁰ And David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How honourable did the king of Israel make himself to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the lewd fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! ²¹ And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel; and I played before Jehovah. ²² And I will make myself yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and of the handmaids that thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

¹ And it came to pass when the king dwelt in his house, and Jehovah had given him rest round about from all his enemies, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of God dwells under curtains. ³ And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart; for Jehovah is with thee.

⁴ And it came to pass that night that the word of Jehovah came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ Go and say to my servant, to David, Thus saith Jehovah: Wilt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all my going about with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye me not a house of cedars? ⁸ And now, thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I took thee from the pasture-grounds, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel; ⁹ and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are on the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people, for Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and be disturbed no more; neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them any more, as formerly, ¹¹ and since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I have given thee rest from all thine enemies; and Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house. ¹² When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men; ¹⁵ but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before thee. ¹⁶ And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made firm for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. ¹⁷ According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

¹⁸ And king David went in and sat before Jehovah, and said, Who am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? ¹⁹ And yet this hath been a small thing in thy sight, Lord Jehovah; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, Lord Jehovah? ²⁰ And what can David say more to thee? for thou, Lord Jehovah, knowest thy servant. ²¹ For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, to make thy servant know it . ²² Wherefore thou art great, Jehovah Elohim; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ And who is like thy people, like Israel, the one nation in the earth that God went to redeem to be a people to himself, and to make himself a name, and to do for them great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thyself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? ²⁴ And thou hast established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, Jehovah, art become their God. ²⁵ And now, Jehovah Elohim, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, fulfil it for ever, and do as thou hast said. ²⁶ And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel; and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. ²⁷ For thou, Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. ²⁸ And now, Lord Jehovah, thou art that God, and thy words are true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant; ²⁹ and now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever; for thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken it; and with thy blessing shall the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

¹ And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; and David took the power of the capital out of the hand of the Philistines. ² And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. ³ And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion by the river Euphrates. ⁴ And David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses , but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. ⁵ And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David smote of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men. ⁶ And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much bronze.

⁹ And Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadadezer; ¹⁰ and Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer was continually at war with Toi. And he brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze. ¹¹ Them also king David dedicated to Jehovah, with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated of all the nations that he had subdued: ¹² of the Syrians, and of the Moabites, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of the Amalekites, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³ And David made him a name when he returned, after he had smitten the Syrians in the valley of salt, eighteen thousand men . ¹⁴ And he put garrisons in Edom: throughout Edom did he put garrisons; and all they of Edom became servants to David. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went.

¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice to all his people. ¹⁶ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was chronicler; ¹⁷ and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was scribe; ¹⁸ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

¹ And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? ² And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba; and they called him to David. And the king said to him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant! ³ And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan has yet a son, who is lame on his feet. ⁴ And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. ⁵ And king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. ⁶ And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he said, Behold thy servant! ⁷ And David said to him, Fear not; for I will certainly shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. ⁸ And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹ Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to thy master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰ And thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits , that thy master's son may have food to eat. And Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread at my table continually. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹ And Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will thy servant do. And Mephibosheth said David shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons. ¹² And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table. And he was lame on both his feet.

¹ And it came to pass after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ² And David said, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. ³ And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Is it, in thine eyes, to honour thy father that David has sent comforters to thee? Is it not to search the city and to spy it out, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to thee? ⁴ And Hanun took David's servants, and had the one half of their beards shaved off, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ And they told it to David; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Abide at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶ And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. ⁷ And David heard of it , and he sent Joab, and all the host, the mighty men. ⁸ And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. ⁹ And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind; and he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians; ¹⁰ and the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother that he might array them against the children of Ammon. ¹¹ And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. ¹² Be strong, and let us shew ourselves valiant for our people and for the cities of our God; and Jehovah do what is good in his sight. ¹³ And Joab drew near, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians; and they fled before him. ¹⁴ And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. And Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ And when the Syrians saw that they were routed before Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶ And Hadarezer sent, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river; and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. ¹⁷ And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. ¹⁸ And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred in chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there. ¹⁹ And all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were routed before Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them. And the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

¹ And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they laid waste the land of the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David abode at Jerusalem. ² And it came to pass at evening time that David arose from off his couch, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful; ³ and David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urijah the Hittite? ⁴ And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; and she had purified herself from her uncleanness; and she returned to her house. ⁵ And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

⁶ And David sent to Joab saying , Send me Urijah the Hittite. And Joab sent Urijah to David. ⁷ And when Urijah had come to him, David asked how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered. ⁸ And David said to Urijah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Urijah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him presents from the king. ⁹ And Urijah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. ¹⁰ And they had told David saying, Urijah did not go down to his house; and David said to Urijah, Art thou not come from a journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house? ¹¹ And Urijah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. ¹² And David said to Urijah, Abide here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. And Urijah abode in Jerusalem that day and the morrow. ¹³ And David invited him, and he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Urijah. ¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter saying, Set Urijah in the front of the thickest fight, and withdraw from him, that he may be smitten and die. ¹⁶ And it came to pass as Joab watched the city, that he assigned Urijah to a place where he knew that the valiant men were. ¹⁷ And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people, of the servants of David; and Urijah the Hittite died also. ¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the matters of the war; ¹⁹ and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast ended telling the matters of the war to the king, ²⁰ and if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say to thee, Why did ye go so near to the city to fight? did ye not know that they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why did ye go near the wall? --then say thou, Thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also. ²² And the messenger went; and he came and told David all that Joab had sent him for. ²³ And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out against us into the field, and we were upon them as far as the entrance of the gate. ²⁴ And the shooters shot from upon the wall against thy servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also. ²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle strong against the city, and overthrow it; --and encourage him. ²⁶ And the wife of Urijah heard that Urijah her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband. ²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Jehovah.

¹ And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. ² The rich had very many flocks and herds; ³ but the poor man had nothing at all, but one little ewe lamb which he had bought, and was nourishing; and it grew up with him, and together with his children: it ate of his morsel, and drank of his own cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter. ⁴ And there came a traveller to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that had come to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him. ⁵ Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this thing is worthy of death; ⁶ and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. ⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man! Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; ⁸ and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. ⁹ Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah to do evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Urijah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. ¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urijah the Hittite to be thy wife. ¹¹ Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. ¹² For thou didst it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. ¹³ And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also put away thy sin: thou shalt not die. ¹⁴ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, even the child that is born to thee shall certainly die.

¹⁵ And Nathan departed to his house. And Jehovah smote the child that Urijah's wife bore to David, and it became very sick. ¹⁶ And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth. ¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he ate no bread with them. ¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice; and how shall we say to him, The child is dead? he may do some harm. ¹⁹ But David saw that his servants whispered, and David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. ²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and entered into the house of Jehovah and worshipped; then he came to his own house and required them to set bread before him, and he ate. ²¹ And his servants said to him, What thing is this which thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child alive; but as soon as the child is dead, thou dost rise and eat bread. ²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? perhaps Jehovah will be gracious to me, that the child may live. ²³ But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. ²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon; and Jehovah loved him. ²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, for Jehovah's sake.

²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. ²⁸ And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city and take it: lest I take the city and it be called by my name. ²⁹ And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. ³⁰ And he took the crown of their king from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head; and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. ³¹ And he brought out the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkilns. And so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

¹ And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David having a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the son of David loved her. ² And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed difficult for Amnon to do the least thing to her. ³ And Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. ⁴ And he said to him, Why dost thou, the king's son, get thinner from morning to morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. ⁵ And Jonadab said to him, Lay thee down on thy bed and feign thyself sick; and when thy father comes to see thee, say to him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me food, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand. ⁶ So Amnon lay down and feigned himself sick; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand. ⁷ And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go, I pray thee, to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him food. ⁸ And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he had lain down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. ⁹ And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Put every man out from me. And they went out every man from him. ¹⁰ And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the dish into the chamber, that I may eat of thy hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. ¹¹ And she presented them to him to eat; and he took hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister. ¹² And she said to him, No, my brother, do not humble me; for no such thing is done in Israel: do not this infamy. ¹³ And I, whither shall I carry my reproach? and thou wouldest be as one of the infamous in Israel. And now, I pray thee, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. ¹⁴ But he would not hearken to her voice, and was stronger than she, and humbled her and lay with her. ¹⁵ And Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred, for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Arise, be gone. ¹⁶ And she said to him, There is no cause for this evil in sending me away, which is greater than the other that thou didst to me. But he would not hearken to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his young man that attended upon him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. ¹⁸ Now she had a vest of many colours upon her; for so were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. And his attendant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. ¹⁹ And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her vest of many colours which was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying out as she went. ²⁰ And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, be still: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart. And Tamar remained, and that desolate, in her brother Absalom's house.

²¹ And king David heard of all these things, and he was very angry. ²² And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar. ²³ And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-Hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king's sons. ²⁴ And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold, now, thy servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant. ²⁵ And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to thee. And he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him. ²⁶ And Absalom said, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee? ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him; and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. ²⁸ And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Smite Amnon; then slay him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. ²⁹ And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and they rode each upon his mule and fled.

³⁰ And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom has smitten all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. ³¹ Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their garments rent. ³² And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar. ³³ And now let not my lord the king take the thing to heart, to say, All the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead. ³⁴ And Absalom fled. And the young man that watched lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came much people from the way behind him, from the hill-side. ³⁵ And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. ³⁶ And as soon as he had ended speaking, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly. ³⁷ And Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. ³⁸ Now Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. ³⁹ And king David longed to go forth to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

¹ And Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. ² And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead; ³ and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth. ⁴ And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Save, O king! ⁵ And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead. ⁶ And thy bondmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him. ⁷ And behold, the whole family is risen against thy bondmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also: so they will quench my coal which is left, and will not leave to my husband a name or remnant on the earth. ⁸ And the king said to the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee. ⁹ And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless. ¹⁰ And the king said, Whoever speaks to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more. ¹¹ Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. ¹² And the woman said, Let thy bondmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak. ¹³ And the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against God's people? and the king in saying this thing, is as one guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. ¹⁴ For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; and God has not taken away his life, but devises means that the banished one be not expelled from him. ¹⁵ And now that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy bondmaid said, I will now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid. ¹⁶ For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. ¹⁷ And thy bondmaid said, Let the word of my lord the king now be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and Jehovah thy God will be with thee. ¹⁸ And the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. ¹⁹ And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy bondmaid: ²⁰ in order to turn the appearance of the thing has thy servant Joab done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.

²¹ And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: so go, bring back the young man Absalom. ²² And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant. ²³ And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom withdrew to his own house, and saw not the king's face. ²⁵ But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. ²⁶ And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight. ²⁷ And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.

²⁸ So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face. ²⁹ Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again the second time, but he would not come. ³⁰ Then he said to his servants, See, Joab's allotment is near mine and he has barley there: go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the allotment on fire. ³¹ Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my allotment on fire? ³² And Absalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it would have been better for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him slay me. ³³ And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

¹ And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ² And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the way of the gate; and it was so, that when any man who had a controversy had to come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. ³ And Absalom said to him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man to hear thee appointed by the king. ⁴ And Absalom said, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any controversy and cause might come to me, and I would do him justice! ⁵ And it was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. ⁶ And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay in Hebron my vow which I have vowed to Jehovah. ⁸ For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah. ⁹ And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he rose up and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ And Absalom sent emissaries into all the tribes of Israel, saying, When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron. ¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew nothing. ¹² And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy gathered strength; and the people increased continually with Absalom.

¹³ And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. ¹⁴ And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. ¹⁵ And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants will do whatever my lord the king shall choose. ¹⁶ And the king went forth, and all his household after him, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house. ¹⁷ And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed at the remote house. ¹⁸ And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king. ¹⁹ And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou dwellest . ²⁰ Thou didst come yesterday, and should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I can? Return and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee! ²¹ And Ittai answered the king and said, As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. ²² And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. ²³ And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over; the king also himself passed over the torrent Kidron, and all the people passed over, towards the way of the wilderness.

²⁴ And behold, Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed completely out of the city. ²⁵ And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and shew me it, and its habitation. ²⁶ But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him. ²⁷ And the king said to Zadok the priest, Thou art the seer: return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸ See, I will stop in the plains of the desert, until there come word from you to inform me. ²⁹ And Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem; and they abode there. ³⁰ But David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

³¹ And one told David saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. Then said David, Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. ³² And it came to pass, when David had come to the summit, where he worshipped God, that behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head. ³³ And David said to him, If thou passest on with me, thou wilt be a burden to me; ³⁴ but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so now will I be thy servant; then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. ³⁵ And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? and it shall be, that whatsoever thing thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son , and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear. ³⁷ And Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

¹ And when David was a little past the summit, behold, Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred raisin-cakes, and a hundred cakes of summer fruits, and a flask of wine. ² And the king said to Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruits for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink. ³ And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he abides at Jerusalem; for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. ⁴ And the king said to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained to Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly bow myself: may I find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.

⁵ And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed, ⁶ and cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. ⁷ And thus said Shimei as he cursed: Away, away, thou man of blood and man of Belial! ⁸ Jehovah has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and Jehovah has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and behold, thou art taken in thine own evil, for thou art a man of blood. ⁹ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. ¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, for Jehovah has said to him, Curse David! Who shall then say, Why dost thou so? ¹¹ And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth of my bowels, seeks my life: how much more now a Benjaminite? let him alone and let him curse; for Jehovah has bidden him. ¹² It may be that Jehovah will look on mine affliction, and that Jehovah will requite me good for my being cursed this day. ¹³ And David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. ¹⁴ And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

¹⁵ Now Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Long live the king! Long live the king! ¹⁷ And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why didst thou not go with thy friend? ¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, No; but whom Jehovah, and this people, and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. ¹⁹ And again, whom should I serve? should it not be in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence. ²⁰ And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. ²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to thy father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art become odious with thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong. ²² So they spread a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. ²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me, I pray, choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David to-night; ² and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only; ³ and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace. ⁴ And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. ⁵ And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says. ⁶ And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we carry out his word? If not, speak thou. ⁷ And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good. ⁸ And Hushai said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are of exasperated spirit, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. ⁹ Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom, ¹⁰ and even the valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt; for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men. ¹¹ But I counsel that all Israel be speedily gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. ¹² And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. ¹³ And if he withdraw into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the torrent, until there be not one small stone found there. ¹⁴ And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.

¹⁵ And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. ¹⁶ And now send quickly, and tell David saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. ¹⁷ And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and the maid went and told them; and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city. ¹⁸ But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. Then they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there. ¹⁹ And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known. ²⁰ And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And they sought and could not find them , and returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ And it came to pass after they had departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counselled against you.

²² Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there was not one of them missing that had not gone over the Jordan. ²³ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went to his house, to his city, and gave charge to his household, and hanged himself, and he died; and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father. ²⁴ And David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵ And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab; which Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother. ²⁶ And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. ²⁷ And as soon as David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, ²⁸ brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn , and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse , ²⁹ and honey, and cream, and sheep, and cheese of kine to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat; for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.

¹ And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ² And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. ³ But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for *thou* art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. ⁴ And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. ⁶ And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men. ⁸ And the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ And Absalom found himself in the presence of David's servants. And Absalom was riding upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught in the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. ¹⁰ And a man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth. ¹¹ And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him , and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle. ¹² And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care, whoever it be of you , of the young man Absalom. ¹³ Or I should have acted falsely against mine own life, for there is no matter concealed from the king, and thou wouldest have set thyself against me . ¹⁴ Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into Absalom's body, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth. ¹⁵ And ten young men that bore Joab's armour surrounded and smote Absalom, and killed him. ¹⁶ And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept back the people. ¹⁷ And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled every one to his tent. ¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a monument, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the monument after his own name; and it is called unto this day, Absalom's memorial.

¹⁹ And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run, I pray, and carry the king the news that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies. ²⁰ And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a bearer of news to-day, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but to-day thou shalt carry no news, because the king's son is dead. ²¹ Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran. ²² And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that there is no news suited to thee ? ²³ --But, come what may, let me run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outstripped the Cushite. ²⁴ And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, on to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running alone. ²⁵ And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near. ²⁶ And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter and said, Behold a man running alone. And the king said, He also is a bearer of news. ²⁷ And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news. ²⁸ And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, Peace! And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. ²⁹ And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was. ³⁰ And the king said, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still. ³¹ And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. ³² And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man. ³³ And the king was much moved, and went up to the upper chamber of the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said thus: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!

¹ And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom. ² And the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people; for the people heard say that day, The king is grieved for his son. ³ And the people stole away that day into the city, as people steal away when ashamed of fleeing in battle. ⁴ And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son! ⁵ And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast put to shame this day the faces of all thy servants who have this day saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy concubines; ⁶ in that thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest those that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that neither princes nor servants are anything to thee: for to-day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died to-day, then it would have been right in thine eyes. ⁷ But now arise, go forth, and speak consolingly to thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that would be worse to thee than all the evil that has befallen thee from thy youth until now. ⁸ Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.

⁹ And all the people were at strife throughout the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰ And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle; and now why are ye silent as to bringing the king back? ¹¹ And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, to his house. ¹² Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh; and why will ye be the last to bring back the king? ¹³ And say to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually instead of Joab. ¹⁴ And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah as of one man; and they sent to the king, Return, thou and all thy servants. ¹⁵ And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.

¹⁶ And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, who was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. ¹⁷ And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they forded the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸ And a ferry boat passed to and fro to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was just crossing over the Jordan. ¹⁹ And he said to the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity to me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. ²⁰ For thy servant knows that I have sinned; and behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. ²¹ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's anointed? ²² And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries to me? Should there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? ²³ And the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king swore to him.

²⁴ And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. Now he had neither washed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. ²⁵ And as soon as Jerusalem came to meet the king, the king said to him, Why didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth? ²⁶ And he said, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said, I will saddle me the ass, and ride thereon, and go with the king; for thy servant is lame. ²⁷ And he has slandered thy servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do therefore what is good in thy sight. ²⁸ For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king; and thou didst set thy servant among them that eat at thine own table. What further right therefore have I? and for what should I cry any more to the king? ²⁹ And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. ³⁰ And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him even take all, since my lord the king is come again in peace to his own house.

³¹ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan. ³² And Barzillai was very aged, eighty years old; and it was he that had maintained the king while he abode at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. ³³ And the king said to Barzillai, Pass thou over with me, and I will maintain thee with me in Jerusalem. ³⁴ And Barzillai said to the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵ I am this day eighty years old: can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat and what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? and why should thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Thy servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king; and why should the king recompense it to me with this reward? ³⁷ Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham: let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what seems good to thee. ³⁸ And the king said, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which seems good to thee; and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee. ³⁹ And all the people went over the Jordan; and the king went over; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

⁴⁰ And the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel. ⁴¹ And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over the Jordan? ⁴² And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to me; and why then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten anything which came from the king, or has he given us any present? ⁴³ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, I have ten parts in the king and I have also more right in David than thou; and why didst thou slight me? and was not my advice the first, to bring back my king? And the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.

¹ And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel. ² Then all the men of Israel went up from after David, following Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clave to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. ³ And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house of confinement and maintained them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

⁴ And the king said to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and do thou attend here. ⁵ So Amasa went to call together the men of Judah; but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. ⁶ And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom. Take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities and escape our sight. ⁷ And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸ When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. And Joab was girded with his coat, his dress, and upon it was the girdle of the sword which was fastened on his loins in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out. ⁹ And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ And Amasa had taken no notice of the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him with it in the belly and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹ And one of Joab's young men stood by Amasa and said, He that favours Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab. ¹² Now Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by stood still. ¹³ When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri,

¹⁴ who went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maacah, and all the Berim; and they gathered together, and went also after him. ¹⁵ And they came and besieged him in Abel-Beth-Maacah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it was raised in the trench; and all the people that were with Joab sapped the wall, to throw it down. ¹⁶ And a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. ¹⁷ And he came near to her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he said, I am he . And she said to him, Listen to the words of thy handmaid. And he said, I am listening. ¹⁸ And she spoke saying, They were wont to speak in old time saying, Just inquire in Abel; and so they ended. ¹⁹ I am peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah? ²⁰ And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. ²¹ The matter is not so; but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give up him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. ²² Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

²³ And Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; ²⁴ and Adoram was over the levy; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ²⁵ and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; ²⁶ and Ira also, the Jairite, was David's chief ruler.

¹ And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of Jehovah. And Jehovah said, It is for Saul, and for his house of blood, because he slew the Gibeonites. ² And the king called the Gibeonites, and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remainder of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them; and Saul sought to smite them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.) ³ And David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with what shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah? ⁴ And the Gibeonites said to him, As to Saul and his house, it is with us no question of receiving silver or gold, neither is it for us to have any man put to death in Israel. And he said, What ye say will I do for you. ⁵ And they said to the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in all the borders of Israel, ⁶ let seven men of his sons be given up to us, and we will hang them up to Jehovah in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah. And the king said, I will give them . ⁷ But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. ⁸ And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of the sister of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; ⁹ and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before Jehovah. And they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the first days of the harvest, in the beginning of barley harvest.

¹⁰ Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them out of the heavens, and suffered neither the fowl of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. ¹¹ And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. ¹² And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the open place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, the day the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa; ¹³ and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. ¹⁴ And they buried them with the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they did all that the king had commanded. And afterwards God was propitious to the land.

¹⁵ And the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought with the Philistines. And David was exhausted. ¹⁶ And Ishbibenob, who was of the children of Raphah--the weight of his lance was three hundred shekels of bronze, and he was girded with new armour --thought to smite David. ¹⁷ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel. ¹⁸ And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbechai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the children of Raphah. ¹⁹ And there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, smote Goliath the Gittite; now the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam. ²⁰ And there was again a battle, at Gath; and there was a man there of great stature, that had on each hand six fingers, and on each foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to Raphah. ²¹ And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother smote him. ²² These four were born to Raphah, in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

¹ And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.

² And he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; ³ God is my rock, in him will I trust--My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge, My saviour: thou wilt save me from violence. ⁴ I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised; So shall I be saved from mine enemies. ⁵ For the waves of death encompassed me, Torrents of Belial made me afraid. ⁶ The bands of Sheol surrounded me; The cords of death encountered me; ⁷ In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And I cried to my God; And he heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came into his ears. ⁸ Then the earth shook, and quaked; The foundations of the heavens trembled And shook because he was wroth. ⁹ There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals burned forth from it. ¹⁰ And he bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet. ¹¹ And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; And he was seen upon the wings of the wind. ¹² And he made darkness round about him a tent, Gatherings of waters, thick clouds of the skies. ¹³ From the brightness before him Burned forth coals of fire. ¹⁴ Jehovah thundered from the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice. ¹⁵ And he sent arrows, and scattered mine enemies ; Lightning, and discomfited them. ¹⁶ And the beds of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At the rebuke of Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. ¹⁷ He reached forth from above, he took me, He drew me out of great waters; ¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were mightier than I. ¹⁹ They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. ²⁰ And he brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me. ²¹ Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ²² For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. ²³ For all his ordinances were before me, And his statutes, I did not depart from them, ²⁴ And I was upright before him, And kept myself from mine iniquity. ²⁵ And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his sight. ²⁶ With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; With the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright; ²⁷ With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary. ²⁸ And the afflicted people thou dost save; And thine eyes are upon the haughty, whom thou bringest down. ²⁹ For thou art my lamp, Jehovah; And Jehovah enlighteneth my darkness. ³⁰ For by thee I have run through a troop; By my God have I leaped over a wall. ³¹ As for *God, his way is perfect; The word of Jehovah is tried: He is a shield to all that trust in him. ³² For who is *God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God? ³³ *God is my strong fortress, And he maketh my way perfectly smooth. ³⁴ He maketh my feet like hinds' feet , And setteth me upon my high places. ³⁵ He teacheth my hands to war, And mine arms bend a bow of brass. ³⁶ And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, And thy condescending gentleness hath made me great. ³⁷ Thou enlargedst my steps under me; And mine ankles did not slip. ³⁸ I pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them, And I turned not again till they were consumed. ³⁹ And I have consumed them and have crushed them, and they rose not again; Yea, they fell under my feet. ⁴⁰ And thou girdedst me with strength to battle: Thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me. ⁴¹ And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, And those that hated me I destroyed. ⁴² They looked, and there was none to save--Unto Jehovah, and he answered them not. ⁴³ And I did beat them small as the dust of the earth, I trod them as the mire of the streets; I stamped upon them. ⁴⁴ And thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, Thou hast kept me to be head of the nations: A people I knew not doth serve me: ⁴⁵ Strangers come cringing unto me: At the hearing of the ear, they obey me. ⁴⁶ Strangers have faded away, And they come trembling forth from their close places. ⁴⁷ Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God, the rock of my salvation, ⁴⁸ The *God who hath avenged me, And hath brought the peoples under me. ⁴⁹ He brought me forth from mine enemies: Yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; From the man of violence hast thou delivered me. ⁵⁰ Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing psalms to thy name. ⁵¹  It is he who giveth great deliverances to his king, And sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, To David, and to his seed for evermore.

¹ Now these are the last words of David: David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel saith, ² The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue. ³ The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, The ruler among men shall be just, Ruling in the fear of God; ⁴ And he shall be as the light of the morning, like the rising of the sun, A morning without clouds; When from the sunshine, after rain, The green grass springeth from the earth. ⁵ Although my house be not so before *God, Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in every way and sure; For this is all my salvation, and every desire, Although he make it not to grow. ⁶ But the sons of Belial are all of them as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands; ⁷ And the man that will touch them provideth himself with iron and the staff of a spear; And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Joseb-Bassebeth, Tachkemonite the chief of the captains: he was Adino the Eznite; he fought against eight hundred, slain by him at one time. ⁹ And after him, Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite: he was one of the three mighty men with David, when they had defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone up. ¹⁰ He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. ¹¹ And after him, Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite: the Philistines were gathered into a troop, and there was there a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people had fled before the Philistines; ¹² and he stood in the midst of the plot and delivered it, and smote the Philistines, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance. ¹³ And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, when the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ And David was then in the stronghold; and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate! ¹⁶ And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah. ¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. ¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the chief of three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred and slew them; and he had a name among the three. ¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the first three. ²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, son of a valiant man, great in exploits, of Kabzeel: he it was that smote two lions of Moab; and he went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. ²¹ He also smote the Egyptian, an imposing man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. ²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he had a name among the three mighty men. ²³ He was honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him in his council. ²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, ²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, ²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, ²⁷ Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, ²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, ²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, ³⁰ Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, ³¹ Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, ³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, ³³ Shammah the Ararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, ³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, ³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, ³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, ³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, ³⁸ Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, ³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

¹ And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them saying, Go, number Israel and Judah. ² And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people. ³ And Joab said to the king, May Jehovah thy God even add to the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it ; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? ⁴ But the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. And Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel. ⁵ And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jaazer. ⁶ And they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and came to Dan-jaan, and to the environs of Sidon; ⁷ and they came to the fortified city of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and went out to the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba. ⁸ And they went through all the land, and came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. ⁹ And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king; and there were of Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

¹⁰ And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said to Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; and now, I beseech thee, Jehovah, put away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. ¹¹ And when David arose in the morning, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹² Go and say to David, Thus saith Jehovah: I impose on thee three things ; choose one of them that I may do it unto thee. ¹³ And Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine adversaries while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now be aware and consider what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. ¹⁴ And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; but let me not fall into the hand of man. ¹⁵ And Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the set time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. ¹⁶ And the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it; but Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed among the people, It is enough: withdraw now thine hand. And the angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ And David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel that smote among the people, and said, Behold, it is I that have sinned, and it is I that have committed iniquity; but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be on me, and on my father's house!

¹⁸ And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁹ And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as Jehovah had commanded. ²⁰ And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on towards him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. ²¹ And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the people. ²² And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up that which is good in his sight: see, here are oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-sledges and implements of the oxen for wood. ²³ All these things, O king, doth Araunah give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee. ²⁴ And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will in any case buy them of thee at a price: neither will I offer up to Jehovah my God burnt-offerings without cost. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵ And David built there an altar to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. And Jehovah was propitious to the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.