~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ Now it happened after the death of Saul, that David returned from striking down the Amalekites. Then David remained two days in Ziklag. Now it happened that on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul. And his clothes were torn and dust was on his head. And it happened when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. Then David said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” And David said to him, “How did things go? Tell me now.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.” So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursued him closely. “Then he turned to look behind him, and he saw me and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’ “And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ “Then he said to me, ‘Please stand beside me and put me to death, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’ “So I stood beside him and put him to death, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. And they lamented and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of Yahweh and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. And David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to send forth your hand to destroy the anointed of Yahweh?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Approach and fall upon him.” So he struck him and he died. And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has answered against you, saying, ‘I have put the anointed of Yahweh to death.’” Then David chanted with this funeral lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar. “Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen! “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. “O mountains of Gilboa, Let not dew or rain be on you, nor fields of offerings; For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty. “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their life, And in their death they were not separated; They were swifter than eagles, They were mightier than lions. “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, Who put ornaments of gold on your clothing. “How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places. “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was more wonderful Than the love of women. “How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished!”

~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ Now it happened afterwards that David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And Yahweh said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of Yahweh because you have shown this lovingkindness with your lord, with Saul, and have buried him. “So now, may Yahweh show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. “So now, let your hands be strong and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” Now Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. And he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. And that day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David. Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. And Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner. Then Abner turned to look behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” So Abner said to him, “Turn to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoil.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. And Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” However, he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it happened that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. Now the sun was going down, and they came to the hill of Ammah, which is in front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one band, and they stood on the top of a certain hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? How long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from following their brothers?” And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people would have only gone away in the morning, each from following his brother.” So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore. But Abner and his men then went through the Arabah all that night; so they crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim. Now Joab returned from following Abner. And he had gathered all the people together, and nineteen of David’s servants besides Asahel were missing. But the servants of David had struck down many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men went all night until the day dawned at Hebron.

~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually. And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron. Now it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show lovingkindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as Yahweh has sworn to David, I do not do this for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” And he could no longer respond a word to Abner, because he was afraid of him. Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Cut your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to turn all Israel over to you.” And he said, “Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but I ask one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned. Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. “So now, do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that was good in the sight of Israel and in the sight of the whole house of Benjamin. Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. And Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may cut a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. Now Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, and they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? “You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to know of your going out and your coming in and to know all that you are doing.” Then Joab came out from David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. Afterward David heard it, so he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. “May it whirl on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread not be cut off from the house of Joab.” So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. And the king chanted a lament for Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a wicked fool dies? “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the unrighteous, you have fallen.” And all the people continued to weep over him. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David swore an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” Now all the people took note of it, and it was good in their sight, just as everything the king did was good in the sight of all the people. So all the people and all Israel knew that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? “Thus I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil.”

~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually. And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron. Now it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show lovingkindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. “May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as Yahweh has sworn to David, I do not do this for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” And he could no longer respond a word to Abner, because he was afraid of him. Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Cut your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to turn all Israel over to you.” And he said, “Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but I ask one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned. Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. “So now, do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that was good in the sight of Israel and in the sight of the whole house of Benjamin. Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. And Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may cut a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. Now Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, and they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? “You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to know of your going out and your coming in and to know all that you are doing.” Then Joab came out from David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. Afterward David heard it, so he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. “May it whirl on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread not be cut off from the house of Joab.” So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. And the king chanted a lament for Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a wicked fool dies? “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As one falls before the unrighteous, you have fallen.” And all the people continued to weep over him. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David swore an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” Now all the people took note of it, and it was good in their sight, just as everything the king did was good in the sight of all the people. So all the people and all Israel knew that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? “Thus I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil.”

~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. “Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and Yahweh said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David cut a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; then they anointed David king over Israel. Now David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah. Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot enter here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, that is the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” Then David lived in the fortress and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. And David became greater and greater, and Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him. Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of wood and craftsmen of stone walls; and they built a house for David. Thus David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that He had lifted up his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet. Then the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, so all the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went down to the fortress. Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. Then David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” So David came to Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and he said, “Yahweh has broken through my enemies before me, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim. And they forsook their idols there; so David and his men carried them away. Then the Philistines yet again came up and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. So David asked of Yahweh, and He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. “And it will be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then Yahweh will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” Then David did so, just as Yahweh had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ Then David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of Yahweh of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim. And they drove the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. Now David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before Yahweh with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. Then they came to the threshing floor of Nacon. And Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of Yahweh burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of Yahweh’s breaking out against Uzzah; and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. So David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How can the ark of Yahweh come to me?” And David was unwilling to move the ark of Yahweh into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and Yahweh blessed Obed-edom and all his household. Then it was told to King David, saying, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And so it happened, that when those who were carrying the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David was dancing before Yahweh with all his strength, and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of Yahweh with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. Then it happened as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of Yahweh and placed it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. Then David completed offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings. And he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts. And he apportioned to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people went each to his house. But David returned to bless his household, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel has glorified himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the worthless ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” So David said to Michal, “It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Yahweh, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before Yahweh. “And I will be esteemed even more lightly than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be glorified.” And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ Now it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of God inhabits tent curtains.” So Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.” Now it happened in the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying, “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Are you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit? “For I have not inhabited a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been going about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. “Wherever I have gone about with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’ “So now, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. “And I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. “And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; and the unrighteous will not afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh also declares to you that Yahweh will make a house for you. “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? “And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord Yahweh, for You have spoken also of the house of Your slave concerning the distant future. And this is the law of man, O Lord Yahweh. “And again what more can David say to You? And You know Your slave, O Lord Yahweh! “For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your slave know. “For this reason You are great, O Lord Yahweh; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. “And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? “Yet You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O Yahweh, have become their God. “So now, O Yahweh God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your slave and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as You have spoken, that Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of Your servant David shall be established before You. “For You, O Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed in the hearing of Your slave, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your slave has found courage in his heart to pray this prayer to You. “So now, O Lord Yahweh, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your slave. “So now, be pleased and bless the house of Your slave, that it may be forever before You. For You, O Lord Yahweh, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your slave be blessed forever.”

~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ Now it happened afterwards, that David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines. He also struck Moab, and measured them with the 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 servants to David, bringing tribute. Then David struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River. And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for 100 chariots. Then the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah. And David struck down 22,000 Arameans. Then David placed garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went. And David took the small shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze. Then Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck down all the military force of Hadadezer, so Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And in Joram’s hand were articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. King David also set these apart as holy to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he had set apart as holy from all the nations which he had subdued: from Aram, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. So David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt. Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel; and David was doing justice and righteousness for all his people. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was scribe; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were priests.

~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him lovingkindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” And the king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the lovingkindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” So 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 Lo-debar.” Then King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. So Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show lovingkindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table continually.” So he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” Then the king called Saul’s young man Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. “And you and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food and eat of it; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table continually.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table continually. Now he was lame in both feet.

~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ Now it happened afterwards, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son became king in his place. So David said, “I will show lovingkindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed lovingkindness to me.” So David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants. And David’s servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon. But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “In your eyes, is David honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?” So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. Then they told it to David. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.” Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. Then David heard of it and sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the gate of the city. But the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him from the front and from the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother; and he arranged them to meet the sons of Ammon. And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you. “Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.” So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they also fled before Abishai and came into the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem. Then the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel. So they gathered themselves together. And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them. And it was told to David, so he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans arranged themselves to meet David and fought against him. But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen and struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. Then all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel. So they made peace with Israel and served them. And the Arameans were afraid to save the sons of Ammon anymore.

~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ Now it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. And the woman became pregnant; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am pregnant.” Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the state of Joab and the state of the people and the state of the war. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and a present from the king went out after him. But Uriah lay down at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. Then they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house.” And David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you out.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house. Now it happened in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he had written in the letter, saying, “Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.” So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. Then Joab sent and told David all the events of the war. And he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, and if it happens that the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you approach the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? ‘Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall so he died at Thebez? Why did you approach the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’” So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. And the messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. “And the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.” Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing be evil in your sight, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and tear it down’; and so strengthen him.” Then the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband had died, so she lamented over her husband. Then the time of mourning passed by, and David sent and gathered her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ Then Yahweh sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat his morsel of bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. “Now a visitor came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the traveler who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. “And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.” Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! ‘Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. ‘So now, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives from before your sight and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” And Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the son also that is born to you shall surely die.” And Nathan went to his house. Then Yahweh smote the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, so that he was very sick. David therefore sought God about the boy; and David fasted and went and spent the night lying on the ground. And the elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child has died? He might do himself harm!” And David saw that his servants were whispering together, so David discerned that the child had died; so David said to his servants, “Has the child died?” And they said, “He has died.” So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of Yahweh and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and he asked, and they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” Then he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, Yahweh may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ “But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now Yahweh loved him and sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the sake of Yahweh. Then Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. “So now, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, lest I capture the city myself and it be named after me.” So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in a very great amount. He also brought out the people who were in it and set them up with saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he used to do to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ Now it happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so distressed because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin. So it was hard in Amnon’s sight to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; and your father will come to see you, and you will say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. And she took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. Then she brought them near to him to eat, but he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” But she said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing! “As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” But he was not willing to listen to her voice. Now he was stronger than she, so he violated her and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her with a very 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, “Get up, go away!” But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” But he was not willing to listen to her. Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now cast this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.” Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. So Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar. Now it happened after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he urged him, he was not willing to go, but blessed him. Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons with him. Then Absalom commanded his young men, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be strong and be valiant.” Thus the young men of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled. Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone has died; because by the intent of Absalom this has been set since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. “So now, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, saying, ‘all the king’s sons have died,’ for only Amnon has died.” Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it happened.” As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly. Now Absalom had fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years. And the heart of King David was consumed with going out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he had died.

~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom. So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; then you shall go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. So the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, “Save, O king.” And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow; my husband has died. “And your servant-woman had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to deliver between them, so one struck the other and put him to death. “And behold, the whole family has risen against your servant-woman, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which remains, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.” Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.” And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.” So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.” Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to bring about ruin, so that they would not destroy my son.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” Then the woman said, “Please let your servant-woman speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” Then the woman said, “Why then have you thought up such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. “For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. “So now, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant-woman said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the word of his maidservant. ‘For the king will listen and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’ “Then your servant-woman said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be a resting place, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to listen with discernment through the good and evil. And may Yahweh your God be with you.’” Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant-woman; in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.” Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.” And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the word of his servant.” So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. However the king said, “Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face. Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no defect in him. When he shaved the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it, for it was heavy on him so he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king’s weight. And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance. Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face. Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he was not willing to come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he was not willing to come. Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s portion of land is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the portion of land on fire. Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my portion of land on fire?” And Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.” ’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.” So Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ Now it happened afterwards, that Absalom prepared for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him. And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a case to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” Then Absalom would say to him, “See, your words are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king.” Then Absalom would say, “Oh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any case or judgment could come to me and I would justify him.” And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would send forth his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel. Now it happened at the end of forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to Yahweh, in Hebron. “For your servant vowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If Yahweh shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’” And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’” Now two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, and they did not know anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. Then an informant came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have followed Absalom.” So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, for otherwise there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us hastily and drive calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house. And the king went out and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house. Now all his servants passed on beside him, all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place. “You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, going about, while I go where I go? Return and cause your brothers to return; lovingkindness and truth be with you.” But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” So David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness. Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city. Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of Yahweh, then He will cause me to return and show me both it and His habitation. “But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good in His sight.” The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. “See, I am going to wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered and he was walking barefoot. And all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went. Now David informed them, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Yahweh, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.” Then it happened that as David was coming to the summit, where he used to worship God, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn and dust on his head. And David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be a burden to me. “But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me. “Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall inform Zadok and Abiathar the priests. “Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by their hand you shall send me everything that you hear.” So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ Now David had passed a little beyond the summit, and behold, Ziba the young man of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine. And the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faint in the wilderness to drink.” Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will return the kingdom of my father to me.’” So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; let me find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!” And King David came to Bahurim, and behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. He also threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. And thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and vile fellow! “Yahweh has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Yahweh has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!” Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me pass over now and remove his head.” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if Yahweh has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came forth from my body seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has told him. “Perhaps Yahweh will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. Then the king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there. Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And it happened that when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” And Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your lovingkindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whom Yahweh, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. “Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so I will be in your presence.” Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if one asked of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight. “And I will come upon him while he is weary with his hands falling limp and throw him into utter fright, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, and I will cause all the people to return to you. The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.” And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel. Then Absalom said, “Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what is also in his mouth.” Then Hushai came to Absalom. And Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken thus. Shall we carry out his word? If not, you speak.” And Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has counseled is not good.” Then Hushai said, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter of soul, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not spend the night with the people. “Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the caves or in another place; and it will be when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ “And even the one who is a man of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man and those who are with him are men of valor. “But I counsel that all Israel be utterly gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle. “So we shall come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will set down on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. “If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall carry ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a small stone is found there.” Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that Yahweh might bring calamity on Absalom. Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “This is what Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is what I have counseled. “So now, send quickly and inform David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a servant-woman would go and inform them, and they would go and inform King David, for they could not be seen entering the city. But a boy did see them and informed Absalom; so the two of them went quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known. Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. Now it happened after they went away, that they came up out of the well and went and informed King David; and they said to David, “Arise and cross over the water quickly for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.” Then David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan. Now Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed. So he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father. Now David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. Now it happened that when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted seeds, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”

~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. And David sent the people out, one-third under the hand of Joab, one-third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one-third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” But the people said, “You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not set their heart on us; even if half of us die, they will not set their heart on us. But now you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” Then the king said to them, “Whatever is good in your sight I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. Then 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 commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom. Then the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. And the people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. Then Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Now Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him passed onward. Then a certain man saw it, he told Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” Then Joab said to the man who had told him, “Now behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” So the man said to Joab, “Even if I should receive one thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not send forth my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the young man Absalom!’ “Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” Then Joab said, “I will not wait around here before you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor gathered around and struck Absalom and put him to death. Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people. And they took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and set over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve my name.” So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and proclaim the good news to the king that Yahweh has judged to save him from the hand of his enemies.” But Joab said to him, “You are not the man for the good news this day, but you shall proclaim the good news another day; however, you shall not proclaim the good news today because the king’s son has died.” Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran. Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?” “But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed the Cushite. Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself. And the watchman called and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer. Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.” And the watchman said, “I see that the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “This is a good man and comes with good news.” And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, “Peace!” And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.” Then the king said, “Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was.” Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still. Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for Yahweh has judged to save you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.” Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is there peace with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!” Then the king trembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ Then it was told to Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourns for Absalom.” And the salvation that day was turned to mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” So the people stole away to enter into the city that day, as people who are dishonored steal away when they flee in battle. But as for the king, he wrapped his face up. Then the king cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed the faces of all your servants, who today have provided escape for your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have informed all of us today that princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, surely then it would be right in your eyes. “So now, arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants, for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go out, surely not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be of greater evil for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.” So the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” Then all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled, each to his tent. And it happened that all the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies and provided us escape from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom. “However, Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So now, why are you silent about having the king return?” Now King David had sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to have the king return to his house, while the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house? ‘You are my brothers; you are my bone and my flesh. Why then should you be the last to have the king return?’ “And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you will not be commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’” Thus he inclined the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.” The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to cause the king to pass over across the Jordan. Then Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. Now there were one thousand men of Benjamin with him, with Ziba the young man of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king. Then they kept passing over the ford to cause the king’s household to pass over, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to pass over the Jordan. So he said to the king, “Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart. “For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” But Abishai the son of Zeruiah said, “Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the anointed of Yahweh?” David then said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?” And the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” Thus the king swore to him. Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul had come down to meet the king; and he had not done anything for his feet, nor done anything for his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. Now it happened when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” So he answered, “O my lord, the king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame. “Moreover, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight. “For all my father’s household was nothing but men worthy of death before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right do I have yet that I should complain anymore to the king?” So the king said to him, “Why do you still speak of your affairs? I have decided, ‘You and Ziba shall divide the land.’” And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.” Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; and he passed over the Jordan with the king in order to send him off over the Jordan. Now Barzillai was very old, being eighty years old; and he had sustained the king while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. And the king said to Barzillai, “You pass over with me and I will sustain you in Jerusalem with me.” But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I yet to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? “I am now eighty years old. Can I know between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? “Your servant would merely pass over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king compensate me with this reward? “Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant Chimham, let him pass over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” So the king answered, “Chimham shall pass over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you require of me, I will do for you.” Then all the people passed over the Jordan and the king passed over too. The king then kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his place. Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah and also half the people of Israel accompanied the king. And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why had our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and caused the king and his household and all David’s men with him to pass over the Jordan?” Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense, or has anything been taken for us?” But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, “We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our word first to have our king return?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.

~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ Now a vile fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!” So all the men of Israel went up from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows. Then the king said to Amasa, “Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and you yourself stand here.” So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and deliver himself from our sight.” So Joab’s men pursued him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. They were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, and Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he came out, it fell out. Then Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. Now there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, “Whoever delights in Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood still. So he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. As soon as he was removed from the highway, all the men passed on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. Now he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, even Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they were assembled and also came after him. So they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to cause the wall to fall. Then a wise woman called from the city, “Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, ‘Draw near that I may speak with you.’” So he drew near to her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” Then she spoke, saying, “Formerly they used to speak in this way, saying, ‘They will surely ask advice at Abel,’ and thus they ended the dispute. “I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You are seeking to put to death a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh?” And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy! “Such is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give him over alone, and I will go from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” Then the woman came to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were scattered from the city, each to his tent. Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem. Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and Adoram was over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; and Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David.

~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ And there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of Yahweh. And Yahweh said, “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah). Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?” Then the Gibeonites said to him, “We have no concern of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “I will do for you whatever you say.” So they said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who planned to eradicate us from standing within any border of Israel, let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” And the king said, “I will give them.” But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. So the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. Then he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Yahweh, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. Then it was told to David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. So 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 square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa. And he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. Then they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and afterwards God was moved by the entreaty for the land. And the Philistines were at war again with Israel, so David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. Then Ishbi-benob, who was among those born to the giants, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to strike down David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and put him to death. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.” Now it happened afterwards that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among those born to the giants. There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. Then there was war at Gath again, and there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giants. And he reproached Israel, so Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. These four were born to the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ And David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said, “Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. “I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. “For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrents of vileness terrorized me; The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. “In my distress I called upon Yahweh, And I called to my God; And out of His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears. “Then the earth shook and quaked; The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. “Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. “He bowed the heavens and came down With thick darkness under His feet. “He rode on a cherub and flew; And He appeared upon the wings of the wind. “And He made darkness canopies around Him, A mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies. “From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. “Yahweh thundered from heaven, And the Most High gave forth His voice. “And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, Lightning, and threw them into confusion. “Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. “He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. “He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. “They confronted me in the day of my disaster, But Yahweh was my support. “He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. “Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. “For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, And have not wickedly departed from my God. “For all His judgments were before me, And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them. “I was also blameless toward Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. “Therefore Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes. “With the kind You show Yourself kind, With the blameless You show Yourself blameless; With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute. “And You save an afflicted people; But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You bring down. “For You are my lamp, O Yahweh; And Yahweh illumines my darkness. “For by You I can run upon a troop; By my God I can leap over a wall. “As for God, His way is blameless; The word of Yahweh is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. “For who is God, but Yahweh? And who is a rock, but our God? “God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way. “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me on my high places. “He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your answer to me makes me great. “You enlarge my steps under me, And my ankles have not given way. “I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed. “And I have consumed them and crushed them, so that they did not rise; And they fell under my feet. “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. “You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me. “They looked, but there was none to save; Even to Yahweh, but He did not answer them. “Then I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I pulverized and stamped them as the mire of the streets. “You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people; You have kept me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me. “Foreigners cower before me; As soon as they hear, they obey me. “Foreigners fade away, And come trembling out of their fortresses. “Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock; And let God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high, The God who executes vengeance for me, And brings down peoples under me, Who also brings me out from my enemies; You even lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man. “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name. “He gives great salvation to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his seed forever.”

~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. “The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men as a righteous one, Who rules in the fear of God, Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, From brightness of the sun after rain.’ With the tender grass springing from the earth, Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow? “But the vile men, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand; But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire where they sit.” These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David when they reproached the Philistines who were gathered together there to battle and the men of Israel had gone up to retreat. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and Yahweh brought about a great salvation that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain. Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a portion of the field full of lentils; and the people fled from before the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of that portion and delivered it and struck down the Philistines. So Yahweh brought about a great salvation. Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the fortress, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. Then David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and carried it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, he was not willing to drink it, but poured it out to Yahweh; and he said, “Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did. Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred who were slain by him; and he had a name as well as the three. Of the thirty he was most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three. Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. He had also struck down an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard. Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ And again the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” So the king said to Joab the commander of the military force who was with him, “Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and take a census of the people, that I may know the total count of the people.” But Joab said to the king, “Now may Yahweh your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” Nevertheless, the king’s word stood strong against Joab and against the commanders of the military force. So Joab and the commanders of the military force went out from the presence of the king to take a census of the people of Israel. And they crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer. Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon, and came to the fortified city of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba. So they had gone about through the whole land, and they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. And Joab gave the total count of the census of the people to the king; and there were in Israel 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000 men. Then David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. So David said to Yahweh, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Yahweh, please take away the iniquity of Your slave, for I have acted very foolishly.” Then David arose in the morning, and the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, “Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do that to you.” ’ ” So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your adversaries while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now, know and see what word I should return to Him who sent me.” Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of Yahweh, for His compassions are abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.” So Yahweh sent a pestilence against Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and 70,000 men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. Then the angel sent forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, and Yahweh relented of the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Then David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done unrighteousness; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and my father’s house.” So Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up according to the word of Gad, just as Yahweh had commanded. And Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king. Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to Yahweh, that the plague may be checked from being upon the people.” And Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. “Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.” However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. Then David built there an altar to Yahweh and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus Yahweh was moved by the entreaty for the land, and the plague was checked from being upon Israel.