2 Kingdoms

 

Chapter 1

 

1 And it came to pass, after Saul had died, that David also returned from smiting Amalek, and David remained in Sekelak two days.

 

2 And it happened on the third day that behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul, and his garments were torn, and there was earth upon his head; and it came to pass, when he came in to David, that he fell to the ground and did obeisance to him.

 

3 And David said to him, "Whence do you come?" And he said to him, "From the camp of Israel have I escaped."

 

4 And David said to him, "What is this matter? Report it to me." And he said, "The people fled from the battle, and many of the people have fallen and died; and Saul also died, and Jonathan his son died."

 

5 And David said to the young man who was reporting to him, "How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?"

 

6 And the young man who was reporting to him said, "By chance I happened to be on Mount Gelboue, and behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and behold, the chariots and the cavalry commanders were closing in upon him.

 

7 And he looked behind him and saw me and called me, and I said, 'Here am I.'

 

8 And he said to me, 'Who are you?' And I said, 'I am an Amalekite.'

 

9 And he said to me, 'Stand, then, over me and put me to death, for a dreadful darkness has seized me, for all my life is still in me.'

 

10 And I stood over him and put him to death, for I knew that he would not live after his falling; and I took the crown that was upon his head and the armlet that was upon his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord."

 

11 And David took hold of his garments and tore them, and all the men who were with him tore their garments.

 

12 And they beat their breasts and wept and fasted until evening over Saul and over Jonathan his son and over the people of Judah and over the house of Israel, because they had been struck down by the sword.

 

13 And David said to the young man who was reporting to him, "Whence are you?" And he said, "I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite."

 

14 And David said to him, "How were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord?"

 

15 And David called one of his young men and said, "Go up and fall upon him"; and he struck him, and he died.

 

16 And David said to him, "Your blood be upon your own head, for your own mouth answered against you, saying, 'I put to death the anointed of the Lord.'"

 

17 And David lamented this lament over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18and he gave orders to teach it to the sons of Judah — behold, it is written in the Book of the Upright:

 

19 Set up a monument, O Israel, for the dead, for those slain upon your heights. How are the mighty fallen!

 

20 Do not report it in Geth, and do not proclaim it as good news in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the foreigners rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.

 

21 O mountains in Gelboue, let no dew nor rain come down upon you, nor fields of first fruits, for there the shield of the mighty was cast away in loathing; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.

 

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back empty, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

 

23 Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and beautiful, not parted; comely in their life, and in their death they were not parted; swifter than eagles, and stronger than lions.

 

24 Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with your ornaments, who put golden ornament upon your garments.

 

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, slain upon your heights!

 

26 I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan; you were exceedingly beautiful to me; your love for me was more wonderful than the love of women.

 

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! 

  

Chapter 2

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." And David said, "Where shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron."

 

2 And David went up there to Hebron, and both his wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,

 

3 and the men who were with him, each with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

 

4 And the men of Judea came and anointed David there to reign over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabesh of Gilead have buried Saul."

 

5 And David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabesh of Gilead and said to them, "Blessed be you of the Lord, because you have done this mercy toward your lord, toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and have buried him and Jonathan his son.

 

6 And now may the Lord show mercy and truth to you, and I also will do you this good, because you have done this thing.

 

7 And now let your hands be strengthened, and become mighty sons, for your lord Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Judah has anointed me king over themselves."

 

8 And Abner son of Ner, commander-in-chief of Saul, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him up from the camp to Mahanaim,

 

9 and made him king over Gilead and over Thasiri and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.

 

10 Ishbosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years, except over the house of Judah, who followed David.

 

11 And the days that David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah were seven years and six months.

 

12 And Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon;

 

13 and Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out from Hebron and met them together at the spring of Gibeon, and these sat down on one side of the spring of Gibeon and those on the other side of the spring.

 

14 And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and play before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."

 

15 And they arose and passed over by number: twelve of the servants of Benjamin, of Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

 

16 And each seized with his hand the head of his neighbor, and his sword was in the side of his neighbor, and they fell down together; and the name of that place was called the Portion of the Plotters, which is in Gibeon.

 

17 And the battle was exceedingly severe on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

 

18 And there were there three sons of Zeruiah: Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was light on his feet, like a gazelle in the field.

 

19 And Asahel pursued after Abner, and did not turn aside from going to the right or to the left behind Abner.

 

20 And Abner looked behind him and said, "Are you Asahel himself?" And he said, "I am."

 

21 And Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left, and seize for yourself one of the young men and take for yourself his armor." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

 

22 And Abner spoke yet again to Asahel, saying, "Get away from me, lest I strike you to the ground; and how could I lift up my face to Joab? And where is all this? Return to Joab your brother."

 

23 But he refused to turn away. And Abner struck him with the butt end of the spear in the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he fell there and died on the spot. And it came to pass that everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stopped.

 

24 And Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner; and the sun was setting, and they came as far as the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah, by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

 

25 And the sons of Benjamin who followed Abner gathered together, and they became one band, and stood on the top of one hill.

 

26 And Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour to victory? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the end? And how long will you not tell the people to turn back from following our brothers?"

 

27 And Joab said, "As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, then surely from the morning the people would have gone up, each after his brother."

 

28 And Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people turned back and did not pursue after Israel, and they did not continue to fight any more.

 

29 And Abner and his men went away westward all that night, and they crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole adjoining region and came to the camp.

 

30 And Joab returned from following Abner and gathered all the people together, and there were counted of the servants of David nineteen men and Asahel.

 

31 And the servants of David struck down of the sons of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men of his.

 

32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab and the men who were with him went all night, and dawn broke upon them at Hebron. 

  

Chapter 3

 

1 And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David went on and grew strong, and the house of Saul went on and grew weak.

 

2 And sons were born to David in Hebron, and his firstborn was Amnon, of Achinoom the Iezraelite,

 

3 and his second Dalouia, of Abigaia the Carmelite, and the third Abessalom, son of Maacha daughter of Tholmi king of Gesir,

 

4 and the fourth Ornia, son of Phengith, and the fifth Sabatia, of Abital,

 

5 and the sixth Ietheraam, of Aigla, David's wife; these were born to David in Hebron.

 

6 And it came to pass, while the war was between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abenner held the power over the house of Saul.

 

7 And Saul had a concubine, Respha daughter of Ial; and Memphibosthe son of Saul said to Abenner, "Why is it that you went in to my father's concubine?"

 

8 And Abenner was exceedingly angry at the word of Memphibosthe, and Abenner said to him, "Am I a dog's head? I have shown mercy today toward the house of Saul your father, and toward his brothers and acquaintances, and I have not deserted to the house of David; and do you seek against me today concerning a wrong about a woman?

 

9 May God do thus to Abenner and thus add to him, for just as the Lord swore to David, so will I do for him on this day:

 

10 to take away the kingdom from the house of Saul and to raise up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan as far as Bersabee."

 

11 And Memphibosthe could no longer answer Abenner a word, out of fear of him.

 

12 And Abenner sent messengers to David at Thailam, where he was at that moment, saying, "Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand is with you, to turn all the house of Israel to you."

 

13 And David said, "I will indeed make a covenant with you; only one thing I ask of you, saying, You shall not see my face unless you bring Melchol, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

 

14 And David sent messengers to Memphibosthe son of Saul, saying, "Give back to me my wife Melchol, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of foreigners."

 

15 And Memphibosthe sent and took her from her husband, from Phaltiel son of Selles.

 

16 And her husband went with her, weeping behind her as far as Barakim; and Abenner said to him, "Go, turn back." And he turned back.

 

17 And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, "Yesterday and the day before you were seeking David to be king over you;

 

18 and now do it, for the Lord has spoken concerning David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save Israel from the hand of the foreigners and from the hand of all their enemies."

 

19 And Abenner spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abenner went to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that had pleased the eyes of Israel and the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

 

20 And Abenner came to David in Hebron, and with him twenty men. And David made a drinking feast for Abenner and for the men who were with him.

 

21 And Abenner said to David, "I will arise now and go and gather together to my lord the king all Israel, and I will make a covenant with you, and you shall be king over all that your soul desires." And David sent Abenner away, and he went in peace.

 

22 And behold, the servants of David and Joab came in from the expedition, and they brought much spoil with them; and Abenner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away and he had departed in peace.

 

23 And Joab and all his army were brought in, and it was reported to Joab, saying, "Abenner son of Ner has come to David, and he has sent him away, and he has departed in peace."

 

24 And Joab went in to the king and said, "What is this you have done? Behold, Abenner came to you; and why have you sent him away, and he has departed in peace?

 

25 Do you not know the wickedness of Abenner son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do?"

 

26 And Joab turned back from David and sent messengers after Abenner, and they bring him back from the well of Seiram; and David did not know it.

 

27 And Abenner returned to Hebron, and Joab turned him aside to the side of the gate to speak with him, lying in ambush, and he struck him there in the loin, and he died for the blood of Asael, Joab's brother.

 

28 And David heard of it afterward and said, "I am innocent, I and my kingdom, before the Lord forever, of the blood of Abenner son of Ner;

 

29 let it come down upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house, and may there never fail from the house of Joab one with a discharge, and a leper, and one leaning on a staff, and one falling by the sword, and one lacking bread."

 

30 But Joab and Abessa his brother had been watching closely for Abenner, because he had put to death Asael their brother at Gabaon in the battle.

 

31 And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your garments and gird yourselves with sackcloth and beat your breasts before Abenner"; and King David walked behind the bier.

 

32 And they bury Abenner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at his grave, and all the people wept over Abenner.

 

33 And the king raised a dirge over Abenner and said, "Shall Abenner die after the death of Nabal?

 

34 Your hands were not bound, your feet not in fetters; he did not draw near as Nabal did; before sons of iniquity you fell." And all the people gathered to weep for him.

 

35 And all the people came to give David a funeral meal of bread while it was still day, and David swore, saying, "May God do thus to me and thus add, if before the sun sets I taste bread or anything at all."

 

36 And all the people knew it, and all that the king did before the people was pleasing in their sight.

 

37 And all the people and all Israel knew on that day that it had not come from the king to put Abenner son of Ner to death.

 

38 And the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel?

 

39 And that I am today a kinsman and one appointed by a king, but these men, the sons of Sarouia, are harder than I; may the Lord repay the doer of evil according to his wickedness." 

  

Chapter 4

 

1 And Memphibosthe the son of Saul heard that Abenner had died in Hebron, and his hands were weakened, and all the men of Israel grew faint.

 

2 And there were two men, leaders of bands, belonging to Memphibosthe the son of Saul: the name of the one was Baana and the name of the second Rechab, sons of Remmon the Berothite, of the sons of Benjamin; for Beroth was reckoned to the sons of Benjamin,

 

3 and the Berothites fled to Geththaim and have been sojourning there until this day.

 

4 And Jonathan the son of Saul had a son crippled in his feet; this one was five years old when the report of Saul and of Jonathan his son came from Jezrael, and his nurse took him up and fled, and it came to pass, as she hurried and withdrew, that he fell and was made lame; and his name was Memphibosthe.

 

5 And the sons of Remmon the Berothite, Rekcha and Baana, went and entered in the heat of the day into the house of Memphibosthe, and he was sleeping on the bed at midday.

 

6 And behold, the doorkeeper of the house was cleaning wheat, and she nodded off and slept; and Rekcha and Baana the brothers slipped in unnoticed

 

7 and entered the house, and Memphibosthe was sleeping upon his bed in his bedchamber; and they struck him and put him to death and removed his head, and they took his head and went the way westward all the night.

 

8 And they brought the head of Memphibosthe to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Behold the head of Memphibosthe son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has given to my lord the king vengeance on his enemies, as this day, from Saul your enemy and from his seed."

 

9 And David answered Rekcha and Baana his brother, the sons of Remmon the Berothite, and said to them, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all affliction,

 

10 he who reported to me that Saul was dead and he was as one bringing good tidings before me, I seized him and killed him in Sekelak, to whom I ought to have given a reward for good tidings;

 

11 and now wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house upon his bed; and now I will require his blood from your hand and will utterly destroy you from the earth."

 

12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them over the spring in Hebron; and the head of Memphibosthe they buried in the tomb of Abenner son of Ner. 

  

Chapter 5

 

1 And all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said to him, "Behold, we are your bones and your flesh.

 

2 And both yesterday and the day before, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and brought them in, and the Lord said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall be a leader over Israel.'"

 

3 And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over all Israel.

 

4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years:

 

5 seven years and six months he reigned in Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years he reigned over all Israel and Judah in Jerusalem.

 

6 And David and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusite who inhabited the land. And it was said to David, "You shall not enter here," for the blind and the lame resisted, saying, "David shall not enter here."

 

7 And David captured the stronghold of Zion.

 

8 And David said on that day, "Everyone striking a Jebusite, let him attack with a dagger, both the lame and the blind and those who hate David's soul." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame shall not enter the house of the Lord."

 

9 And David dwelt in the stronghold, and it was called the city of David; and he built the city round about, from the citadel, and his own house.

 

10 And David went on advancing and growing great, and the Lord Almighty was with him.

 

11 And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a house for David.

 

12 And David knew that the Lord had prepared him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

 

13 And David took more wives and concubines from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

 

14 And these are the names of those born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua and Shobab and Nathan and Solomon,

 

15 and Ibhar and Elishua and Nepheg and Japhia,

 

16 and Elishama and Eliada and Eliphelet, 16a Samae, Jessibath, Nathan, Galamaan, Jebaar, Theesus, Elphalat, Naged, Naphek, Janatha, Leasamys, Baalimath, Eliphalath.

 

17 And the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard and went down to the stronghold.

 

18 And the Philistines arrived and gathered together in the valley of the giants.

 

19 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will you deliver them into my hands?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands."

 

20 And David came from the Upper Breaches and struck the Philistines there, and David said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies the Philistines before me, as waters break through." Therefore the name of that place was called Upper Breaches.

 

21 And they left their gods there, and David and the men with him took them. —

 

22 And the Philistines went up yet again and gathered in the valley of the giants.

 

23 And David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord said, "You shall not go up to meet them; turn away from them, and you shall come upon them near the place of weeping.

 

24 And it shall be, when you hear the sound of the rustling of the grove of weeping, then you shall go down against them, for then the Lord will go out before you to strike in the battle of the Philistines."

 

25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck the Philistines from Gibeon as far as the land of Gezer. 

  

Chapter 6

 

1 And David again gathered together every young man out of Israel, about seventy thousand.

 

2 And David arose and went, and all the people that were with him, from the rulers of Judah, in a going up, to bring up from there the ark of God, upon which was invoked the name of the Lord of the hosts who sits upon the cherubim that are upon it.

 

3 And he set the ark of the Lord upon a new wagon and took it up out of the house of Aminadab, which is on the hill; and Oza and his brothers, the sons of Aminadab, were driving the wagon

 

4 with the ark, and his brothers went before the ark.

 

5 And David and the sons of Israel were playing before the Lord on tuned instruments with might, and with songs, and with lyres, and with harps, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with pipes.

 

6 And they came as far as the threshing floor of Nodab, and Oza stretched out his hand to the ark of God to hold it fast, and he took hold of it, because the calf had pulled it aside, so as to hold it fast.

 

7 And the Lord was angered against Oza, and God struck him there, and he died there beside the ark of the Lord, before God.

 

8 And David was disheartened because the Lord had broken a breach upon Oza; and that place was called the Breach of Oza until this day.

 

9 And David feared the Lord on that day, saying, "How shall the ark of the Lord come in to me?"

 

10 And David was not willing that the ark of the covenant of the Lord should be turned aside to him into the city of David, and David turned it aside into the house of Abeddara the Gittite.

 

11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Abeddara the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed the whole house of Abeddara and all that was his.

 

12 And it was reported to King David, saying, "The Lord has blessed the house of Abeddara and all that is his, because of the ark of God." And David went and brought up the ark of the Lord from the house of Abeddara into the city of David with gladness.

 

13 And there were with them, as they carried the ark, seven choirs, and for a sacrifice a calf and a lamb.

 

14 And David struck up upon tuned instruments before the Lord, and David was clothed in a special robe.

 

15 And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet.

 

16 And it came to pass, as the ark was coming to the city of David, that Melchol the daughter of Saul peered out through the window and saw King David dancing and playing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

 

17 And they bring in the ark of the Lord and set it up in its place in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered up whole burnt offerings before the Lord, and peace offerings.

 

18 And David finished offering up the whole burnt offerings and the peace offerings, and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of the hosts.

 

19 And he distributed to all the people, to the whole host of Israel, from Dan as far as Bersabee, from man to woman, to each a cake of bread and a griddle-cake and a wafer from the pan; and all the people departed, each to his own house. —

 

20 And David returned to bless his house, and Melchol the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and blessed him and said, "How the king of Israel has been glorified today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the maidservants of his own slaves, as one of the dancers uncovers himself when he is stripped bare!"

 

21 And David said to Melchol, "Before the Lord will I dance; blessed be the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as leader over his people, over Israel; and I will play and I will dance before the Lord,

 

22 and I will uncover myself yet again in this way, and I will be worthless in your eyes and with the maidservants, among whom you said I would be glorified."

 

23 And to Melchol the daughter of Saul there was no child until the day of her death.  

 

Chapter 7

 

1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies round about,

 

2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold now, I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God sits in the midst of the tent."

 

3 And Nathan said to the king, "All that is in your heart, go and do, for the Lord is with you."

 

4 And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

 

5 "Go and say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord: You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in;

 

6 for I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day, but I was walking about in a lodging and in a tent.

 

7 In all places where I went among all Israel, did I ever speak to one tribe of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

 

8 And now thus shall you say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord Almighty: I took you from the sheepfold to be a leader over my people, over Israel,

 

9 and I was with you in all places where you went, and I destroyed all your enemies from before your face, and I made you renowned according to the name of the great ones upon the earth.

 

10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves and be anxious no more, and the son of iniquity shall no longer humble them as from the beginning,

 

11 from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies, and the Lord declares to you that you shall build a house for him.

 

12 And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, who shall be from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

 

13 He shall build me a house for my name, and I will set up his throne forever.

 

14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me; and if his iniquity comes, then I will chastise him with the rod of men and with the strokes of the sons of men;

 

15 but my mercy I will not remove from him, as I removed it from those whom I removed from before my face.

 

16 And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom forever before me, and his throne shall be set up forever."

 

17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

 

18 And King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, "Who am I, my Lord, O Lord, and what is my house, that you have loved me thus far?

 

19 And this was a small thing in your sight, my Lord, O Lord, and you have spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long time to come; and this is the law of man, my Lord, O Lord.

 

20 And what more can David say to you? And now you know your servant, my Lord, O Lord.

 

21 For your word's sake you have done it, and according to your heart you have done all this greatness, to make it known to your servant,

 

22 so that you might be magnified, my Lord, O Lord; for there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, in all that we have heard with our ears.

 

23 And what other nation on earth is like your people Israel? How God led them, to redeem for himself a people, to make yourself a name, to do greatness and manifestation, to drive out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself out of Egypt, nations and dwellings.

 

24 And you prepared for yourself your people Israel to be a people forever, and you, Lord, became their God.

 

25 And now, my Lord, O Lord, the word which you have spoken concerning your servant and his house, confirm it forever, O Lord Almighty, God of Israel; and now, as you have spoken,

 

26 may your name be magnified forever.

 

27 O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have uncovered the ear of your servant, saying, I will build you a house; therefore your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to you.

 

28 And now, my Lord, O Lord, you are God, and your words shall be true, and you have spoken these good things concerning your servant.

 

29 And now begin and bless the house of your servant, that it may be before you forever; for you, my Lord, O Lord, have spoken, and by your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever." 

  

Chapter 8

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that David struck the Philistines and put them to flight; and David took the tribute city out of the hand of the Philistines.

 

2 And David struck Moab, and measured them with cords, making them lie down on the ground; and there were two cords for putting to death, and two cords he kept alive. And Moab became servants to David, bringing gifts.

 

3 And David struck Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he was going to establish his hand over the river Euphrates.

 

4 And David seized from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, and reserved of them a hundred chariots.

 

5 And Syria of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David struck down among the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.

 

6 And David set a garrison in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, bringing gifts. And the Lord saved David in all places wherever he went.

 

7 And David took the golden bracelets that were on the servants of Hadadezer king of Zobah, and brought them to Jerusalem; and Shishak king of Egypt took them when he went up to Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam son of Solomon.

 

8 And from Masbak, from the choice cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze; with it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the lavers and all the vessels.

 

9 And Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the force of Hadadezer,

 

10 and Toi sent Joram his son to King David to ask him of things pertaining to peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him, for he was an adversary to Hadadezer; and in his hands were vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of bronze.

 

11 And these King David consecrated to the Lord, together with the silver and the gold which he had consecrated from all the cities which he had subdued,

 

12 from Idumea and from Moab and from the sons of Ammon and from the Philistines and from Amalek and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

 

13 And David made a name for himself; and when he returned, he struck Idumea in Gaimele, eighteen thousand.

 

14 And he set a garrison in Idumea, in all Idumea, and all the Idumeans became servants to the king. And the Lord saved David in all places wherever he went.

 

15 And David reigned over Israel, and David executed judgment and righteousness over all his people.

 

16 And Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was over the records,

 

17 and Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests, and Asa was the scribe,

 

18 and Benaiah son of Jehoiada was counselor, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chiefs of the court. 

  

Chapter 9

 

1 And David said, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

 

2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul, and his 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."

 

3 And the king said, "Is there yet a man left of the house of Saul, that I may show him the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan, crippled in his feet."

 

4 And the king said, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar."

 

5 And King David sent and took him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

 

6 And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to King David and fell on his face and did obeisance to him. And David said to him, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Behold, your servant."

 

7 And David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul, your father's father, and you shall eat bread at my table continually."

 

8 And Mephibosheth did obeisance and said, "Who am I, your servant, that you have looked upon a dead dog such as I?"

 

9 And the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to the son of your lord.

 

10 And you shall work the land for him, you and your sons and your servants, and you shall bring in bread for the son of your lord, and he shall eat it; and Mephibosheth, the son of your lord, shall eat bread continually at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

 

11 And Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall your servant do." And Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons.

 

12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, and his name was Mica. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth.

 

13 And Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table; and he was lame in both his feet. 

  

Chapter 10

 

1 And it came to pass after these things that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

 

2 And David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

 

3 And the rulers of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, "Is it to honor your father in your sight that David has sent comforters to you? Is it not rather so that they may search out the city and spy on it and examine it that David has sent his servants to you?"

 

4 And Hanun took David's servants and shaved off their beards and cut off their garments in the middle, up to their hips, and sent them away.

 

5 And they told David about the men, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored; and the king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow, and then you shall return."

 

6 And the sons of Ammon saw that the people of David were put to shame, and the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and Ish-tob, twelve thousand men.

 

7 And David heard of it, and sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men.

 

8 And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the gate, while the Syrians of Zobah and Rehob and Ish-tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

 

9 And Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and behind, and he chose from all the young men of Israel, and they drew up in line against the Syrians.

 

10 And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they drew up in line against the sons of Ammon.

 

11 And he said, "If the Syrians prevail over me, then you shall be my deliverance; and if the sons of Ammon prevail over you, then we shall come to save you.

 

12 Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes."

 

13 And Joab and the people with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

 

14 And the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, and they fled before Abishai and entered the city. And Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and they came to Jerusalem.

 

15 And the Syrians saw that they had been defeated before Israel, and they gathered themselves together.

 

16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians from beyond the river Chalamak, and they came to Helam; and Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, was at their head.

 

17 And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and they came to Helam; and the Syrians drew up against David and fought with him.

 

18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Syrians seven hundred chariots and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck Shobach, the commander of his army, and he died there.

 

19 And all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated before Israel, and they went over to Israel and served them. And the Syrians were afraid to save the sons of Ammon any more. 

  

Chapter 11

 

1 And it came to pass, when the year had come round, at the season when kings go forth, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they ravaged the sons of Ammon and sat down before Rabbath; but David remained in Jerusalem.

 

2 And it came to pass toward evening that David rose from his bed and was walking about upon the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.

 

3 And David sent and inquired about the woman, and he said, "Is not this Bersabee, daughter of Eliab, wife of Ourias the Chettite?"

 

4 And David sent messengers and took her, and she came in to him, and he lay with her and she was purifying herself from her uncleanness—and she returned to her house.

 

5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David and said, "It is I—I am with child."

 

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, "Send to me Ourias the Chettite"; and Joab sent Ourias to David.

 

7 And Ourias arrived and came in to him, and David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the welfare of the people and the welfare of the war.

 

8 And David said to Ourias, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Ourias went out from the king's house, and there went out after him a present from the king.

 

9 And Ourias slept by the door of the king with the slaves of his lord, and he did not go down to his house.

 

10 And they reported to David, saying, "Ourias did not go down to his house." And David said to Ourias, "Are you not come from a journey? Why is it that you did not go down to your house?"

 

11 And Ourias said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judas dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the slaves of my lord are encamped upon the face of the field; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? How could I? As your soul lives, I will not do this thing."

 

12 And David said to Ourias, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you off." And Ourias stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

 

13 And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk; and he went out in the evening to lie on his bed with the slaves of his lord, and to his house he did not go down.

 

14 And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Ourias.

 

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Bring Ourias in opposite the fiercest fighting, and you shall draw back from behind him, and he shall be struck down and die."

 

16 And it came to pass, while Joab was keeping watch on the city, that he set Ourias in the place where he knew that men of valor were.

 

17 And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people, of the slaves of David, and Ourias the Chettite also died.

 

18 And Joab sent and reported to the king all the accounts of the war,

 

19 and he charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the accounts of the war to the king,

 

20 then, if the king's anger rises and he says to you, 'Why is it that you drew near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from atop the wall?

 

21 Who struck down Abimelech son of Ierobaal? Did not a woman throw upon him a piece of a millstone from atop the wall, and he died in Thamasi? Why did you draw near to the wall?' Then you shall say, 'Your slave Ourias the Chettite is dead also.'"

 

22 And Joab's messenger went to the king at Jerusalem, and he arrived and reported to David all that Joab had told him, all the accounts of the war. And David was angry with Joab and said to the messenger, "Why did you draw near to the city to fight? Did you not know that you would be struck down from the wall? Who struck down Abimelech son of Ierobaal? Did not a woman throw upon him a piece of a millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? Why did you draw near to the wall?"

 

23 And the messenger said to David, "Because the men prevailed against us and came out against us into the field, and we came upon them as far as the door of the gate;

 

24 and the archers shot at your servants from atop the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and your slave Ourias the Chettite is dead also."

 

25 And David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Joab: 'Let not this matter be evil in your eyes, for the sword devours now one way and now another. Press your attack strongly against the city and tear it down and strengthen him.'"

 

26 And the wife of Ourias heard that Ourias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.

 

27 And the mourning passed, and David sent and brought her into his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done appeared evil in the eyes of the Lord. 

  

Chapter 12

 

1 And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David, and he came in to him and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and one poor.

 

2 And the rich man had very many flocks and herds,

 

3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had gotten and cherished and reared; and she grew up with him and with his sons together, she used to eat of his bread and drink from his cup and sleep in his bosom, and she was to him as a daughter.

 

4 And a traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take from his own flocks and from his own herds to prepare for the stranger, the wayfarer who had come to him, and he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared her for the man who had come to him."

 

5 And David was very greatly enraged in anger at the man, and David said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who did this is a son of death,

 

6 and he shall repay the ewe lamb sevenfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."

 

7 And Nathan said to David, "You are the man who did this. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'It was I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it was I who rescued you out of the hand of Saul,

 

8 and I gave you the house of your lord and the wives of your lord into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that is little, I will add more to you of the same sort.

 

9 Why is it that you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his eyes? Uriah the Hittite you struck down with the sword, and his wife you took to yourself as a wife, and him you killed with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

 

10 And now the sword shall not depart from your house forever, because you set me at nothing and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

 

11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I am raising up evils against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

 

12 For you acted in secret, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel and before this sun.'"

 

13 And David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall surely not die.

 

14 Only, because in provoking you have provoked the enemies of the Lord by this thing, even so your son who has been born to you shall surely die."

 

15 And Nathan went away to his house. And the Lord struck the child which the wife of Uriah bore to David, and it fell sick.

 

16 And David sought God concerning the little boy, and David fasted a fast and went in and lay through the night in sackcloth upon the ground.

 

17 And the elders of his house rose up over him to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat bread with them.

 

18 And it happened on the seventh day that the little boy died; and David's servants were afraid to tell him that the little boy was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the little boy was still alive we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice; and how shall we say to him that the little boy is dead? He will do evil."

 

19 And David perceived that his servants were whispering, and David understood that the little boy was dead; and David said to his servants, "Is the little boy dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

 

20 And David rose up from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes, and went into the house of God and did obeisance to him; and he went into his own house and asked for bread to eat, and they set bread before him, and he ate.

 

21 And his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? For the sake of the little boy, while he was still alive, you fasted and wept and kept vigil; and when the little boy died, you rose up and ate bread and have drunk."

 

22 And David said, "While the little boy was still alive I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the Lord will have mercy on me and the little boy will live?'

 

23 But now he is dead; why should I fast for this? Shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

 

24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.

 

25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Idedi, for the Lord's sake.

 

26 And Joab made war at Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.

 

27 And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have made war at Rabbath and have captured the city of waters.

 

28 And now gather the rest of the people and encamp against the city and take it first, lest I take the city first and my name be called upon it."

 

29 And David gathered all the people and went to Rabbath and made war against it and took it.

 

30 And he took the crown of Melchol their king from his head, and its weight was a talent of gold and precious stone, and it was upon David's head; and he brought out very much spoil from the city.

 

31 And the people who were in it he brought out and set them at the saw and at the iron threshing-sledges, and he made them pass through the brickkiln; and thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 

  

Chapter 13

 

1 And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, very fair in appearance, and her name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.

 

2 And Amnon was distressed even to sickness because of Tamar his sister, for she was a virgin, and it seemed too great a thing in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.

 

3 And Amnon had a companion, and his name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very clever man.

 

4 And he said to him, "What is the matter with you, that you are so weak, O son of the king, morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" And Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, the sister of Absalom my brother."

 

5 And Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill, and your father will come in to see you, and you shall say to him, 'Let Tamar my sister come, please, and feed me, and let her prepare food before my eyes, so that I may see it and eat from her hands.'"

 

6 And Amnon lay down and feigned sickness, and the king came in to see him, and Amnon said to the king, "Let Tamar my sister come to me, please, and make two cakes before my eyes, and I will eat from her hand."

 

7 And David sent to Tamar at the house, saying, "Go, please, to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare food for him."

 

8 And Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, and he was lying down. And she took the dough and kneaded it and made cakes before his eyes and baked the cakes;

 

9 and she took the pan and emptied it before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send every man out from my presence"; and they sent every man out from his presence.

 

10 And Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, and I will eat from your hand." And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother into the bedroom,

 

11 and she brought them near for him to eat, and he seized her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

 

12 And she said to him, "No, my brother, do not humiliate me, for such a thing shall not be done in Israel; do not commit this folly.

 

13 And I, where shall I carry my disgrace? And you will be like one of the fools in Israel. And now, speak, please, to the king, for he will not withhold me from you."

 

14 But Amnon would not listen to her voice, and he prevailed over her and humiliated her and lay with her.

 

15 And Amnon hated her with an exceedingly 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 and go."

 

16 And Tamar said to him, "No, my brother, for this last evil is greater than the first that you did with me, to send me away." But Amnon would not listen to her voice.

 

17 And he called his servant who was in charge of his house and said to him, "Send this woman out from my presence, and bolt the door behind her."

 

18 Now she was wearing a long-sleeved tunic, for thus the virgin daughters of the king clothed themselves in their outer garments; and his attendant brought her outside and bolted the door behind her.

 

19 And Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved tunic that was on her, and she put her hands on her head and went along, walking and crying out.

 

20 And Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now then, my sister, keep silent, for he is your brother; do not set your heart on speaking about this matter." So Tamar dwelt desolate in the house of Absalom her brother.

 

21 And King David heard all these things and was exceedingly angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of Amnon his son, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.

 

22 And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither evil nor good, for Absalom hated Amnon on account of the fact that he had humiliated Tamar his sister.

 

23 And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had shearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the sons of the king.

 

24 And Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold now, your servant has shearers; let the king, please, and his servants go with your servant."

 

25 And the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be a burden to you." And he pressed him, but he would not go, and he blessed him.

 

26 And Absalom said, "If not, then let Amnon my brother go with us, please." And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

 

27 And Absalom pressed him, and he sent Amnon with him and all the sons of the king. And Absalom made a feast like the feast of the king.

 

28 And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Watch when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; is it not I who command you? Be courageous and be sons of valor."

 

29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded them. And all the sons of the king arose, and each man mounted his mule and fled.

 

30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that the report came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king, and not one of them is left."

 

31 And the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants who were standing around him tore their garments.

 

32 And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, "Let not my lord the king say that they have killed all the young men, the sons of the king, for Amnon alone is dead; for it had been determined by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he humiliated Tamar his sister.

 

33 And now let not my lord the king take the matter to his heart, saying, 'All the sons of the king are dead,' for only Amnon alone is dead."

 

34 And Absalom fled. And the young man, the watchman, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming on the road behind him from the side of the mountain on the descent; and the watchman came and told the king and said, "I have seen men from the road of Horonaim, from the side of the mountain."

 

35 And Jonadab said to the king, "Behold, the sons of the king have arrived; according to the word of your servant, so it has happened."

 

36 And it came to pass, when he had finished speaking, that behold, the sons of the king came and lifted up their voices and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept with an exceedingly great weeping.

 

37 And Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, to the land of Machad. And King David mourned for his son all the days.

 

38 And Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years.

 

39 And the spirit of the king ceased from going out after Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead. 

  

Chapter 14

 

1 And Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the heart of the king was toward Absalom.

 

2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman, and said to her, "Mourn now, and put on garments of mourning, and do not anoint yourself with oil, and you shall be as a woman mourning over one who has died for many days.

 

3 And you shall come to the king and speak to him according to this word." And Joab put the words in her mouth.

 

4 And the Tekoite woman came in to the king and fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance to him, and said, "Save me, O king, save me!"

 

5 And the king said to her, "What is the matter with you?" And she said, "Indeed I am a widow woman, and my husband has died.

 

6 And your servant had two sons, and they both fought in the field, and there was no one to part them, and the one struck his brother and put him to death.

 

7 And behold, the whole family has risen up against your servant and said, 'Give up the one who struck his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and we will destroy even your heir.' And they will quench my coal that is left, so as not to leave for my husband a remnant and a name on the face of the earth."

 

8 And the king said, "Go in health to your house, and I will give orders concerning you."

 

9 And the Tekoite woman said to the king, "Upon me, my lord the king, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father; and the king and his throne be guiltless."

 

10 And the king said, "Who is it that speaks to you? Bring him to me, and he shall not touch him any more."

 

11 And she said, "Let the king now remember the Lord his God, that the avenger of blood may not be multiplied to destroy, and they shall by no means destroy my son." And he said, "As the Lord lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

 

12 And the woman said, "Let your servant now speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak."

 

13 And the woman said, "Why have you devised such a thing against the people of God? Or is this word from the mouth of the king as a trespass, in that the king does not bring back his banished one?

 

14 For we shall surely die, and be as water poured out upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up; and God will take a life, even devising to thrust out from him the one thrust out.

 

15 And now, that which I came to speak to the king my lord—this word—is because the people will see me, and your servant said, 'Let me now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the word of his servant;

 

16 for the king will hear, so as to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who seeks to destroy me and my son from the inheritance of God.'"

 

17 And the woman said, "Let the word of my lord the king now be as a sacrifice; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to hear good and evil; and the Lord your God shall be with you."

 

18 And the king answered and said to the woman, "Do not hide from me the thing that I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

 

19 And the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman said to the king, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, there is no turning to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab, he himself commanded me, and he himself put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

 

20 In order to change the face of this matter your servant Joab did this thing; and my lord is wise, as is the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."

 

21 And the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I have done for you according to this word of yours; go, bring back the young man Absalom."

 

22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and did obeisance and blessed the king, and Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, for my lord the king has performed the word of his servant."

 

23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

 

24 And the king said, "Let him return to his own house, and let him not see my face." And Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the face of the king. — 25 And there was no man in all Israel as praiseworthy as Absalom: from the sole of his foot even to his crown there was no blemish in him.

 

26 And when he cut the hair of his head—and it happened from the beginning of days at set times, whenever he cut it, because it was heavy upon him and when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels by the royal shekel.

 

27 And there were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Tamar; she was a very beautiful woman, and she became the wife of Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and bore to him Abijah.

 

28 And Absalom dwelt in Jerusalem two full years, and did not see the face of the king.

 

29 And Absalom sent to Joab, to send him to the king, and he would not come to him; and he sent a second time to him, and he would not come.

 

30 And Absalom said to his servants, "See, Joab's portion in the field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." And the servants of Absalom set it on fire. And the servants of Joab came to him with their garments torn, and said, "The servants of Absalom have burned the portion with fire."

 

31 And Joab arose and came to Absalom into the house and said to him, "Why have your servants burned my portion with fire?"

 

32 And Absalom said to Joab, "Behold, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, and I will send you to the king, saying, Why did I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to be there still.' And now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death."

 

33 And Joab went in to the king and told him; and he called Absalom, and he went in to the king and did obeisance to him and fell on his face to the ground before the face of the king; and the king kissed Absalom. 

  

Chapter 15

 

1 And it happened after these things that Abessalom made for himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

 

2 And Abessalom rose early and stood beside the way of the gate, and it happened that every man who had a suit came to the king for judgment, and Abessalom cried out to him and said to him, "From what city are you?" And the man said, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."

 

3 And Abessalom said to him, "Look, your words are good and straightforward, but there is no one to give you a hearing from the king."

 

4 And Abessalom said, "Who will appoint me judge in the land, and every man who has a dispute and a suit shall come to me, and I will give him justice?"

 

5 And it happened, when a man drew near to do obeisance to him, that he would stretch out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

 

6 And Abessalom did in this manner to all Israel, to those who came for judgment before the king, and Abessalom made his own the heart of the men of Israel.

 

7 And it happened at the end of forty years that Abessalom said to his father, "Let me go, please, and pay my vows which I vowed to the Lord, in Chebron;

 

8 for your servant vowed a vow while I dwelt in Gedsour in Syria, saying, 'If the Lord indeed brings me back to Ierousalem, then I will serve the Lord.'"

 

9 And the king said to him, "Go in peace." And he rose up and went to Chebron.

 

10 And Abessalom sent out spies among all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the horn, then you shall say, 'Abessalom has become king in Chebron.'"

 

11 And with Abessalom there went two hundred men from Ierousalem who had been invited, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing of the matter.

 

12 And Abessalom sent and summoned Achitophel the Gelmonite, David's counselor, from his city, from Gola, while he was sacrificing. And the conspiracy became strong, and the people going with Abessalom were many.

 

13 And the one bringing the report came to David, saying, "The heart of the men of Israel has gone after Abessalom."

 

14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Ierousalem, "Rise up, and let us flee, for there is no deliverance for us from the presence of Abessalom. Make haste to go, lest he make haste and overtake us and thrust evil upon us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

 

15And the king's servants said to the king, "According to all that our lord the king chooses—behold, your servants."

 

16 And the king went out, and all his household, on foot; and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

 

17 And the king went out, and all his servants on foot, and they halted at the house that was far off.

 

18 And all his servants passed by beside him, and all the Chetti and all the Pheletthi, and they halted by the olive tree in the wilderness; and all the people passed along keeping close to him, and all those around him, and all the mighty men and all the warriors, six hundred men, and they were present at his side; and all the Cheretthi and all the Pheletthi and all the Geththites, six hundred men who had come on foot from Geth, marching before the king.

 

19 And the king said to Eththi the Geththite, "Why do you also go with us? Turn back and dwell with the king, for you are a foreigner, and because you have migrated from your own place.

 

20 If you arrived yesterday, shall I today move you along with us, and shall you indeed depart from your place? Yesterday was your going forth, and today shall I move you along with us to go? And I shall go wherever I may go. Turn back, and take your brothers back with you, and the Lord will deal with you in mercy and truth."

 

21 And Eththi answered the king and said, "As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place my lord may be, whether for death or for life, there your servant will be."

 

22 And the king said to Eththi, "Come and cross over with me." And Eththi the Geththite passed by, and all his servants and all the multitude that was with him.

 

23 And all the land was weeping with a loud voice. And all the people were passing along in the wadi Kedron, and the king crossed the wadi Kedron; and all the people and the king were passing along toward the road to the wilderness.

 

24 And behold, Sadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baithar; and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had finished passing out of the city.

 

25 And the king said to Sadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, then he will bring me back and will show me it and its comeliness.

 

26 But if he should say thus, 'I have taken no pleasure in you,' behold, here I am; let him do to me according to what is good in his eyes."

 

27 And the king said to Sadok the priest, "See, you are returning to the city in peace, and Achimaas your son and Ionathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons, with you.

 

28 See, I am waiting in Araboth of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me."

 

29 So Sadok and Abiathar took the ark back to Ierousalem, and it remained there.

 

30 And David went up by the ascent of the olive trees, going up and weeping, with his head covered, and he himself went barefoot; and all the people who were with him, each man covered his head, and they went up, going up and weeping.

 

31 And it was reported to David, saying, "Achitophel too is among those conspiring with Abessalom." And David said, "Frustrate, please, the counsel of Achitophel, O Lord my God."

 

32 And David was coming as far as Roos, where he did obeisance there to God, and behold, Chousi the Archi, David's companion, came to meet him, with his tunic torn and earth upon his head.

 

33 And David said to him, "If you cross over with me, then you will be a burden upon me;

 

34 but if you return to the city and say to Abessalom, 'Your brothers have passed by, and the king your father has passed by behind me, and now I am your servant, O king; let me live, I was your father's servant then and just now, and now I am your slave', then you will frustrate for me the counsel of Achitophel.

 

35 And behold, Sadok and Abiathar the priests are with you there, and it shall be that every word which you hear from the king's house you shall report to Sadok and Abiathar the priests.

 

36 Behold, their two sons are there with them, Achimaas son of Sadok and Ionathan son of Abiathar, and you shall send by their hand to me every word which you hear."

 

37 And Chousi, David's companion, entered the city, and Abessalom was entering into Ierousalem. 

  

Chapter 16

 

1 And David passed on a little way from Ros, and behold, Siba the servant of Memphibosthe came to meet him, with a pair of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred clusters of raisins and a hundred dates and a skin of wine.

 

2 And the king said to Siba, "What do you mean by these?" And Siba said, "The beasts of burden are for the king's household to ride on, and the loaves and the dates are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink."

 

3 And the king said, "And where is your master's son?" And Siba said to the king, "Behold, he is sitting in Jerusalem, for he said, 'Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.'"

 

4 And the king said to Siba, "Behold, all that belongs to Memphibosthe is yours." And Siba, bowing down, said, "May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king." —

 

5 And King David came as far as Baurim; and behold, a man came out from there of the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Semei son of Gera; he came out, going along and cursing

 

6 and throwing stones at David and all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on the right and on the left of the king.

 

7 And thus Semei said as he cursed him, "Get out, get out, you man of blood and lawless man!

 

8 The Lord has returned upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, because you reigned in his place, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom your son; and behold, you are caught in your own evil, for you are a man of blood."

 

9 And Abessa son of Sarouia said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and take off his head."

 

10 And the king said, "What have I to do with you, sons of Sarouia? Leave him alone, and let him curse thus, for the Lord has told him to curse David, and who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"

 

11 And David said to Abessa and to all his servants, "Behold, my son, who came forth from my belly, seeks my life, and how much more now this son of the Benjaminite; leave him alone to curse, for the Lord has told him;

 

12 perhaps the Lord will look upon my humiliation and will return good to me instead of his curse this day."

 

13 And David and his men went on the way, and Semei went along the side of the hill beside him, going along and cursing and throwing stones from beside him and flinging dust.

 

14 And the king and all his people came, exhausted, and they refreshed themselves there.

 

15 And Abessalom and every man of Israel entered Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.

 

16 And it came to pass, when Chousi the Archite, David's friend, came to Abessalom, that Chousi said to Abessalom, "Long live the king!"

 

17 And Abessalom said to Chousi, "Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go away with your friend?"

 

18 And Chousi said to Abessalom, "No; but I will follow him whom the Lord has chosen, and this people, and every man of Israel—his I will be, and with him I will remain;

 

19 and secondly, whom should I serve? Should it not be in the presence of his son? Just as I served in the presence of your father, so I will be in your presence."

 

20 And Abessalom said to Achitophel, "Take counsel among yourselves as to what we should do."

 

21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he left to keep his house, and all Israel will hear that you have disgraced your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened."

 

22 And they pitched the tent for Abessalom on the roof, and Abessalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

 

23 And the counsel of Achitophel, which he counseled in the former days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Achitophel, both to David and also to Abessalom.

  

Chapter 17

 

1 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night;

 

2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak of hands, and I will throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike down the king all alone;

 

3 and I will bring back all the people to you, as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people shall have peace."

 

4 And the word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

 

5 And Absalom said, "Call now also Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what is in his mouth, even his also."

 

6 And Hushai came in to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him, saying, "Ahithophel has spoken according to this word; shall we do according to his word? If not, speak yourself."

 

7 And Hushai said to Absalom, "This counsel which Ahithophel has counseled this time is not good."

 

8 And Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are very mighty and exceedingly bitter in their soul, like a bear bereft of her cubs in the field and like a fierce boar in the plain; and your father is a man of war, and he will not let the people rest.

 

9 For behold, he is now hidden in one of the hills or in one of the places; and it will be, when he falls upon them at the first, that whoever hears of it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom,'

 

10 and even he who is a son of might, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is mighty, and those with him are sons of might.

 

11 Therefore I counsel thus: let all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is upon the sea in multitude, and let your own presence go in their midst;

 

12 and we will come upon him in one of the places where we find him, and we will encamp against him as the dew falls upon the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave even one.

 

13 And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall take ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the ravine, so that not even a stone may be left there."

 

14 And Absalom and every man of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the Lord had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring all the evils upon Absalom.

 

15 And Hushai the Archite said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.

 

16

Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not lodge this night in the plains of the wilderness, but by all means cross over in haste, lest the king and all the people with him be swallowed up.'"

 

17 And Jonathan and Ahimaaz were standing at the spring of Rogel; and the maidservant went and told them, and they go and tell King David, for they could not be seen entering the city.

 

18 But a lad saw them and told Absalom; and the two went quickly and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and he had a cistern in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

 

19 And the woman took and spread the covering over the mouth of the cistern and dried grain upon it, and nothing was known.

 

20 And the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house and said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They passed on a little beyond the water." And they searched and did not find them, and returned to Jerusalem.

 

21 And it came to pass, after they had gone away, that they came up out of the cistern and went and told King David, and said to David, "Arise and cross the water quickly, for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you."

 

22 And David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan until the morning light; not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.

 

23 And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not carried out, and he saddled his donkey and arose and went away to his house, to his city; and he gave orders to his household and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

 

24 And David crossed over to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and every man of Israel with him.

 

25 And Absalom set Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jether the Israelite, who had gone in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.

 

26 And all Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

 

27 And it came to pass, when David came to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,

 

28 brought ten beds and double-sided rugs and ten kettles and earthenware vessels, and wheat and barley and flour and parched grain and beans and lentils,

 

29 and honey and butter and sheep and cheese of the herd, and they brought them to David and to the people with him to eat; for they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness." 

  

Chapter 18

 

1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and he set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

 

2 And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third under the hand of Abessa the son of Sarouia, Joab's brother, and a third under the hand of Eththi the Geththite. And David said to the people, "I too will surely go out with you."

 

3 And they said, "You shall not go out; for if we should flee in flight, they will not set their heart upon us, and if half of us should die, they will not set their heart upon us, for you are as ten thousand of us; and now it is good that you be to us in the city a help to help us."

 

4 And the king said to them, "Whatever is pleasing in your eyes, I will do." And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

 

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Eththi, saying, "Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom." And all the people heard the king commanding all the commanders concerning Abessalom.

 

6 And all the people went out into the forest opposite Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

 

7 And the people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter was great on that day, twenty thousand men.

 

8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more of the people than those whom the sword devoured among the people on that day.

 

9 And Abessalom met the servants of David, and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule went under the thicket of the great oak, and his head was caught in the oak, and he was hung between heaven and earth, and the mule under him passed on.

 

10 And a certain man saw it and told Joab and said, "Behold, I have seen Abessalom hanging in the oak."

 

11 And Joab said to the man who reported it, "And behold, you saw him; why did you not strike him down to the ground? And I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."

 

12 But the man said to Joab, "Even if I were weighing out into my hands a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lay my hand upon the son of the king; for in our ears the king commanded you and Abessa and Eththi, saying, 'Keep for me the young man Abessalom,'

 

13 so as not to do wrong against his life; and no matter will be hidden from the king, and you would stand aloof."

 

14 And Joab said, "I will begin this myself; I will not wait thus before you." And Joab took three darts in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was still alive in the heart of the oak.

 

15 And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded him and struck Abessalom and put him to death.

 

16 And Joab sounded the horn, and the people turned back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab spared the people.

 

17 And he took Abessalom and cast him into a great chasm in the forest, into the great pit, and he raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each man to his tent.

 

18 Now Abessalom, while still living, had set up for himself the pillar by which he was taken, and he erected it to take it, the pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "He has no son to keep his name in remembrance"; and he called the pillar the Hand of Abessalom, to this day.

 

19 And Achimaas the son of Sadok said, "Let me run now and bring the king the good news that the Lord has judged for him out of the hand of his enemies."

 

20 And Joab said to him, "You are not a man of good tidings on this day; you shall bring tidings on another day, but on this day you shall bring no tidings, because the king's son is dead."

 

21 And Joab said to Chousi, "Go, report to the king what you have seen." And Chousi did obeisance to Joab and went out.

 

22 And Achimaas the son of Sadok said yet again to Joab, "Let it be so, that I too may run after Chousi." And Joab said, "Why is it that you run, my son? Come, there is no good news for you to gain by going."

 

23 And he said, "For what if I do run?" And Joab said to him, "Run." And Achimaas ran by the way of Kechar and outran Chousi.

 

24 And David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man running alone before him.

 

25 And the watchman cried out and reported to the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth." And he kept coming on and drawing near.

 

26 And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman cried out at the gate and said, "Behold, another man running alone." And the king said, "This one also brings good news."

 

27 And the watchman said, "I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadok." And the king said, "This is a good man, and he will come with good news."

 

28 And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, "Peace." And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground; and he said, "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has shut up the men who lifted their hand against my lord the king."

 

29 And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Abessalom?" And Achimaas said, "I saw the great multitude when Joab the king's servant sent your servant, but I did not know what was there."

 

30 And the king said, "Turn aside, stand here." And he turned aside and stood.

 

31 And behold, Chousi arrived and said to the king, "Let my lord the king receive good news, for the Lord has judged for you today out of the hand of all who rose up against you."

 

32 And the king said to Chousi, "Is it well with the young man Abessalom?" And Chousi said, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rose up against him for evil, be as that young man." 

  

Chapter 19

 

1 And the king was troubled, and he went up to the upper chamber of the gate and wept; and thus he spoke as he went: My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, who would grant that I should die instead of you, I instead of you? Absalom, my son, my son!

 

2 And it was reported to Joab, saying: Behold, the king weeps and mourns over Absalom.

 

3 And the victory on that day became mourning for all the people, because the people heard on that day, saying, "The king grieves over his son";

 

4 and the people stole away on that day to enter the city, just as people steal away who are ashamed when they flee in battle.

 

5 And the king hid his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: My son Absalom, Absalom my son!

 

6 And Joab came in to the king in the house and said: Today you have shamed the face of all your servants who delivered you this day, and the life of your sons and of your daughters, and the life of your wives and of your concubines,

 

7 in loving those who hate you and hating those who love you; and you have declared today that your commanders are nothing to you, nor your servants, for I have learned today that if Absalom were alive, all of us today would be dead, because then that would have been right in your eyes.

 

8 And now arise, go out and speak to the heart of your servants; for I have sworn by the Lord that if you do not go out today, not a man will lodge with you this night; and know for yourself that this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.

 

9 And the king arose and sat in the gate, and all the people were told, saying: Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came in before the king. But Israel had fled, every man to his tents.

 

10 And all the people were disputing among all the tribes of Israel, saying: King David rescued us from all our enemies, and he himself delivered us out of the hand of the foreigners, and now he has fled from the land and from his kingdom, from Absalom;

 

11 and Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in the war; and now why are you silent about bringing the king back? And the word of all Israel came to the king.

 

12 And king David sent to Sadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying: Speak to the elders of Judah, saying: Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? And the word of all Israel came to the king.

 

13 You are my brothers, you are my bones and my flesh; and why are you the last to bring the king back to his house?

 

14 And to Amessai you shall say: Are you not my bone and my flesh? And now, may God do so to me and so add more, if you shall not be commander of the army before me all the days, in place of Joab.

 

15 And he inclined the heart of every man of Judah as of one man, and they sent to the king, saying: Return, you and all your servants.

 

16 And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan, and the men of Judah came to Galgala to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

 

17 And Semei son of Gera, son of the Benjamite, from Baourim, made haste and went down with the men of Judah to meet king David,

 

18 and a thousand men with him from Benjamin, and Siba the servant lad of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons with him and his twenty slaves with him; and they went straight over the Jordan before the king,

 

19 and they performed the service of bringing the king across, and the ferry crossed over to bring over the household of the king and to do what was right in his eyes. And Semei son of Gera fell on his face before the king as he was crossing the Jordan,

 

20 and he said to the king: Let my lord not reckon iniquity, and do not remember all the wrongs your servant did on the day when my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, so as to lay it to the king's heart;

 

21 for your slave knows that I have sinned, and behold, I have come today first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

 

22 And Abessa son of Sarouia answered and said: Shall not Semei be put to death for this, since he cursed the anointed of the Lord?

 

23 And David said: What have I to do with you, sons of Sarouia, that you become a plotter against me today? Today not one man of Israel shall be put to death, for do I not know that today I am king over Israel?

 

24 And the king said to Semei: You shall surely not die. And the king swore to him.

 

25 And Memphibosthe son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came down to meet the king; and he had not tended his feet, nor trimmed his nails, nor dressed his moustache, nor washed his garments, from the day the king went away until the day he himself arrived in peace.

 

26 And it came to pass, when he entered Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him: Why is it that you did not go with me, Memphibosthe?

 

27 And Memphibosthe said to him: My lord king, my slave deceived me, for your servant said to him, "Saddle the she-ass for me, and I will mount her and go with the king," for your slave is lame;

 

28 and he dealt craftily concerning your slave with my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God; so do what is good in your eyes.

 

29 For all my father's house were nothing but men deserving death to my lord the king, and yet you placed your slave among those who eat at your table; and what further claim have I, or cause to cry out any more to the king?

 

30 And the king said to him: Why do you still speak your words? I have said: You and Siba shall divide the field.

 

31 And Memphibosthe said to the king: Indeed, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his house.

 

32 And Berzelli the Gileadite came down from Rogellim and crossed the Jordan with the king, to escort him over the Jordan;

 

33 and Berzelli was a very aged man, eighty years old, and he himself had provided for the king while he dwelt in Manaim, for he is a very great man.

 

34 And the king said to Berzelli: You shall cross over with me, and I will provide for your old age with me in Jerusalem.

 

35 And Berzelli said to the king: How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

 

36 I am eighty years old today; shall I discern between good and evil? Or will your slave still taste what I eat or drink? Or shall I still hear the voice of men and women singing? Why should your slave still be a burden upon my lord the king?

 

37 Your slave will cross the Jordan with the king only a little way; and why does the king repay me with this recompense?

 

38 Let your servant, I pray, sit down, and I will die in my city, by the tomb of my father and my mother. And behold, your servant Chimham shall cross over with my lord the king; do for him what is good in your eyes.

 

39 And the king said, Let Chimham cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your eyes, and everything that you choose of me I will do for you.

 

40 And all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed; and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.

 

41 And the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed with him, and all the people of Judah were crossing with the king, and also half of the people of Israel.

 

42 And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away, and brought the king and his household across the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

 

43 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel and said, Because the king is near of kin to me; and why are you so angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's expense, or has he given us a gift, or taken up a burden for us?

 

44 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, I have ten shares in the king, and I am the firstborn rather than you, and indeed in David I have more than you; why then did you treat me with contempt, and was my word not counted first for me, to bring back my king? And the word of the men of Judah was harsher than the word of the men of Israel. 

  

Chapter 20

 

1 And there was there one called a lawless son, and his name was Sabee son of Bochori, a Iemenite man; and he sounded the horn and said, "We have no portion in David, nor have we any inheritance in the son of Iessai; each man to your tents, Israel!"

 

2 And every man of Israel went up from following David after Sabee son of Bochori, but the men of Judah clung to their king from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

 

3 And David entered his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to guard the house, and he put them in a house of custody and maintained them, but he did not go in to them; and they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows.

 

4 And the king said to Amessai, "Summon for me the men of Judah within three days, and you, stand here."

 

5 And Amessai went to summon Judah, and he delayed beyond the time which David had appointed him.

 

6 And David said to Abessa, "Now Sabee son of Bochori will do us more harm than Abessalom; so now you, take with yourself the servants of your lord and pursue after him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and shadow our eyes."

 

7 And there went out after him the men of Joab and the Cherethite and the Phelethite and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee son of Bochori.

 

8 And they were beside the great stone that is in Gabaon, and Amessai came in before them. And Joab was girded with a soldier's cloak as his garment, and over it he was girded with a sword fastened at his loin in its sheath, and the sword came out and fell.

 

9 And Joab said to Amessai, "Are you in good health, brother?" And Joab's right hand took hold of Amessai's beard to kiss him;

 

10 and Amessai was not on guard against the sword that was in Joab's hand, and Joab struck him with it in the loin, and his bowels were poured out on the ground, and he did not strike him a second time, and he died. And Joab and Abessa his brother pursued after Sabee son of Bochori;

 

11 and a man, one of Joab's lads, stood over him and said, "Whoever wishes for Joab, and whoever is for David, after Joab!"

 

12 And Amessai lay weltering in the blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the people were standing still, and he turned Amessai aside from the road into a field and threw a garment over him, inasmuch as he saw everyone who came upon him standing still;

 

13 and when he had made haste out of the road, every man of Israel passed on after Joab to pursue after Sabee son of Bochori.

 

14 And he passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and to Baithmacha, and all those in Charri; and they were gathered together and came behind him.

 

15 And they arrived and besieged him in Abel and Baithmacha, and they poured out a mound against the city, and it stood at the outer wall; and all the people who were with Joab were intending to throw down the wall.

 

16 And a wise woman cried out from the wall and said, "Listen, listen! Say now to Joab, 'Come near as far as here, and I will speak to him.'"

 

17 And he came near to her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he said, "I am." And she said to him, "Hear the words of your maidservant." And Joab said, "I am listening."

 

18 And she spoke, saying, "A word they spoke among the first ones, saying, 'Inquiry shall surely be made in Abel and in Dan whether those things have failed which the faithful of Israel established'; inquiring they will inquire in Abel, and thus whether they have failed.

 

19 I am peaceable things among the supports of Israel, but you are seeking to put to death a city and a mother-city in Israel; why do you engulf the inheritance of the Lord?"

 

20 And Joab answered and said, "Mercy on me, mercy on me, if I engulf or if I destroy!

 

21 That is not the matter, but that a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sabee son of Bochori is his name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give him to me alone, and I will withdraw from off the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall."

 

22 And the woman went in to all the people and spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and she took off the head of Sabee son of Bochori and threw it to Joab. And he sounded the horn, and they scattered from the city, each man to his tents; and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

 

23 And Joab was over all the host of Israel, and Banaias son of Iodae was over the Cherethite and over the Phelethite,

 

24 and Adoniram was over the tribute, and Josaphat son of Achiluth was recorder,

 

25 and Sousa was scribe, and Sadok and Abiathar were priests,

 

26 and indeed Iras the Iarinite was a priest of David. 

 

Chapter 21

 

1 And there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year following upon year, and David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said: Upon Saul and upon his house is injustice, because he put men to death with bloodshed, in that he put the Gibeonites to death.

 

2 And King David called the Gibeonites and said to them, now the Gibeonites are not sons of Israel, but rather of the remnant of the Amorite, and the sons of Israel had sworn an oath to them; and Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the sons of Israel and of Judah

 

3 and David said to the Gibeonites: What shall I do for you, and with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

 

4 And the Gibeonites said to him: We have no matter of silver and gold with Saul and with his house, and it is not for us to put any man to death in Israel. And he said: What do you say, and I will do it for you?

 

5 And they said to the king: The man made an end of us and pursued us, who plotted to destroy us utterly; let us make him vanish, so that he does not stand in any territory of Israel;

 

6 let him give us seven men of his sons, and let us hang them up in the sun to the Lord in Gibeon of Saul, the chosen ones of the Lord. And the king said: I will give them.

 

7 And the king spared Memphibosthe son of Jonathan son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and between Jonathan son of Saul.

 

8 And the king took the two sons of Resphа daughter of Aia, whom she bore to Saul, Hermoni and Memphibosthe, and the five sons of Michol daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Esriel son of Berzelli the Moulathite,

 

9 and he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hung them up in the sun on the mountain before the Lord, and the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, at the first, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

 

10 And Resphа daughter of Aia took sackcloth and pitched it for herself against the rock, from the beginning of the barley harvest until water dripped upon them from heaven, and she did not let the birds of heaven rest upon them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

 

11 And it was reported to David all that Resphа daughter of Aia, Saul's concubine, had done; and they grew faint, and Dan son of Ioa, of the descendants of the giants, overtook them;

 

12 and David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men, the sons of Jabis Galaad, who had stolen them from the public square of Baithsan, because the foreigners had set them up there on the day when the foreigners struck Saul down at Gelbue,

 

13 and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and gathered the bones of those who had been hung up in the sun.

 

14 And they buried the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and of those who had been exposed to the sun, in the land of Benjamin, at the side, in the tomb of Kis his father; and they did all that the king commanded. And after these things God hearkened to the land.

 

15 And there was war again between the foreigners and Israel. And David went down, and his servants with him, and they fought against the foreigners, and David grew faint.

 

16 And Iesbi, who was among the offspring of Rapha and the weight of his spear was three hundred shekels' weight of bronze, and he was girded with a club and he intended to strike David down.

 

17 And Abessa son of Sarouia came to his aid, and struck the foreigner and put him to death. Then the men of David swore, saying: You shall no longer go out with us to war, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.

 

18 And after these things there was war again at Geth with the foreigners. Then Sebocha the Astatothite struck down Seph, who was among the offspring of Rapha.

 

19 And the war came about at Gob with the foreigners. And Eleanan son of Ariorgim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gittite, and the shaft of his spear was like a weavers' beam.

 

20 And there was war again at Geth. And there was a man of Madon, and the fingers of his hands and the toes of his feet were six and six, twenty-four in number; and he too had been born to Rapha.

 

21 And he reviled Israel, and Jonathan son of Semei, brother of David, struck him down.

 

22 These four were born as descendants of the giants at Geth, the house of Rapha, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. 

 

Chapter 22

 

1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul,

 

2 and he said: Lord, my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer for me,

 

3 my God shall be my guard; I will trust in him, my defender and the horn of my salvation, my helper and my refuge of my salvation; you will save me from the unjust one.

 

4 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I shall be saved from my enemies.

 

5 For the breakers of death surrounded me; torrents of lawlessness terrified me;

 

6 the pangs of death encircled me; the hardships of death came upon me before.

 

7 In my distress I will call upon the Lord, and to my God I will cry; and he will hear my voice from his temple, and my cry will be in his ears.

 

8 And the earth was troubled and shaken, and the foundations of heaven were disturbed and torn, because the Lord was angry with them.

 

9 Smoke went up in his wrath, and fire from his mouth devours; coals were kindled from him.

 

10 And he bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet.

 

11 And he sat upon the cherubim and flew, and was seen upon the wings of the wind.

 

12 And he made darkness his hiding place round about him; his tent was darkness of waters; he thickened it in the clouds of the air.

 

13 From the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled.

 

14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice,

 

15 and he sent forth arrows and scattered them, lightning, and dismayed them.

 

16 And the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his wrath.

 

17 He sent from on high and took me; he drew me out of many waters;

 

18 he rescued me from my strong enemies, from those who hated me, for they were mightier than I.

 

19 They came upon me in the day of my affliction, but the Lord became my support,

 

20 and he brought me out into a broad place and delivered me, because he took pleasure in me.

 

21 And the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he repaid me,

 

22 because I kept the ways of the Lord and did not act impiously against my God,

 

23 for all his judgments were before me, and from his ordinances I did not depart.

 

24 And I shall be blameless before him, and I will keep myself from my lawlessness.

 

25 And the Lord will repay me according to my righteousness and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

 

26 With the holy you will be holy, and with the perfect man you will be perfect,

 

27 and with the elect you will be elect, and with the crooked you will be crooked.

 

28 And you will save the poor people, and you will bring down the eyes of the haughty.

 

29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, and the Lord will make my darkness shine for me.

 

30 For by you I shall run girded, and by my God I shall leap over a wall.

 

31 As for the Mighty One, his way is blameless; the word of the Lord is strong, tried by fire; he is a defender to all who trust in him.

 

32 Who is mighty except the Lord? And who will be a creator except our God?

 

33 The Mighty One who strengthens me with power, and he has made my way blameless;

 

34 making my feet like those of deer, and setting me upon the heights;

 

35 teaching my hands for war, and he has bent a bronze bow with my arm.

 

36 And you gave me the shield of my salvation, and your answering has multiplied me

 

37 into a broad place for my steps beneath me, and my legs did not waver.

 

38 I will pursue my enemies and destroy them, and I will not turn back until I have finished them;

 

39 and I will crush them, and they shall not rise, and they shall fall under my feet.

 

40 And you will strengthen me with power for war; you will bow down under me those who rise up against me;

 

41 and you gave me the back of my enemies, those who hated me, and you put them to death.

 

42 They will cry out, and there is no helper—to the Lord, and he did not hear them.

 

43 And I ground them like the dust of the earth; like the mire of the streets I pounded them fine.

 

44 And you will rescue me from the strife of the peoples; you will keep me as head of the nations; a people whom I did not know served me;

 

45 foreign sons lied to me; at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me;

 

46 foreign sons will be cast off and will stumble out of their strongholds.

 

47 The Lord lives, and blessed is my guard, and my God shall be exalted, the guard of my salvation.

 

48 Mighty is the Lord who gives me vengeance, chastening peoples under me,

 

49 and bringing me out from my enemies; and you will lift me up above those who rise up against me; from the man of injustices you will rescue me.

 

50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name,

 

51 he who magnifies the salvations of his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed forever. 

  

Chapter 23

 

1 And these are the last words of David: Faithful is David son of Iessai, and faithful the man whom the Lord raised up as anointed of the God of Iakob, and comely are the psalms of Israel.

 

2 The spirit of the Lord spoke in me, and his word was upon my tongue.

 

3 The God of Israel says, the guardian of Israel spoke to me: Speak a parable: In a man, how shall you strengthen the fear of God?

 

4 And in God, may the sun rise in the light of morning; the morning has not passed away from the brightness, and as from rain of tender grass out of the earth.

 

5 For is not my house so with the Mighty One? For he established with me an everlasting covenant, ready at every season, kept safe, for it is all my salvation and all my desire, for the lawless one shall never sprout.

 

6 Like a thorn thrust out are all of them, for they shall not be taken by the hand,

 

7 and a man shall not labor among them, and it is full of iron and the shaft of a spear, and with fire in burning they shall be burned in their shame.

 

8 These are the names of David's mighty men: Iebosthe the Chananite is chief of the third; Adinon the Asonite. This man drew his sword against eight hundred slain at one time.

 

9 And after him Eleazar son of his father's brother, son of Sousites, among the three mighty men. He was with David in Serran, and when he reviled among the foreigners they were gathered there for war, and the men of Israel went up;

 

10 he arose and struck among the foreigners, until his hand grew weary and his hand stuck fast to the sword, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance on that day; and the people sat behind him, only to strip the slain.

 

11 And after him Samaia son of Asa the Arouchite. And the foreigners were gathered at Theria, and there was there a portion of the field full of lentils, and the people fled from before the foreigners;

 

12 and he took his stand in the middle of the portion and rescued it and struck the foreigners, and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

 

13 And three of the thirty went down and came to Kason, to David, to the cave of Odollam, and a company of the foreigners encamped in the valley of Raphaim;

 

14 and David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the foreigners was then in Baithleem.

 

15 And David longed and said, Who will give me water to drink from the cistern in Baithleem, the one by the gate? Now the company of the foreigners was then in Baithleem.

 

16 And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the foreigners and drew water from the cistern in Baithleem, the one by the gate, and took it and came to David, and he would not drink it, but poured it out as a libation to the Lord,

 

17 and he said, Be merciful to me, Lord, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? And he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

 

18 And Abessa brother of Ioab son of Sarouia, he was chief among the three. And he raised his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three;

 

19 of those three he was renowned, and he became their commander, but to the three he did not attain.

 

20 And Banaias son of Iodae, a man of many deeds, from Kabeseel. And he struck the two sons of Ariel of Moab; and he went down and struck the lion in the midst of the pit on the day of snow;

 

21 he struck the Egyptian man, a man of imposing appearance, and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like the wood of a ladder-rung, and he went down against him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

 

22 These things Banaias son of Iodae did, and he had a name among the three mighty men;

 

23 of the three he was renowned, but to the three he did not attain; and David appointed him over his audiences.

 

24 And these are the names of the mighty men of King David: Asael brother of Ioab, Eleanan son of Doudi his father's brother, in Baithleem,

 

25 Samai the Aroudite, Elika the Arodite,

 

26 Elles the Pheloth, Iras son of Ekkas the Thekoite,

 

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, of the sons of the Asothite,

 

28 Selmon the Aoite, Moore the Netophathite,

 

29 Ela son of Baana the Netophathite, Eththi son of Riba from Gabaeth, son of Beniamin,

 

30 Banaias the Pharathonite, Ouri from Nachaligaias,

 

31 Abiel son of the Arabothite, Azmoth the Barsamite,

 

32 Eliasou the Salabonite, the sons of Iasan, Ionathan,

 

33 Samma the Arodite, Achian son of Sarad the Araourite,

 

34 Aliphaleth son of the Asbite, son of the Maachathite, Eliab son of Achitophel the Gelonite,

 

35 Asarai the Karmelian, Pharai the Erchite,

 

36 Igaal son of Nathan, from the army, son of Gaddi,

 

37 Elie the Ammanite, Geloraï the Berothite, bearer of the arms of Ioab son of Sarouia,

 

38 Iras the Iethirite, Gareb the Iethirite,

 

39 Ourias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all. 

 

Chapter 24

 

1 And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he stirred up David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

 

2 And the king said to Joab, the commander of the army who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, and I shall know the number of the people.

 

3 And Joab said to the king, May the Lord your God add to the people, as many as they are, a hundredfold as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the king desire this thing?

 

4 But the word of the king prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. And Joab and the commanders of the army went out from before the king to number the people of Israel.

 

5 And they crossed the Jordan and encamped at Aroer, on the right of the city that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Eliezer.

 

6 And they came to Gilead and to the land of Thabason, which is Adasai, and they came to Danidan and Oudan and went around to Sidon,

 

7 and they came to Mapsar of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivite and of the Canaanite, and they came to the south of Judah, to Beersheba.

 

8 And they went about through all the land, and at the end of nine months and twenty days they came to Jerusalem.

 

9 And Joab gave the number of the census of the people to the king; and Israel was eight hundred thousand men of might who drew the sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand fighting men.

 

10 And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people, and David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; now, O Lord, take away, I pray, the iniquity of your servant, for I have been very foolish.

 

11 And David arose in the morning. And the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet, David's seer, saying,

 

12 Go and speak to David, saying, Thus says the Lord: Three things I hold over you; choose for yourself one of them, and I will do it to you.

 

13 And Gad came in to David and told him, and said to him, Choose for yourself what shall come to pass: whether three years of famine shall come upon you in your land, or that you flee three months before your enemies while they pursue you, or that there be three days of death in your land. Now therefore consider and see what answer I shall return to him who sent me.

 

14 And David said to Gad, I am in exceedingly great straits on every side; let me fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are very many, but into the hands of man let me not fall. And David chose for himself the death.

 

15 And it was the days of the wheat harvest, and the Lord sent death upon Israel from morning until the hour of the midday meal, and the plague began among the people, and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

 

16 And the angel of God stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, and the Lord relented of the evil and said to the angel who was destroying among the people, It is enough now; stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Orna the Jebusite.

 

17 And David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel striking among the people, and said, Behold, it is I who have done wrong, and I, the shepherd, have done evil; but these, the sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me and against the house of my father.

 

18 And Gad came to David on that day and said to him, Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Orna the Jebusite.

 

19 And David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord had commanded him.

 

20 And Orna looked out and saw the king and his servants passing by toward him, and Orna went out and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.

 

21 And Orna said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from upon the people.

 

22 And Orna said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up to the Lord what is good in his eyes; behold, the oxen for a whole burnt offering, and the wheels and the implements of the oxen for wood.

 

23 All these Orna gave to the king; and Orna said to the king, May the Lord your God bless you.

 

24 And the king said to Orna, No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, and I will not offer to the Lord my God a whole burnt offering that costs nothing. And David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

 

25 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered up whole burnt offerings and peace offerings. And Solomon afterward added to the altar, because it was small at first. And the Lord heard the entreaty for the land, and the plague was stayed from upon Israel.