2 Samuel

Overall

Area	Total	Changed	%
Verses	695	604	86.91%
Words	19075	2134	11.19%

Verses

1:1	Now it came about after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David remainedstayed two days in Ziklag.
1:2	OnAnd on the third day, behold, a man came outfrom ofSaul’s the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and dust on his head. And it camehappened about when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.
1:4	David said to him, “How did things go? Please tell me.” And he said, “The people have fled from the battle, and also many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son Jonathan are also dead also.”
1:5	SoThen David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
1:6	The young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and behold, Saul was leaning on his spear. And behold, the chariots and the horsemen pursuedhad overtaken him closely.
1:7	When he looked behind himhimself, he saw me, and called to me. And I said, ‘Here I am.’
1:8	HeThen he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
1:9	ThenAnd he said to me, ‘Please stand besidenext to me and killfinish me off, for agony has seized me because my life still lingers in me.’
1:10	So I stood besidenext to him and killedfinished him off, because I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown which was on his head and the braceletband which was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”
1:12	TheyAnd they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
1:13	Then David said to the young man who toldinformed him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of ana alienstranger, an Amalekite.”
1:14	ThenAnd David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretchreach out with your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
1:15	AndThen David called one of the young men and said, “GoCome forward, cutput him downto death.” So he struck him and he died.
1:16	And David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, forbecause your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killedfinished off the Lord’s anointed.’ ”
1:17	Then David chantedsang with this lamentsong of mourning over Saul and Jonathan his son Jonathan,
1:18	and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the mourning song of the bow; behold, it is written in the bookBook of Jashar.
1:19	“Your beauty, O Israel, is slainslaughtered on your high places! How have the mighty have fallen!
1:20	Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice, The daughters of the uncircumcised will exultcelebrate.
1:21	OMountains mountains of Gilboa, LetMay notthere be no dew ornor rain be on you, noror fields of offerings;! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
1:22	From the blood of thethose slainslaughtered, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return emptyunstained.
1:23	Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasantdelightful in their life, And in their deathdeaths they were not partedseparated; They were swifter than eagles, They were strongermightier than lions.
1:24	ODaughters daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, Who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, with jewelry, Who put ornamentsgold ofjewelry gold on your apparel.
1:25	How have the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slainslaughtered on your high places.
1:26	I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been verya pleasantclose friend to me. Your love tofor me was more wonderful Than the love of women.
1:27	How have the mighty have fallen, And the weapons of war have perished!”
2:1	Then it came about afterwardsafterward that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”
2:3	And David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they livedsettled in the cities of Hebron.
2:4	Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
2:5	So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “May you be blessed of the Lord because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him.
2:6	NowAnd now may the Lord show lovingkindnesskindness and truth to you; and I also will show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.
2:7	Now thereforethen, let your hands be strong and be valiant;, forsince Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
2:9	HeAnd he made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.
2:11	TheAnd the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
2:12	Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.
2:13	And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, oneAbner’s men on the one side of the pool and theJoab’s othermen on the other side of the pool.
2:14	Then Abner said to Joab, “Now lethave the young men arise and hold a contestmartial beforeskills usmatch in our presence.” And Joab said, “LetHave them arise.”!”
2:15	So they arosegot up and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve offrom the servants of David.
2:16	EachAnd each one of them seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
2:17	That day the battle was very severe, and Abner and the men of Israel were beatendefeated beforeby the servants of David.
2:18	Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles whichthat is in the field.
2:20	Then Abner looked behind himhimself and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answeredsaid, “It is I.”!”
2:21	So Abner said to him, “Turn aside for your own good to your right or to your left, and take hold of one of the young men for yourself, and take for yourself his spoilequipment.” But Asahel was notunwilling willing to turn aside from following him.
2:22	Then Abner repeated again to Asahel, “Turn aside for your own good from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I liftshow up my face to your brother Joab?”
2:23	However, he refused to turn aside; thereforeso Abner struck him in the belly with the butt end of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died on the spot. And it camehappened about that all who came thereafter to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
2:24	But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and when the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is inopposite front of Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
2:25	TheAnd the sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one bandtroop, and they stood on the top of a certain hill.
2:26	Then Abner called to Joab and said, “ShallShould the sword devour forever? Do you not knowrealize that it will be bitter in the end? HowSo how long will you refrain from telling the people to turn back from followingpursuing their brotherskinsmen?”
2:27	Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then the people of Judah certainly would have gonewithdrawn away in the morning, each from followingpursuing his brother.”
2:28	So Joab blew the trumpet;, and all the people halted and no longer pursued Israel no longer, nor did they continue to fight anymore.
2:30	Then Joab returned from followingpursuing Abner; whenbut he had gathered all the people together, and nineteen of David’s servants were missing, besides Asahel were missing.
2:31	ButHowever, the servants of David had struck downand killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men,; so360 thatmen threewere hundred and sixty men dieddead.
2:32	And they tookcarried up Asahel away and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men wenttraveled all night until the day dawned at Hebron.
3:1	Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grewbecame steadily stronger, butwhile the house of Saul grewbecame steadily weaker continually.
3:2	Sons were born to David atin Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3:5	and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David atin Hebron.
3:6	ItNow cameit abouthappened that while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was makingstrengthening himself strong in the house of Saul.
3:7	NowAnd Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
3:8	Then Abner wasbecame very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth’s question and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not deliveredlet you fall into the hands of David; and yet today you chargecall me withto aaccount guiltfor concerningwrongdoing thewith that woman.?
3:9	May God do so to Abnerme, and more alsoso, if as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him,:
3:10	to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”!”
3:11	And heIsh-bosheth could no longer answersay Abner a word in response to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
3:12	Then Abner sent messengers to David inat his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
3:13	HeAnd he said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, butonly I demandrequire one thing of you, namely, that you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.”
3:15	Ish-bosheth sent men and tookhad her taken from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.
3:16	ButAnd her husband went with her, weeping as he went, andfollowing followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.
3:17	Now Abner had a consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you.
3:18	Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken ofregarding David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the handhands of all their enemies.’ ”
3:19	Abner also spoke into the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak into the hearing of David in Hebron alleverything that seemed good to Israel and to the wholeentire house of Benjamin.
3:20	Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David madeheld a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
3:21	Abner said to David, “Let me ariseset out and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sentlet Abner awaygo, and he went in peace.
3:22	And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought mucha spoillarge amount of plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, forsince he had sentlet him awaygo, and he had gone in peace.
3:23	When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they toldinformed Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sentlet him awaygo on his way, and he has gone in peace.”
3:24	Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sentlet him awaygo, andso that he is already gone?
3:25	You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceivegain youyour confidence, and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out alleverything that you are doing.”
3:26	When Joab cameleft outDavid’s from Davidpresence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know about it.
3:27	So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother Asahel.
3:28	Afterward, when David heard itabout this, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
3:29	May it fallturn onupon the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not failbe eliminated from the house of Joab onesomeone who hassuffers a discharge, or whohas is a leperleprosy, or whoholds takesthe hold of a distaffspindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
3:30	So Joab and Abishai his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
3:31	Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and girdput on sackcloth, and lamentmourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier.
3:32	ThusAnd they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king liftedraised up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
3:33	TheAnd the king chantedsang a lamentsong of mourning for Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
3:34	Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fettersbronze shackles; As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him again.
3:35	Then all the people came to persuadeprovide food for David toin eathis breaddistress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more alsoso, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”
3:36	Now all the people took note of itDavid’s vow, and it pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people.
3:37	So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the willdesire of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.
3:38	Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a princeleader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day in Israel?
3:39	And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer accordingin proportion to his evil.”
4:1	Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, hehis lostcourage couragefailed, and all Israel was disturbedhorrified.
4:2	And Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bandstroops: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,
4:3	and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have beenlived aliens there as strangers until this day).
4:4	Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippledwho was disabled in hisboth feet. He was five years old when the reportnews of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse tookpicked him up and fled. AndBut it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and becamecould lameno longer walk. And his name was Mephibosheth.
4:5	So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest.
4:6	TheyAnd they came to the middleinterior of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother Baanah escaped.
4:7	Now when they camehad come into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him, and they beheaded him. And they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night.
4:8	Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thusso the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants.”
4:9	But David answeredreplied to Rechab and Baanah his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,
4:10	when the one toldwho informed me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ andalso thoughtviewed hehimself wasas bringingthe bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.
4:11	How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood from your handhands and destroyeliminate you both from the earth?”
4:12	Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
5:2	Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a rulerleader over Israel.’ ”
5:3	So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord atin Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel.
5:4	David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years.
5:5	At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
5:6	Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land,; and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but theeven those who are blind and lamethose who limp will turn you away”;,” thinking, “David cannot enter here.”
5:7	Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
5:8	And David said on that day, “Whoever wouldstrikes strike the Jebusites, letis himto reach thethose lamewho limp and thethose who are blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” ThereforeFor that reason they say, “ThePeople who are blind orand thepeople lamewho limp shall not come into the house.”
5:9	So David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.
5:10	David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hostsarmies was with him.
5:11	Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, and carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a house for David.
5:12	And David realized that the Lord had establishedappointed him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
5:16	Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
5:17	WhenNow when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard ofabout it, he went down to the stronghold.
5:18	Now the Philistines came and spreadoverran themselves out in the valleyValley of Rephaim.
5:19	ThenSo David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You givehand them intoover myto handme?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly givehand the Philistines intoover yourto handyou.”
5:20	SoThen David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim.
5:21	TheyAnd the Philistines abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.
5:22	Now the Philistines came up once again and spreadoverran themselves out in the valleyValley of Rephaim.
5:23	WhenSo David inquired of the Lord, but He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam treesbaka-shrubs.
5:24	ItAnd it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam treesbaka-shrubs, then you shall act promptly, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
5:25	Then David did so, just as the Lord had commanded him,; andhe struck downand killed the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.
6:2	And David arosedeparted andfrom wentBaale-judah, with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hostsarmies who is enthroned above the cherubim.
6:3	They placedhad mounted the ark of God on a new cart thatand theymoved might bring it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.
6:5	Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of firjuniper wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
6:6	But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, forbecause the oxen nearly upsetoverturned it.
6:8	Then David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah,; and that place ishas been called Perez-uzzah to this day.
6:10	And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.
6:11	ThusThe the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
6:12	Now it was toldreported to King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom intoto the city of David with gladnessjoy.
6:13	And so it was, that when thethose bearerscarrying of the ark of the Lord hadmarched gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatlingfattened steer.
6:14	And David was dancing before the Lord with all his mightstrength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.
6:15	So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
6:16	Then it happened, as the ark of the Lord camewas coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked outdown ofthrough the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despisedwas contemptuous of him in her heart.
6:17	SoNow they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
6:18	When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offeringofferings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hostsarmies.
6:19	Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread, and one of dates, and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departedleft, each to his house.
6:20	But when David returned to bless his own household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguisheddignified himself today! HeFor uncoveredhe exposed himself today in the eyessight of his servants’ maidsfemale slaves, as one of the foolishrabble ones shamelessly uncoversexposes himself!”
6:21	SoBut David said to Michal, “ItI was before the Lord, who chosepreferred me aboveto your father and aboveto all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel;. thereforeSo I will celebrate before the Lord.!
6:22	And I willmight bedemean moremyself lightlyeven esteemedmore than this and will be humblelowly in my own eyessight, but with the maidsfemale slaves of whom you have spoken, with them I willam to be distinguished.”held in honor!”
6:23	And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
7:1	Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,
7:2	that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwelllive in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwellsremains within the tent curtains.”
7:4	But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
7:5	“Go and say to My servant David, ‘ThusThis saysis what the Lord, says: “AreShould you the one who should build Me a house tofor dwellMy indwelling?
7:6	For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; butrather, I have been moving about in a tent, eventhat is, in a tabernacledwelling place.
7:7	Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whichwhom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
7:8	Now thereforethen, thusthis is what you shall say to My servant David,: ‘ThusThis saysis what the Lord of hosts,armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be rulerleader over My people Israel.
7:9	And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cuteliminated off all your enemies from before you; and I will also make you a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.
7:10	And I will alsoestablish appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will themalicious wickedpeople afflictoppress them anyanymore more as formerlypreviously,
7:11	even from the day that I commandedappointed judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.
7:12	When your days are completefinished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.
7:14	I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commitsdoes iniquitywrong, I will correctdiscipline him with thea rod of men and thewith strokes of the sons of menmankind,
7:15	but My lovingkindnessfavor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
7:17	In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
7:18	Then David the king wentcame in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and whatwho isare the members of my househousehold, that You have brought me this far?
7:19	And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerningregarding the distant future. And this is the custom of manmankind, O Lord God.
7:20	Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God!
7:21	For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.
7:22	For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is noneno one like You, and there is no God besidesexcept You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
7:23	And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, beforebecause of Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods?
7:24	For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.
7:25	Now thereforethen, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerningabout Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken,
7:26	so that Your name may be magnifiedgreat forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of hostsarmies is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.
7:27	For You, O Lord of hostsarmies, the God of Israel, have madegiven a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.
7:28	Now then, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth,; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.
7:29	NowAnd thereforenow, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
8:1	Now after this it camehappened aboutafterward that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.
8:2	And He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and onea full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
8:3	Then David defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to restore his rulepower at the Euphrates River.
8:4	And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but reservedleft enough of them for 100a hundred chariots.
8:5	When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000twenty-two thousand men among the Arameans.
8:7	David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8:8	FromAnd from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.
8:9	Now when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the whole army of Hadadezer,
8:10	Toi sent Joram his son Joram to King David to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze.
8:11	King David also dedicatedconsecrated these gifts to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicatedconsecrated from all the nations which he had subdued:
8:12	from Aram, and Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoilspoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
8:13	So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt.
8:14	He also put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.
8:16	Joab the son of Zeruiah was commander over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recordersecretary.
8:17	Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretaryscribe.
9:1	Then David said, “Is there yet anyone still left of the house of Saul, so that I maycould show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
9:2	Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they calledsummoned him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”
9:3	TheThen the king said, “Is there notno yetone anyoneremaining of the house of Saul to whom I maycould show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is crippleddisabled in both feet.”
9:4	So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.”
9:5	Then King David sent andmessengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.
9:7	Then David said to him, “Do not fearbe afraid, for I will surelyassuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you yourself shall eat at my table regularly.”
9:8	Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should regardbe concerned about a dead dog like me?”
9:9	Then the king calledsummoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “AllEverything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.
9:10	You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson maywill have food to eat; nevertheless Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
9:11	Then Ziba said to the king, “AccordingIn toaccordance allwith everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.
9:13	So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, forbecause he ate at the king’s table regularly. NowAnd he was lamedisabled in bothhis two feet.
10:1	Now it happened afterwardsafterward that the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son Hanun became king in his place.
10:2	Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent some of his servants to console him concerningabout his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites,
10:3	the princescommanders of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord Hanun, “Do you think that David is simply honoring your father becausesince he has sent consolersyou servants to console you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to searchexplore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?”
10:4	So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garmentsrobes in the middle as far as their hipsbuttocks, and sent them away.
10:5	When theymessengers toldinformed it to David, he sent servants to meet them, forbecause the men were greatlyextremely humiliated. And the king said, “Stay atin Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return.”
10:6	Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odiousrepulsive to David, the sons of Ammon sent messengers and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000a thousand men, and the men of Tob with 12,000twelve thousand men.
10:7	When David heard ofabout itthis, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty menwarriors.
10:8	TheAnd the sons of Ammon came out and drewlined up infor battle array at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the field.
10:9	Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him inat the front and inat the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men ofin Israel, and arrayedlined them up against the Arameans.
10:10	But the remainder of the people he placed inunder the handcommand of Abishai his brother Abishai, and he arrayedlined them up against the sons of Ammon.
10:11	HeAnd he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me,; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.
10:12	Be strong, and let’s us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
10:13	So Joab and the people who were with him drewadvanced near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled beforefrom him.
10:14	When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled beforefrom Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
10:15	When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gatheredassembled themselves together.
10:16	And Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them.
10:17	Now when it was toldreported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans arrayedlined themselvesup toagainst meet David and fought against him.
10:18	But the Arameans fled beforefrom Israel, and David killed 700seven hundred charioteers of the Arameans and 40,000forty thousand horsemen, and struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.
10:19	When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they werehad been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans fearedwere afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.
11:1	Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyedbrought destruction on the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed atin Jerusalem.
11:2	Now whenat evening cametime David arosegot up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.
11:3	So David sent servants and inquired about the woman. And onesomeone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
11:4	Then David sent messengers and tookhad her brought, and when she came to him, he layslept with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.
11:5	TheBut the woman conceived; andso she sent word and toldinformed David, and said, “I am pregnant.”
11:6	Then David sent word to Joab,: saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.
11:7	When Uriah came to him, David asked concerningabout theJoab’s welfarewell-being ofand Joabthat andof the people, and the statecondition of the war.
11:8	Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” AndSo Uriah wentleft out of the king’s house, and a presentgift from the king was sent out after him.
11:10	Now when they toldinformed David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “HaveDid you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11:11	And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. ShallShould I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to liesleep with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.”
11:12	Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the nextday after.
11:13	Now David calledsummoned himUriah, and he ate and drank beforein himhis presence, and he made himUriah drunk; and in the evening heUriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, butand he still did not go down to his house.
11:14	NowSo in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
11:15	He had written in the letter, saying,the following: “PlaceStation Uriah inon the front line of the fiercest battle and withdrawpull back from him, so that he may be struck down and diekilled.”
11:16	So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he putstationed Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men.
11:17	TheAnd the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.
11:18	Then Joab sent a messenger and reported to David all the events of the war.
11:19	He chargedordered the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king,
11:20	andthen if it happensshall be that if the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you gomove soagainst near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
11:21	Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman not throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you gomove soagainst near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite isalso dead alsodied.’ ”
11:22	So the messenger departed and came and reported to David alleverything that Joab had sent him to tell.
11:24	MoreoverAlso, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants are deaddied, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also deaddied.”
11:25	Then David said to the messenger, “ThusThis is what you shall say to Joab,: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; makefight yourwith battledetermination against the city stronger and overthrow it’; and sothereby encourage him.”
11:26	Now when theUriah’s wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.
11:27	When the time of mourning was over, David sent servants and broughthad her brought to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.
12:1	Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in onea city, the one richwealthy and the other poor.
12:2	The richwealthy man had a great many flocks and herds.
12:3	But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourishednurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat ofscraps hisfrom breadhim and drink offrom his cup and lie in his bosomlap, And was like a daughter to him.
12:4	Now a travelervisitor came to the richwealthy man, And he wascould unwillingnot bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarertraveler who had come to him; RatherSo he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
12:5	Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this certainly deserves to die.!
12:6	HeSo he must make restitution for the lamb fourfoldfour times over, becausesince he did this thing and had no compassion.”
12:7	Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! ThusThis saysis what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who deliveredrescued you from the hand of Saul.
12:8	I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!
12:9	Why have you despised the word of the Lord, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck downand killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife toas be your wife, and you have killedslaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
12:10	Now thereforethen, the sword shall never departleave from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
12:11	ThusThis saysis what the Lord, says: ‘Behold, I willam going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will liesleep with your wives in broad daylight.
12:12	Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and underin theopen sundaylight.’ ”
12:13	Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has takenallowed away your sin to pass; you shall not die.
12:14	However, becausesince by this deed you have givenshown occasionutter todisrespect thefor enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child alsohimself thatwho is born to you shall surelycertainly die.”
12:15	SoThen Nathan went to his house. ThenL ater the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.
12:16	David therefore inquiredpleaded ofwith God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.
12:17	The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raisehelp him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.
12:18	Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And theDavid’s servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voiceus. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!”?”
12:20	So David arosegot up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he camewent into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he camewent to his own house, and when he requestedasked, they setserved him food, before him and he ate.
12:21	Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? WhileYou fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arosegot up and ate food.”
12:22	HeAnd he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, thatand the child may live.’
12:23	But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I willam gogoing to him, but he will not return to me.”
12:24	Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and layslept with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved him,
12:26	Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.
12:27	Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.
12:28	Now thereforethen, gather the rest of the people together and camp againstopposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.”
12:29	So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.
12:30	Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it washad a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoilplunder of the city in great amounts.
12:31	He also brought out the people who were in it, and setput themsome underto work at saws, sharp iron instrumentspicks, and iron axes, and made themothers passserve throughat the brickkilnbrick works. And thus he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
13:1	Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David lovedwas in love with her.
13:2	But Amnon was so frustrated becauseon account of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hardtoo difficult to Amnon to do anything to her.
13:3	But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewdclever man.
13:4	HeAnd he said to him, “OWhy sonare ofyou, the king’s son, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” ThenSo Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”
13:5	Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please lethave my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and lethave her prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat from her hand.’ ”
13:6	So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please lethave my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakespastries in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”
13:7	Then David sent a messenger to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”
13:8	So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying downin bed. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakespastries in his sight, and baked the cakespastries.
13:9	SheThen she took the pantray and dishedserved them outto before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Have everyone goleave out from me.” So everyone wentleft out from him.
13:10	Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakespastries which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.
13:11	When she brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, liesleep with me, my sister.”
13:12	But she answeredsaid to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thingsin!
13:13	As for me, where could I get rid of my reproachshame? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now thereforethen, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”
13:14	However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and layslept with her.
13:15	Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; forindeed, the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!”
13:17	Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.”!”
13:18	Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manneris how the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her.
13:19	Tamar puttook ashes and put them on her head, and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went awayon her way, crying aloudout as she went.
13:20	Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolateisolated in her brother Absalom’s house.
13:21	Now when King David heard ofabout all these matters, he wasbecame very angry.
13:22	But Absalom did not speak towith Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.
13:23	Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons to celebrate.
13:24	And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; pleasemay let the king and his servants please go with your servant.”
13:25	But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, forso that we will not be burdensomea burden to you.” AlthoughThough he urged him, he would not go,; but he blessed him.
13:26	Then Absalom said, “If not, please lethave my brother Amnon go with us.” AndBut the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
13:27	ButNevertheless when Absalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
13:28	Then Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, when Amnon’s heart is merrycheerful with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myselfnot commanded you myself? Be courageous and be valiant.”
13:29	TheAnd the servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arosegot up and each mounted his mule and fled.
13:30	Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck downand killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”
13:31	Then the king arosestood up, tore his clothes, and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn.
13:32	And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, responded, “DoLet not let my lord supposenot assume that they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon alone is dead; because this has been set up by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar.
13:33	NowSo thereforenow, domay not let my lord the king not take the report to heart, namelyclaiming, ‘all the king’s sons are dead,’’; forbut only Amnon is dead.”
13:35	And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; so it has happened according to your servant’s word, so it happened.”
13:36	As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and liftedraised their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants also wept very bitterlyprofusely.
13:37	Now Absalom had fled and wentgone to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
13:38	So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there for three years.
13:39	TheAnd the heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerningregarding Amnon, since he was dead.
14:1	Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclineddrawn toward Absalom.
14:2	So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please pretendfollow tomourning be a mournerrites, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for many days;.
14:3	thenThen go to the king and speak to him in this mannerway.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
14:4	Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, “Help, O king.”!”
14:5	TheAnd the king said to her, “What is yourtroubling troubleyou?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
14:6	YourAnd maidservantyour servant had two sons, but the two of them struggledfought together in the field, and there was no one to separatesave them from each other, so one struck the other and killed him.
14:7	Now behold, the wholeentire family has risen against your maidservantservant, and they sayhave said, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroyeliminate the heir alsoas well.’ ThusSo they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”
14:8	Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your househome, and I will giveissue orders concerning you.”
14:9	The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “OMy my lord, the king, the iniquityguilt is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.”
14:11	Then she said, “PleaseMay let the king please remember the Lord your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
14:12	Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservantservant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”
14:13	The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is aslike one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
14:14	For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but makes plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from himHim.
14:15	Now then, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservantservant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservantslave.
14:16	For the king will hearlisten, andto deliversave his maidservantslave from the hand of the man who would destroyeliminate both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’
14:17	Then your maidservantservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ”
14:19	So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant;servant.
14:20	inIn order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is inon the earth.”
14:21	Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I will surelycertainly do this thing; go thereforethen, bring back the young man Absalom.”
14:22	And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself, and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
14:23	So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
14:24	However, the king said, “LetHe himshall turnreturn to his own house, andbut lethe himshall not see my face.” So Absalom turnedreturned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.
14:25	Now in all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crowntop of his head there was no defectimpairment in him.
14:26	WhenAnd when he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, forbecause it was heavy on him, so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.
14:27	ToAnd to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.
14:28	Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, andyet he did not see the king’s face.
14:29	Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent word again a second time, but he would not come.
14:30	Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s fieldplot is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the fieldplot on fire.
14:31	Then Joab arosegot up, came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my fieldplot on fire?”
14:32	Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.” ’ Now thereforethen, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquityguilt in me, lethe himcan puthave me to deathexecuted.”
14:33	So when Joab came to the king and told him, he calledsummoned for Absalom. ThusThen heAbsalom came to the king and prostrated himself onwith his face to the ground before the king,; and the king kissed Absalom.
15:1	Now it came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men asto runnersrun beforeahead of him.
15:2	And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the wayroad to the gate; and when any man who had a suitlawsuit was to come tobefore the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
15:3	Then Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but you have no manone listensto listen to you on the part of the king.”
15:4	Moreover, Absalom would say, “Oh that onesomeone would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has anya suitlawsuit or causeclaim could come to me, and I would give him justice.”!”
15:5	And whenwhenever a man cameapproached near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.
15:6	InAbsalom dealt this mannerway Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the menpeople of Israel.
15:7	Now it came about at the end of fortyfour years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowedmade to the Lord, in Hebron.
15:8	For your servant vowedmade a vow while I was living atin Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord shallwill indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”
15:9	The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arosegot up and went to Hebron.
15:10	But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.’!’ ”
15:11	Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, who were invited and went innocently, andfor they did not know anything.
15:12	And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people continually increased continually with Absalom.
15:13	Then a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the menpeople of Israel are with Absalom.”
15:14	So David said to all his servants who were with him atin Jerusalem, “Arise and let’s us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in hastequickly, or he will hurry and overtake us, quickly and bring downdisaster calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15:15	Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants arewill ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.”
15:16	So the king wentleft, out and all his household with him.; Butbut the king left ten concubines behind to keeptake care of the house.
15:17	The king wentleft, out and all the people with him, and they stopped at the last house.
15:18	Now all of his servants passed onby beside him, and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed onby before the king.
15:19	Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why willshould you also go with us too? Return and remainstay with theyour king, forsince you are a foreigner and also an exile as well; return to your own place.
15:20	You came only yesterday, andso shallshould I today make you wander with us today, while I go wherewherever I willgo? Return and take back your brothers back; mercy and truth be with you.”
15:21	But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there alsoassuredly shall your servant will be.”!”
15:22	ThereforeThen David said to Ittai, “Go and passcross over the brook Kidron.” So Ittai the Gittite passedcrossed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
15:23	While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passedwere crossing over. The king was also passedcrossing over the brook Kidron, and all the people passedwere crossing over toward the way of the wilderness.
15:24	Now behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar came up until all the people had finished passingcrossing over from the city.
15:25	TheAnd the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation.
15:26	But if He shouldsays saythis: thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold,then here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
15:27	The king also said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
15:28	See, I am going to wait at the fordsriver crossing places of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
15:29	ThereforeSo Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.
15:30	And David wentwas going up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, andweeping wept as he went, and his head was covered, and he walkedwas walking barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his own head, and wentthey were going up, weeping as they went.
15:31	Now someone toldinformed David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, Iplease pray, make the counseladvice of Ahithophel foolishnessfoolish.”
15:32	It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the Archite met him with his coat torn, and dust on his head.
15:33	And David said to him, “If you passgo over with me, then you will bebecome a burden to me.
15:34	But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; even as I havewas been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will nowalso be your servant,’ then you can thwartfoil the counseladvice of Ahithophel for me.
15:35	Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests not with you there? So it shall be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
15:36	Behold their two sons are there with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything that you hear.”
16:1	Now when David had passedgone on a little beyond the summit, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a coupleteam of saddled donkeys, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusterscakes of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a jug of wine.
16:2	TheAnd the king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine, for whoever is faintweary in the wilderness to drink.”
16:4	So the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I prostrate myself; letmay meI find favor in your sight, O my lord, the king!”
16:5	When King David came to Bahurim, behold, therea cameman was coming out from there afrom man of the family of the house of Saul, whoseand his name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he camewas coming out, cursing continually as he came.
16:6	He also threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mightywarriors men were aton his right hand and aton his left.
16:7	ThusThis is what Shimei said when he cursed,: “GetGo outaway, getgo outaway, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellowman!
16:8	The Lord has returnedbrought back upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reignedbecome king; and the Lord has givenhanded the kingdom intoover theto hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are takencaught in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”
16:9	Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? LetNow let me go over now and cut off his head.”
16:10	But the king said, “What havebusiness Iof tomine dois withyours, you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shallshould say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
16:11	Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out fromof memy own body seeks my life; how much more now this BenjamiteBenjaminite? LetLeave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him.
16:12	Perhaps the Lord will look on my afflictionmisery and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.”
16:13	So David and his men went on the wayroad; and Shimei wentkept alonggoing on the hillside parallelclose withbeside him, and as he went he cursed and castthrew stones and threwdirt dust at him.
16:14	TheAnd the king and all the people who were with him arrived wearyexhausted, and he refreshed himself there.
16:16	Now it came about, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
16:17	But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?”
16:18	ThenSo Hushai said to Absalom, “No! For whomwhomever the Lord, this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I willshall be, and with him I willshall remain.
16:19	Besides, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? AsJust as I have served in your father’s presence, so I willshall be in your presence.”
16:20	Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shallshould we do?”
16:21	Ahithophel said to Absalom, “GoHave inrelations towith your father’s concubines, whom he has left behind to keeptake care of the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odiousrepulsive to your father. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.”
16:22	So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom wenthad inrelations towith his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
16:23	TheNow the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was taken as ifthough one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.
17:1	Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000twelve thousand men thatand Ilet mayme ariseset out and pursue David tonight.
17:2	And I will comeattack upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrifystartle him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike downand kill the king when he is alone,
17:3	and I will bring back all the people back to you. The return of everyone depends on the man whom you seekare seeking; then all the people will be at peace.”
17:4	SoAnd the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
17:5	ThenNevertheless, Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s us hear what he has to say.”
17:6	When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, “Ahithophel has spokenproposed thusthis plan. ShallShould we carry out his plan? If not, yousay speakso yourself.”
17:8	Moreover,Then Hushai said, “You yourself know your father and his men, that they are mightywarriors men and they are fierce, like a bear robbeddeprived of her cubs in the field. And your father is an expert in warfare, and he will not spend the night with the people.
17:9	Behold, he has now hidden himself in one of the cavesravines, or in another place; and it will be that when he falls on them at the first attack, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’!’
17:10	And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heartdespair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
17:11	But I counseladvise that all Israel be surelyfully gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, aslike the sand that is by the sea in abundance,; and that you personally go into battle.
17:12	SoThen we shallwill come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him just as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left.
17:13	IfAnd if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a smallpebble stone is found there.”
17:14	Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counseladvice of Hushai the Archite is better than the counseladvice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwartfoil the good counseladvice of Ahithophel, soin thatorder for the Lord mightto bring calamitydisaster on Absalom.
17:15	Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “This is what Ahithophel counseledadvised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do, and this is what I have counseledadvised.
17:16	Now thereforethen, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the fordsriver crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.’ ”
17:17	Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservantfemale servant would go and tellinform them, and they would go and tellinform King David, for they could not allow themselves to be seen entering the city.
17:18	But a ladboy did see them, and he told Absalom; so the two of them departedleft quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.
17:19	And the woman took a coveringcover and spread it over the well’s mouth and scattered grainbarley meal on it, so that nothing was known.
17:20	Then Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman said to them, “They have crossed the brook of water.” And when they searched and coulddid not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
17:21	It came about after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and toldreported to King David; and they said to David, “AriseSet out and cross over the water quickly, forbecause thusthis is what Ahithophel has counseledadvised against you.”
17:22	Then David and all the people who were with him aroseset out and crossed the Jordan; and by dawn not even one remained who had not crossed the Jordan.
17:23	Now when Ahithophel saw that his counseladvice washad not been followed, he saddled his donkey and aroseset out and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangledhanged himself; thusso he died and was buried in the grave of his father’s grave.
17:25	Absalom setput Amasa overin command of the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who wenthad inrelations towith Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
17:28	brought beds, basins, pottery, wheat, barley, flour, parchedroasted grain, beans, lentils, parchedroasted seeds,
17:29	honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him, to eat;. forFor they said, “The people are hungry and wearyexhausted and thirsty in the wilderness.”
18:1	Then David numberedtook a count of the people who were with him and setappointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
18:2	And David sent the people out, onea third under the command of Joab, onea third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and onea third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surelycertainly go out with you also.”
18:3	But the people said, “You should not go out; for if in fact we indeed flee, they will not care about us; evenand if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; thereforeso now it is better that you will be ready to help us from the city.”
18:5	TheBut the king chargedcommanded Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the people heard when the king chargedcommanded all the commanders concerningregarding Absalom.
18:6	Then the people went out intoto the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
18:7	The people of Israel were defeated there beforeby the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000twenty thousand men.
18:9	Now Absalom happenedencountered to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a greatmassive oak. AndThen his head caught fastfirmly in the oak, soand he was left hanging between heaventhe sky and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going.
18:10	When a certain man saw ithim, he toldinformed Joab and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
18:11	Then Joab said to the man who had toldinformed him, “NowSo behold, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And Iit would have givenbeen my duty to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”
18:12	TheBut the man said to Joab, “Even if I shouldwere to receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king chargedcommanded you, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect for me the young man Absalom for me!’
18:13	Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stoodavoided aloofme.”
18:14	Then Joab said, “I will not waste time here with you.” So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yetstill alive in the midst of the oak.
18:17	TheyAnd they took Absalom and castthrew him into a deep pit in the forest, and erected over him a very greatlarge heappile of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
18:18	Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillarmemorial stone, which is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to preservecontinue my name.” So he named the pillarmemorial stone after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.
18:19	Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and bring the king news that the Lord has freed him from the hand of his enemies.”!”
18:20	But Joab said to him, “You are not the man to carrybring news this day, but you shall carrybring news another day; however, you shall carrybring no news todaythis day, because the king’s son is dead.”
18:22	NowHowever, Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.” And Joab said, “Why would you run, my son, since you will have no messenger’s reward for going?”
18:23	“But whatever happens,” he said, “I will run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed upby the Cushite.
18:24	Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked,; and behold, a man was running by himself.
18:25	TheSo the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.” And he came nearer and nearer.
18:26	Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, another man is running by himself.” And the king said, “This one also is bringing good news.”
18:27	The watchman said, “I think the running form of the first one is like the running form of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “This is a good man, and comeshe is coming with good news.”
18:28	Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well.” And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, “Blessed is the Lord your God, who has deliveredturned upover the men who liftedraised their hands against my lord the king.”
18:29	TheBut the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumultcommotion, but I did not know what it was.”
18:31	BeholdThen behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king receive good news, for the Lord has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.”
18:32	Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “LetMay the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be aslike that young man!”
18:33	The kingThen wasthe deeplyking movedtrembled and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thusthis is what he said as he walked,: “OMy my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! WouldIf only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
19:1	Then it was toldreported to Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and he mourns for Absalom.”
19:2	TheSo the victory that day was turned tointo mourning for all the people, forbecause the people heard it said that day, “The king is grievedin formourning over his son.”
19:3	SoAnd the people wententered by stealth into the city surreptitiously that day, just as people who are humiliated stealsurreptitiously away when they flee in battle.
19:4	TheAnd the king covered his face and cried out with a loud voice, “OMy my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
19:5	Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have coveredshamed with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life today and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines,
19:6	by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shownrevealed today that princescommanders and servants are nothing to you; for I know thistoday day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then youit would be pleasedright as far as you are concerned.
19:7	Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, surelyno not a man will passstay the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evilmisfortune that has comehappened uponto you from your youth until now.”!”
19:8	So the king arosegot up and sat inat the gate. When they told all the people, saying, “Behold, the king is sitting inat the gate,” then all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled, each to his tent.
19:9	AllAnd all the people were quarreling throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king deliveredrescued us from the handhands of our enemies and saved us from the handhands of the Philistines, but now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.
19:11	Then King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the word of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?
19:13	SayAnd say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and more alsoso, if you will not be commander of the army beforefor me continually, in place of Joab.’ ”
19:14	ThusSo he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”
19:15	The king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And the men of Judah came to Gilgal in order to go to meet the king, to bringescort the king across the Jordan.
19:16	Then Shimei the son of Gera, the BenjamiteBenjaminite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
19:17	ThereAnd there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, withand Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they rushed to the Jordan before the king.
19:18	Then they keptcrossed crossing the fordshallow places repeatedly to bring over the king’s household, and to do what was good in his sight. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was about to cross the Jordan.
19:19	SoAnd he said to the king, “LetMay not my lord not consider me guilty, nor remembercall to mind what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king camewent out from Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart.
19:20	For your servant knows that I have sinned; thereforeso behold, I have come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”
19:21	But Abishai the son of Zeruiah saidresponded, “Should Shimei not Shimei be put to death for this, becausethe fact that he cursed the Lord’s anointed?”
19:22	David then said, “What haveis Ithere tobetween doyou withand youme, Oyou sons of Zeruiah, that you should this day be an adversary to me today? Should anyanyone man be put to death in Israel today? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?”
19:23	TheSo the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” ThusThe the king also swore to him.
19:24	Then Mephibosheth the songrandson of Saul came down to meet the king; andbut he had neither caredtended forto his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, fromsince the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.
19:25	ItAnd it was when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”
19:26	So he answeredsaid, “OMy my lord, the king, my servant deceivedbetrayed me; for your servant said, ‘I will saddle athe donkey for myself so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ becausesince your servant iscannot lamewalk.
19:27	MoreoverFurthermore, he has slandered your servant to my lord the king; but my lord the king is like the angel of God, therefore do what is good in your sight.
19:28	For all my father’s household was nothingonly butpeople deadworthy menof beforedeath to my lord the king; yet you setplaced your servant among those who ate at your own table. WhatSo what right do I still have, yet that I should complain anymore to the king?”
19:30	And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.”
19:32	Now Barzillai was very old,: being eighty years old; and he had sustainedprovided the king food while he stayed atin Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.
19:33	TheSo the king said to Barzillai, “You cross over with me, and I will sustainprovide you food in Jerusalem with me.”
19:34	But Barzillai said to the king, “How long havedo I yetstill have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
19:35	I am now eighty years old. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Or can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Or can I still hear anymore the voice of singing men and women singing? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
19:36	Your servant would merely cross over the Jordan with the king. WhySo why should the king compensate me with this reward?
19:37	Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the grave of my father and my mother. However, here is your servant Chimham,; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”
19:38	TheAnd the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what is good in your sight; and whatever you require of me, I will do for you.”
19:41	And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why hadhave our brothers, the men of Judah, stolenabducted you away, and brought the king and his household and all David’s men with him, over the Jordan?”
20:1	Now a worthless fellowman happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a BenjamiteBenjaminite; and he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portionshare in David, Nor do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!”
20:2	So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained steadfastloyal to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.
20:3	Then David came to his house atin Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left behind to keeptake care of the house, and placedput them underin guardcustody and provided them with sustenancefood, but did not gohave inrelations towith them. So they were shutlocked up until the day of their death, living as widows.
20:4	ThenNow the king said to Amasa, “CallSummon out the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”
20:5	So Amasa went to callsummon out the men of Judah, but he was delayed longer than the set time which he had appointeddesignated for him.
20:7	So Joab’s men went out after him, along with the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty menwarriors; and they wentleft out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
20:8	When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it washe had a belt with a sword in its sheath fastenedstrapped on at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out.
20:9	And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it going well withfor you, my brother?” And Joab took hold of Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
20:10	But Amasa was not on guard against the sword which was in Joab’s hand, so he struck him in the belly with it and pouredspilled out his inwardintestines parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother Abishai pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
20:11	Now there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, stood by him and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.”!”
20:12	But Amasa laywas wallowing in his own blood in the middle of the highwayroad. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa from the highwayroad intoto the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.
20:13	As soon as he was removed from the highwayroad, all the men passedwent on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
20:14	Now he went on through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, eventhat is, Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they wereassembled gathered together and also went after him as well.
20:15	TheyAnd they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they castbuilt up aan siegeassault ramp against the city, and it stood byagainst the outer rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall.
20:16	Then a wise woman called out from the city, “HearListen, hearlisten! Please tell Joab, ‘Come here that I may speak with you.’ ”
20:17	So he approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your maidservantslave.” And he answeredsaid, “I am listening.”
20:18	Then she spoke, saying, “FormerlyIn the past they used to say, ‘They will surelyundoubtedly ask advice at Abel,’ and thusthat is how they ended thea dispute.
20:19	I am one of those who are peaceableready for peace and faithful in Israel. You are seekingtrying to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?”
20:20	Joab replied, “Far be it, far be it from me that I shouldwould swallowconsume up or destroy!
20:21	Such is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has liftedraised up his hand against King David. Only handturn him over, and I will depart from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
20:23	Now Joab was overin command of the wholeentire army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
20:24	and Adoram was over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recordersecretary;
20:26	and Ira the Jairite also was also a priest to David.
21:1	Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the Lord. And the Lord said, “It is forbecause of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
21:2	So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel had made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).
21:3	Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonementamends, so that you maywill bless the inheritance of the Lord?”
21:4	Then the Gibeonites said to him, “WeFor haveus noit concernis not a matter of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put anyanyone man to death in Israel.” AndNevertheless heDavid said, “I will do for you whatever you say.”
21:5	So they said to the king, “The man who consumeddestroyed us and who planned to exterminateeliminate us fromso remainingthat we would not exist within any border of Israel,—
21:7	But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.
21:9	Then he gavehanded them intoover theto hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them inon the mountain before the Lord, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.
21:10	And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beastswild ofanimals the field by night.
21:11	When it was toldreported to David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done,
21:12	then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son Jonathan from the mencitizens of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the openpublic square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck downand killed Saul in Gilboa.
21:13	He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from thereJonathan, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
21:14	TheyThen they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son Jonathan in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father Kish; thusSo they did alleverything that the king commanded, and after that God wasresponded movedto by prayer for the land.
21:15	Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel again, David went down, and his servants with him; and aswhen they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.
21:16	Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, washad girdedstrapped withon a new sword, and he intended to kill David.
21:17	But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then theDavid’s men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”
21:18	Now it came about after this that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck downand killed Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant.
21:19	ThereAnd there was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
21:20	ThereAnd there was war at Gath again, where there was a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also had been born to the giant.
21:21	When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck and killed him down.
21:22	These four were born to the giant inat Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
22:1	AndNow David spoke the words of this song to the Lord inon the day that the Lord deliveredhad saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
22:3	My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.
22:5	For the waves of death encompassed me; The torrentsfloods of destruction overwhelmedterrified me;
22:6	The cordsropes of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
22:7	In my distress I called upon the Lord, Yes, I criedcalled out to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears.
22:9	Smoke went up out of His nostrils, FireAnd fire from His mouth devouredwas devouring; Coals were kindled by it.
22:10	He also bowed the heavens alsodown low, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.
22:11	And He rode on a cherub and flew; And He appeared on the wings of the wind.
22:12	And He made darkness canopies around Him, A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
22:15	And He sentshot out arrows, and scattered them, Lightning, and routed them.
22:16	Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laidexposed bare By the rebuke of the Lord, AtFrom the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
22:18	He deliveredrescued me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
22:19	They confronted me inon the day of my calamitydisaster, But the Lord was my support.
22:20	He also brought me forthout into aan broadopen place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
22:21	The Lord has rewardedtreated me accordingin toaccordance with my righteousness; AccordingIn toaccordance with the cleannesscleanliness of my hands He has recompensedrepaid me.
22:23	For all His ordinances were before me, And as for His statutes, I did not departdeviate from them.
22:24	I was also blameless toward Him, And I have kept myself from my iniquitywrongdoing.
22:25	ThereforeSo the Lord has recompensedrepaid me accordingin toaccordance with my righteousness, AccordingIn toaccordance with my cleannesscleanliness before His eyes.
22:26	With the kindone who is faithful You show Yourself kindfaithful, With the blameless one You showprove Yourself blameless;
22:27	With the one who is pure You show Yourself pure, AndBut with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
22:28	And You save an afflicted people; But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abasehumiliate.
22:29	For You are my lamp, O Lord; And the Lord illuminesilluminates my darkness.
22:30	For by You I can run uponat a troop of warriors; By my God I can leap over a wall.
22:31	As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is testedrefined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
22:32	For who is God, besidesexcept the Lord? And who is a rock, besidesexcept our God?
22:33	God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless inon His way.
22:34	He makes my feet like hindsdeer’s feet, And sets me on my high places.
22:38	I pursued my enemies and destroyedeliminated them, And I did not turn back until they were consumedfinished off.
22:39	And I have devoured them and shatteredsmashed them, so that they didwould not rise; And they fell under my feet.
22:40	For You have girdedencircled me with strength for battle; You have subduedforced under me those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
22:42	They looked, but there was noneno one to save them; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
22:43	Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and stampedtrampled them aslike the miremud of the streets.
22:44	You have also deliveredsaved me from the contentions of my people; You have kept me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me.
22:45	Foreigners pretend obedience to obey me; As soon as they hear, they obey me.
22:47	The Lord lives, and blessed be my rockRock; And exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
22:49	Who also brings me out from my enemies; You evenalso liftraise me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent manperson.
22:50	Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, And I will sing praises to Your name.
22:51	He is a tower of deliverancesalvation to His king, And shows lovingkindnessfavor to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.”
23:1	Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, declares,
23:2	“The Spirit of the Lord spoke bythrough me, And His word was on my tongue.
23:3	The God of Israel said, it; The Rock of Israel spoke to me,: ‘He who rules over menmankind righteously, Who rules in the fear of God,
23:4	Is aslike the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the tenderfresh grass springs out of the earth, ThroughFrom sunshine after rain.’
23:5	TrulyIs ismy house not myindeed house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, OrderedProperly ordered in all things, and secured; For allwill He not indeed make All my salvation and all my desire,delight Will He not indeed make it grow?
23:6	But the worthless, every one of them, willare belike thrustscattered away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand;
23:7	ButInstead, the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.”
23:8	These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains,; he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slainwho were killed by him at one time;.
23:9	andAnd after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn.
23:10	He aroserose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and it clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to stripplunder the slaindead.
23:11	Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee, a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into aan trooparmy where there was a plot of groundland full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines.
23:12	But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory.
23:13	Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David inat the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the trooparmy of the Philistines was camping in the valleyValley of Rephaim.
23:15	And David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!”
23:16	So the three mighty men brokeforced throughtheir way into the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and tookcarried it and brought it to David. NeverthelessYet he would not drink it, but poured it out as an offering to the Lord;
23:17	and he said, “BeFar be it far from me, O Lord, that I shouldwould do this.! ShallShould I drink the blood of the men who went inat jeopardythe risk of their lives?” ThereforeSo he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
23:18	Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.
23:19	He was the most honored ofamong the thirty, thereforeso he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the reputation of the three.
23:20	Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mightygreat deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.
23:21	HeAnd he killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.
23:23	He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain tothe reputation of the three. And David appointed him over his guardbodyguard.
23:24	Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; and there was Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
23:39	and Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.
24:1	Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and itHe incited David against them to say, “Go, numbercount Israel and Judah.”
24:2	TheSo the king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, “GoRoam about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and registerconduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.”
24:3	But Joab said to the king, “NowMay may the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king can still see; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”
24:4	Nevertheless, the king’s wordorder prevailed against Joab and against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army wentleft out from the presence of the king to registerconduct a census of the people of Israel.
24:5	They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valleyValley of Gad and toward Jazer.
24:7	andthen they came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba.
24:8	So when they had goneroamed about through the whole land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
24:9	And Joab gave the number of the registrationcensus of the people to the king;: andin Israel there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
24:10	Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numberedcounted the people. So David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please takeoverlook away the iniquityguilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
24:11	When David arosegot up in the morning, the word of the Lord came to Gad the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
24:12	“Go and speak to David, ‘ThusThis is what the Lord says,: “I am offeringimposing upon you three thingschoices; choose for yourself one of them, whichand I will do it to you.” ’ ”
24:13	So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee for three months before your foesenemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilenceof plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”
24:14	Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great,; but do not let me fall into thehuman hand of manhands.”
24:15	So the Lord sent a pestilenceplague upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
24:16	When the angel stretchedextended out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented fromof the calamitydisaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relaxdrop your hand!” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
24:17	Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”!”
24:19	Then David went up accordingin toaccordance with the word of Gad, just as the Lord had commanded.
24:20	And Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; andso Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king.
24:21	Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be heldwithdrawn back from the people.”
24:22	Araunah then said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, here are the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.
24:23	Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God acceptbe favorable to you.”
24:24	However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surelycertainly buy it from you for a price,; for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God whichthat cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
24:25	Then David built there an altar to the Lord, and he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. ThusAnd the Lord wasresponded movedto by prayer for the land, and the plague was heldwithdrawn back from Israel.