Now it came to pass after the death of Saul,
when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and
David had abode two days in Ziklag;
It came even to pass on the third day, that,
behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent,
and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that
he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
And David said unto him, From whence comest
thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I
escaped.
And David said unto him, How went the matter?
I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled
from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead;
and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
And David said unto the young man that told
him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?
And the young man that told him said, As I
happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his
spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after
him.
And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and
called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I
answered him, I am an Amalekite.
He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee,
upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life
is yet whole in me.
So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I
was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I
took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on
his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.
Then David took hold on his clothes, and
rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until
even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the
LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the
sword.
And David said unto the young man that told
him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger,
an Amalekite.
And David said unto him, How wast thou not
afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's
anointed?
And David called one of the young men, and
said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he
died.
And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon
thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have
slain the LORD's anointed.
And David lamented with this lamentation
over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
(Also he bade them teach the children of
Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of
Jasher.)
The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high
places: how are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the
streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew,
neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for
there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of
Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of
the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of
Saul returned not empty.
Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant
in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were
swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who
clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments
of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of
the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
I am distressed for thee, my brother
Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was
wonderful, passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons
of war perished!
And it came to pass after this, that David
enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities
of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said,
Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
So David went up thither, and his two wives
also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the
Carmelite.
And his men that were with him did David
bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the
cities of Hebron.
And the men of Judah came, and there they
anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David,
saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried
Saul.
And David sent messengers unto the men of
Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that
ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and
have buried him.
And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto
you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have
done this thing.
Therefore now let your hands be strengthened,
and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house
of Judah have anointed me king over them.
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's
host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to
Mahanaim;
And made him king over Gilead, and over the
Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin,
and over all Israel.
Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old
when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the
house of Judah followed David.
And the time that David was king in Hebron
over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants
of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to
Gibeon.
And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the
servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of
Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and
the other on the other side of the pool.
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men
now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
Then there arose and went over by number
twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul,
and twelve of the servants of David.
And they caught every one his fellow by the
head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down
together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is
in Gibeon.
And there was a very sore battle that day;
and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of
David.
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there,
Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a
wild roe.
And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going
he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following
Abner.
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art
thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to
thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the
young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn
aside from following of him.
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee
aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the
ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore
Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth
rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there,
and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as
came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner:
and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah,
that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
And the children of Benjamin gathered
themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on
the top of an hill.
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall
the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be
bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou
bid the people return from following their brethren?
And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou
hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up
every one from following his brother.
So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people
stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they
any more.
And Abner and his men walked all that night
through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all
Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.
And Joab returned from following Abner: and
when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of
David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
But the servants of David had smitten of
Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore
men died.
And they took up Asahel, and buried him in
the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and
his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of
day.
Now there was long war between the house of
Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger,
and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and
his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife
of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah
the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's
wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
And it came to pass, while there was war
between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made
himself strong for the house of Saul.
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was
Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner,
Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of
Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do
shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his
brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the
hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning
this woman?
So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as
the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
To translate the kingdom from the house of
Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah,
from Dan even to Beersheba.
And he could not answer Abner a word again,
because he feared him.
And Abner sent messengers to David on his
behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league
with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about
all Israel unto thee.
And he said, Well; I will make a league with
thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see
my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou
comest to see my face.
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth
Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to
me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her
husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.
And her husband went with her along weeping
behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he
returned.
And Abner had communication with the elders
of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king
over you:
Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of
David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my
people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the
hand of all their enemies.
And Abner also spake in the ears of
Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in
Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the
whole house of Benjamin.
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty
men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a
feast.
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and
go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may
make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that
thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in
peace.
And, behold, the servants of David and Joab
came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them:
but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away,
and he was gone in peace.
When Joab and all the host that was with him
were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the
king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
Then Joab came to the king, and said, What
hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou
hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he
came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in,
and to know all that thou doest.
And when Joab was come out from David, he
sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well
of Sirah: but David knew it not.
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab
took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him
there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel
his brother.
And afterward when David heard it, he said,
I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the
blood of Abner the son of Ner:
Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all
his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab
one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a
staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
So Joab, and Abishai his brother slew Abner,
because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the
battle.
And David said to Joab, and to all the
people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with
sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed
the bier.
And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the
king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all
the people wept.
And the king lamented over Abner, and said,
Died Abner as a fool dieth?
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put
into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou.
And all the people wept again over him.
And when all the people came to cause David
to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to
me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be
down.
And all the people took notice of it, and it
pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the
people.
For all the people and all Israel understood
that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of
Ner.
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye
not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in
Israel?
And I am this day weak, though anointed
king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the
LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his
wickedness.
And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead
in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were
troubled.
And Saul's son had two men that were captains
of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other
Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of
Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin.
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were
sojourners there until this day.)
And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was
lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of
Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and
fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell,
and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab
and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house
of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
And they came thither into the midst of the
house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him
under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother
escaped.
For when they came into the house, he lay on
his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and
beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the
plain all night.
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto
David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of
Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and
the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his
seed.
And David answered Rechab and Baanah his
brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As
the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all
adversity,
When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is
dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him,
and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a
reward for his tidings:
How much more, when wicked men have slain a
righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not
therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away
from the earth?
And David commanded his young men, and they
slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them
up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth,
and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
Then came all the tribes of Israel to David
unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy
flesh.
Also in time past, when Saul was king over
us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the
LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt
be a captain over Israel.
So all the elders of Israel came to the king
to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before
the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to
reign, and he reigned forty years.
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years
and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years
over all Israel and Judah.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem
unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto
David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou
shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in
hither.
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of
Zion: the same is the city of David.
And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth
up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the
blind that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and
captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come
into the house.
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the
city of David. And David built round about from Millo and
inward.
And David went on, and grew great, and the
LORD God of hosts was with him.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to
David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built
David an house.
And David perceived that the LORD had
established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his
kingdom for his people Israel's sake.
And David took him more concubines and wives
out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet
sons and daughters born to David.
And these be the names of those that were
born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and
Solomon,
Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and
Japhia,
And Elishama, and Eliada, and
Eliphalet.
But when the Philistines heard that they had
anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to
seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
The Philistines also came and spread
themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And David enquired of the LORD, saying,
Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine
hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless
deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
And David came to Baalperazim, and David
smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine
enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the
name of that place Baalperazim.
And there they left their images, and David
and his men burned them.
And the Philistines came up yet again, and
spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
And when David enquired of the LORD, he
said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and
come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
And let it be, when thou hearest the sound
of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt
bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to
smite the host of the Philistines.
And David did so, as the LORD had commanded
him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to
Gazer.
Again, David gathered together all the chosen
men of Israel, thirty thousand.
And David arose, and went with all the people
that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the
ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts
that dwelleth between the cherubims.
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart,
and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and
Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
And they brought it out of the house of
Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio
went before the ark.
And David and all the house of Israel played
before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even
on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and
on cymbals.
And when they came to Nachon's
threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and
took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against
Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by
the ark of God.
And David was displeased, because the LORD
had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place
Perezuzzah to this day.
And David was afraid of the LORD that day,
and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
So David would not remove the ark of the
LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside
into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
And the ark of the LORD continued in the
house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed
Obededom, and all his household.
And it was told king David, saying, The LORD
hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto
him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the
ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with
gladness.
And it was so, that when they that bare the
ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and
fatlings.
And David danced before the LORD with all
his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
So David and all the house of Israel brought
up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the
trumpet.
And as the ark of the LORD came into the
city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and
saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she
despised him in her heart.
And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and
set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had
pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the LORD.
And as soon as David had made an end of
offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people
in the name of the LORD of hosts.
And he dealt among all the people, even
among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men,
to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a
flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his
house.
Then David returned to bless his household.
And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said,
How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself
to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the
vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
And David said unto Michal, It was before
the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his
house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over
Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
And I will yet be more vile than thus, and
will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou
hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no
child unto the day of her death.
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his
house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his
enemies;
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet,
See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth
within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that
is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
And it came to pass that night, that the word
of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the
LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since
the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt,
even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a
tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with
all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of
Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why
build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my
servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the
sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people,
over Israel:
And I was with thee whithersoever thou
wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and
have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men
that are in the earth.
Moreover I will appoint a place for my
people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place
of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of
wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
And as since the time that I commanded
judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest
from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will
make thee an house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou
shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee,
which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his
kingdom.
He shall build an house for my name, and I
will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my
son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men,
and with the stripes of the children of men:
But my mercy shall not depart away from him,
as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be
established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established
for ever.
According to all these words, and according
to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Then went king David in, and sat before the
LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that
thou hast brought me hitherto?
And this was yet a small thing in thy sight,
O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a
great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord
GOD?
And what can David say more unto thee? for
thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine
own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy
servant know them.
Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for
there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee,
according to all that we have heard with our ears.
And what one nation in the earth is like thy
people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to
himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and
terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to
thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy
people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD,
art become their God.
And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast
spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish
it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
And let thy name be magnified for ever,
saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house
of thy servant David be established before thee.
For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel,
hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house:
therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer
unto thee.
And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and
thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy
servant:
Therefore now let it please thee to bless
the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before
thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing
let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
And after this it came to pass that David
smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah
out of the hand of the Philistines.
And he smote Moab, and measured them with a
line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured
he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so
the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob,
king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river
Euphrates.
And David took from him a thousand chariots,
and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David
houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred
chariots.
And when the Syrians of Damascus came to
succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and
twenty thousand men.
Then David put garrisons in Syria of
Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought
gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
And David took the shields of gold that were
on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of
Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had
smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David,
to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against
Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And
Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and
vessels of brass:
Which also king David did dedicate unto the
LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations
which he subdued;
Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children
of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil
of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
And David gat him a name when he returned
from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen
thousand men.
And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all
Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's
servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
And David reigned over all Israel; and David
executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the
host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech
the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the
scribe;
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over
both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were
chief rulers.
And David said, Is there yet any that is left
of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's
sake?
And there was of the house of Saul a servant
whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the
king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is
he.
And the king said, Is there not yet any of
the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?
And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame
on his feet.
And the king said unto him, Where is he? And
Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the
son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
Then king David sent, and fetched him out of
the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan,
the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did
reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold
thy servant!
And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will
surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will
restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat
bread at my table continually.
And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy
servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I
am?
Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant,
and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that
pertained to Saul and to all his house.
Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy
servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the
fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but
Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table.
Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Then said Ziba unto the king, According to
all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy
servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my
table, as one of the king's sons.
And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name
was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants
unto Mephibosheth.
So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he
did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his
feet.
And it came to pass after this, that the
king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in
his stead.
Then said David, I will shew kindness unto
Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And
David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his
father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of
Ammon.
And the princes of the children of Ammon
said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour
thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David
rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy
it out, and to overthrow it?
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and
shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments
in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
When they told it unto David, he sent to
meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said,
Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
And when the children of Ammon saw that they
stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the
Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand
footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve
thousand men.
And when David heard of it, he sent Joab,
and all the host of the mighty men.
And the children of Ammon came out, and put
the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians
of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves
in the field.
When Joab saw that the front of the battle
was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men
of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
And the rest of the people he delivered
into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in
array against the children of Ammon.
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong
for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be
too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
Be of good courage, and let us play the men
for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that
which seemeth him good.
And Joab drew nigh, and the people that
were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled
before him.
And when the children of Ammon saw that the
Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered
into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and
came to Jerusalem.
And when the Syrians saw that they were
smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.
And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the
Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and
Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
And when it was told David, he gathered all
Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the
Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with
him.
And the Syrians fled before Israel; and
David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and
forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their
host, who died there.
And when all the kings that were servants
to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made
peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help
the children of Ammon any more.
And it came to pass, after the year was
expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent
Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed
the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still
at Jerusalem.
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that
David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the
king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and
the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent and enquired after the woman.
And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the
wife of Uriah the Hittite?
And David sent messengers, and took her; and
she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified
from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
And the woman conceived, and sent and told
David, and said, I am with child.
And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me
Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
And when Uriah was come unto him, David
demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the
war prospered.
And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy
house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's
house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
But Uriah slept at the door of the king's
house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his
house.
And when they had told David, saying, Uriah
went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou
not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine
house?
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and
Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the
servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then
go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife?
as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this
thing.
And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day
also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in
Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
And when David had called him, he did eat
and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went
out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not
down to his house.
And it came to pass in the morning, that
David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of
Uriah.
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye
Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from
him, that he may be smitten, and die.
And it came to pass, when Joab observed the
city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that
valiant men were.
And the men of the city went out, and
fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants
of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told David all the
things concerning the war;
And charged the messenger, saying, When
thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the
king,
And if so be that the king's wrath arise,
and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city
when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the
wall?
Who smote Abimelech the son of
Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him
from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall?
then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
So the messenger went, and came and shewed
David all that Joab had sent him for.
And the messenger said unto David, Surely
the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field,
and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
And the shooters shot from off the wall
upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy
servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus
shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for
the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more
strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou
him.
And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah
her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
And when the mourning was past, David sent
and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him
a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he
came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city;
the one rich, and the other poor.
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and
herds:
But the poor man had nothing, save one
little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew
up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own
meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto
him as a daughter.
And there came a traveller unto the rich
man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to
dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the
poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to
him.
And David's anger was greatly kindled
against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man
that hath done this thing shall surely die:
And he shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over
Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy
master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel
and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover
have given unto thee such and such things.
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment
of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the
Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and
hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Now therefore the sword shall never depart
from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the
wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise
up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy
wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he
shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
For thou didst it secretly: but I will do
this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned
against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath
put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast
given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the
child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
And Nathan departed unto his house. And the
LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was
very sick.
David therefore besought God for the child;
and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the
earth.
And the elders of his house arose, and went
to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither
did he eat bread with them.
And it came to pass on the seventh day,
that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him
that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was
yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our
voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child
is dead?
But when David saw that his servants
whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David
said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is
dead.
Then David arose from the earth, and
washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came
into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own
house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did
eat.
Then said his servants unto him, What thing
is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the
child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst
rise and eat bread.
And he said, While the child was yet alive,
I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be
gracious to me, that the child may live?
But now he is dead, wherefore should I
fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall
not return to me.
And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and
went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he
called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the
prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the
children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
And Joab sent messengers to David, and
said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of
waters.
Now therefore gather the rest of the people
together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the
city, and it be called after my name.
And David gathered all the people together,
and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
And he took their king's crown from off his
head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious
stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the
spoil of the city in great abundance.
And he brought forth the people that were
therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and
under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and
thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David
and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom
the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon
the son of David loved her.
And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick
for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it
hard for him to do anything to her.
But Amnon had a friend, whose name was
Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very
subtil man.
And he said unto him, Why art thou, being
the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And
Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's
sister.
And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on
thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see
thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give
me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat
it at her hand.
So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick:
and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I
pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes
in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go
now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat.
So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house;
and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made
cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
And she took a pan, and poured them out
before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men
from me. And they went out every man from him.
And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat
into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the
cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to
Amnon her brother.
And when she had brought them unto him to
eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my
sister.
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do
not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not
thou this folly.
And I, whither shall I cause my shame to
go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel.
Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not
withhold me from thee.
Howbeit he would not hearken unto her
voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with
her.
Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that
the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love
wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be
gone.
And she said unto him, There is no cause:
this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou
didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
Then he called his servant that ministered
unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the
door after her.
And she had a garment of divers colours
upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were
virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted
the door after her.
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent
her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on
her head, and went on crying.
And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath
Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my
sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained
desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
But when king David heard of all these
things, he was very wroth.
And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon
neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had
forced his sister Tamar.
And it came to pass after two full years,
that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside
Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons.
And Absalom came to the king, and said,
Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech
thee, and his servants go with thy servant.
And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son,
let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he
pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.
Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let
my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should
he go with thee?
But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon
and all the king's sons go with him.
Now Absalom had commanded his servants,
saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when
I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I
commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon
as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every
man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
And it came to pass, while they were in the
way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the
king's sons, and there is not one of them left.
Then the king arose, and tare his garments,
and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their
clothes rent.
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's
brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have
slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead:
for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from
the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
Now therefore let not my lord the king take
the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead:
for Amnon only is dead.
But Absalom fled. And the young man that
kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there
came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.
And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the
king's sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made
an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted
up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants
wept very sore.
But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the
son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every
day.
So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and
was there three years.
And the soul of king David longed to go
forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing
he was dead.
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that
the king's heart was toward Absalom.
And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence
a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a
mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself
with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the
dead:
And come to the king, and speak on this
manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the
king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and
said, Help, O king.
And the king said unto her, What aileth
thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband
is dead.
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two
strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but
the one smote the other, and slew him.
And, behold, the whole family is risen
against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his
brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he
slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench
my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither
name nor remainder upon the earth.
And the king said unto the woman, Go to
thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king,
My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house:
and the king and his throne be guiltless.
And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto
thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
Then said she, I pray thee, let the king
remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the
revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son.
And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy
son fall to the earth.
Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I
pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say
on.
And the woman said, Wherefore then hast
thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king
doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth
not fetch home again his banished.
For we must needs die, and are as water
spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither
doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his
banished be not expelled from him.
Now therefore that I am come to speak of
this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have
made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the
king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his
handmaid.
For the king will hear, to deliver his
handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my
son together out of the inheritance of God.
Then thine handmaid said, The word of my
lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so
is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy
God will be with thee.
Then the king answered and said unto the
woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask
thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab
with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul
liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the
left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant
Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine
handmaid:
To fetch about this form of speech hath thy
servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the
wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the
earth.
And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I
have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom
again.
And Joab fell to the ground on his face,
and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy
servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O
king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his
servant.
So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and
brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
And the king said, Let him turn to his own
house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own
house, and saw not the king's face.
But in all Israel there was none to be so
much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot
even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
And when he polled his head, (for it was at
every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on
him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at
two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
And unto Absalom there were born three
sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a
fair countenance.
So Absalom dwelt two full years in
Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have
sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he
sent again the second time, he would not come.
Therefore he said unto his servants, See,
Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it
on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto
his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my
field on fire?
And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent
unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king,
to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to
have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face;
and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
So Joab came to the king, and told him: and
when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed
himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king
kissed Absalom.
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom
prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before
him.
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside
the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a
controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto
him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is
of one of the tribes of Israel.
And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters
are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear
thee.
Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made
judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause
might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
And it was so, that when any man came nigh
to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him,
and kissed him.
And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel
that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of
the men of Israel.
And it came to pass after forty years, that
Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow,
which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at
Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to
Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.
And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So
he arose, and went to Hebron.
But Absalom sent spies throughout all the
tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the
trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
And with Absalom went two hundred men out
of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity,
and they knew not any thing.
And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the
Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while
he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the
people increased continually with Absalom.
And there came a messenger to David,
saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
And David said unto all his servants that
were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall
not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he
overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city
with the edge of the sword.
And the king's servants said unto the king,
Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king
shall appoint.
And the king went forth, and all his
household after him. And the king left ten women, which were
concubines, to keep the house.
And the king went forth, and all the people
after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
And all his servants passed on beside him;
and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the
Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on
before the king.
Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite,
Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide
with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.
Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I
this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I
may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be
with thee.
And Ittai answered the king, and said, As
the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what
place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even
there also will thy servant be.
And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over.
And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the
little ones that were with him.
And all the country wept with a loud voice,
and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over
the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of
the wilderness.
And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were
with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down
the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done
passing out of the city.
And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back
the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of
the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his
habitation:
But if he thus say, I have no delight in
thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto
him.
The king said also unto Zadok the priest,
Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two
sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of
Abiathar.
See, I will tarry in the plain of the
wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.
Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the
ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
And David went up by the ascent of mount
Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he
went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every
man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is
among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray
thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
And it came to pass, that when David was
come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold,
Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth
upon his head:
Unto whom David said, If thou passest on
with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:
But if thou return to the city, and say
unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy
father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then
mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and
Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever
thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to
Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
Behold, they have there with them their two
sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them
ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.
So Hushai David's friend came into the
city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
And when David was a little past the top of
the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a
couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread,
and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits,
and a bottle of wine.
And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest
thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household
to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to
eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may
drink.
And the king said, And where is thy master's
son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem:
for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the
kingdom of my father.
Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine
are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly
beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O
king.
And when king David came to Bahurim, behold,
thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose
name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still
as he came.
And he cast stones at David, and at all the
servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men
were on his right hand and on his left.
And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come
out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
The LORD hath returned upon thee all the
blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and
the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy
son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art
a bloody man.
Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto
the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me
go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
And the king said, What have I to do with
you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath
said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou
done so?
And David said to Abishai, and to all his
servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my
life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone,
and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
It may be that the LORD will look on mine
affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing
this day.
And as David and his men went by the way,
Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed
as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.
And the king, and all the people that were
with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.
And Absalom, and all the people the men of
Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
And it came to pass, when Hushai the
Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said
unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.
And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy
kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom
the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his
will I be, and with him will I abide.
And again, whom should I serve? should I
not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy
father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.
Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give
counsel among you what we shall do.
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in
unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house;
and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father:
then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top
of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in
the sight of all Israel.
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he
counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the
oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David
and with Absalom.
Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let
me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue
after David this night:
And I will come upon him while he is weary
and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that
are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
And I will bring back all the people unto
thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the
people shall be in peace.
And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all
the elders of Israel.
Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the
Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom
spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner:
shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou.
And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel
that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.
For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father
and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their
minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father
is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in
some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be
overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There
is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
And he also that is valiant, whose heart is
as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth
that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are
valiant men.
Therefore I counsel that all Israel be
generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the
sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle
in thine own person.
So shall we come upon him in some place
where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew
falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with
him there shall not be left so much as one.
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then
shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into
the river, until there be not one small stone found there.
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said,
The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of
Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel
of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon
Absalom.
Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar
the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the
elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David,
saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but
speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the
people that are with him.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel;
for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went
and told them; and they went and told king David.
Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told
Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a
man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they
went down.
And the woman took and spread a covering
over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the
thing was not known.
And when Absalom's servants came to the
woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And
the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And
when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to
Jerusalem.
And it came to pass, after they were
departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king
David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water:
for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
Then David arose, and all the people that
were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light
there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel
was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home
to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and
hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his
father.
Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom
passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host
instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra
an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash,
sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land
of Gilead.
And it came to pass, when David was come to
Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of
Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the
Gileadite of Rogelim,
Brought beds, and basons, and earthen
vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and
beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and
cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him,
to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and
thirsty, in the wilderness.
And David numbered the people that were with
him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over
them.
And David sent forth a third part of the
people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of
Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under
the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I
will surely go forth with you myself also.
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go
forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if
half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten
thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out
of the city.
And the king said unto them, What seemeth
you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all
the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and
Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even
with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the
captains charge concerning Absalom.
So the people went out into the field
against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
Where the people of Israel were slain before
the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that
day of twenty thousand men.
For the battle was there scattered over the
face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day
than the sword devoured.
And Absalom met the servants of David. And
Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs
of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was
taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was
under him went away.
And a certain man saw it, and told Joab,
and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
And Joab said unto the man that told him,
And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him
there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of
silver, and a girdle.
And the man said unto Joab, Though I should
receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not
put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the
king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none
touch the young man Absalom.
Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood
against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king,
and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with
thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through
the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the
oak.
And ten young men that bare Joab's armour
compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people
returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the
people.
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a
great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon
him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and
reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he
said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called
the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day,
Absalom's place.
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me
now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged
him of his enemies.
And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear
tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this
day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is
dead.
Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king
what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and
ran.
Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet
again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after
Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that
thou hast no tidings ready?
But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he
said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and
overran Cushi.
And David sat between the two gates: and
the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running
alone.
And the watchman cried, and told the king.
And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.
And he came apace, and drew near.
And the watchman saw another man running:
and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another
man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth
tidings.
And the watchman said, Me thinketh the
running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of
Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good
tidings.
And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king,
All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the
king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered
up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
And the king said, Is the young man Absalom
safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and
me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it
was.
And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and
stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said,
Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day
of all them that rose up against thee.
And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young
man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the
king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that
young man is.
And the king was much moved, and went up to
the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said,
O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for
thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
And it was told Joab, Behold, the king
weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
And the victory that day was turned into
mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how
the king was grieved for his son.
And the people gat them by stealth that day
into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in
battle.
But the king covered his face, and the king
cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my
son!
And Joab came into the house to the king,
and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants,
which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and
of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy
concubines;
In that thou lovest thine enemies, and
hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou
regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive,
that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it
had pleased thee well.
Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak
comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go
not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that
will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy
youth until now.
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate.
And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth
sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for
Israel had fled every man to his tent.
And all the people were at strife throughout
all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand
of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the
Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is
dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing
the king back?
And king David sent to Zadok and to
Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah,
saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house?
seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his
house.
Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my
flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?
And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my
bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be
not captain of the host before me continually in the room of
Joab.
And he bowed the heart of all the men of
Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word
unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.
So the king returned, and came to Jordan.
And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the
king over Jordan.
And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite,
which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to
meet king David.
And there were a thousand men of Benjamin
with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his
fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over
Jordan before the king.
And there went over a ferry boat to carry
over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And
Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come
over Jordan;
And said unto the king, Let not my lord
impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy
servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of
Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
For thy servant doth know that I have
sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the
house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and
said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed
the LORD's anointed?
And David said, What have I to do with you,
ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me?
shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not
I know that I am this day king over Israel?
Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou
shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down
to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his
beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until
the day he came again in peace.
And it came to pass, when he was come to
Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore
wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?
And he answered, My lord, O king, my
servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass,
that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is
lame.
And he hath slandered thy servant unto my
lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do
therefore what is good in thine eyes.
For all of my father's house were but dead
men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among
them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I
yet to cry any more unto the king?
And the king said unto him, Why speakest
thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the
land.
And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea,
let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in
peace unto his own house.
And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from
Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over
Jordan.
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even
fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance
while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou
over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
And Barzillai said unto the king, How long
have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto
Jerusalem?
I am this day fourscore years old: and can
I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat
or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and
singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden
unto my lord the king?
Thy servant will go a little way over
Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with
such a reward?
Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back
again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave
of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let
him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem
good unto thee.
And the king answered, Chimham shall go
over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto
thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for
thee.
And all the people went over Jordan. And
when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed
him; and he returned unto his own place.
Then the king went on to Gilgal, and
Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the
king, and also half the people of Israel.
And, behold, all the men of Israel came to
the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of
Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his
household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?
And all the men of Judah answered the men
of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be
ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost?
or hath he given us any gift?
And the men of Israel answered the men of
Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also
more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our
advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the
words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of
Israel.
And there happened to be there a man of
Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and
he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have
we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O
Israel.
So every man of Israel went up from after
David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah
clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem;
and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to
keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in
unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living
in widowhood.
Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the
men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah:
but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed
him.
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba
the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy
lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced
cities, and escape us.
And there went out after him Joab's men, and
the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and
they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of
Bichri.
When they were at the great stone which is
in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had
put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword
fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth
it fell out.
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health,
my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to
kiss him.
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that
was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and
shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he
died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son
of Bichri.
And one of Joab's men stood by him, and
said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go
after Joab.
And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of
the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still,
he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a
cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood
still.
When he was removed out of the highway, all
the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of
Bichri.
And he went through all the tribes of
Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they
were gathered together, and went also after him.
And they came and besieged him in Abel of
Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood
in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the
wall, to throw it down.
Then cried a wise woman out of the city,
Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I
may speak with thee.
And when he was come near unto her, the
woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said
unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do
hear.
Then she spake, saying, They were wont to
speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel:
and so they ended the matter.
I am one of them that are peaceable and
faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in
Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far
be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
The matter is not so: but a man of mount
Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand
against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will
depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his
head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
Then the woman went unto all the people in
her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri,
and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired
from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to
Jerusalem unto the king.
Now Joab was over all the host of Israel:
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over
the Pelethites:
And Adoram was over the tribute: and
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and
Abiathar were the priests:
And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler
about David.
Then there was a famine in the days of David
three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And
the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house,
because he slew the Gibeonites.
And the king called the Gibeonites, and said
unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel,
but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had
sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the
children of Israel and Judah.)
Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites,
What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement,
that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will
have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us
shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say,
that will I do for you.
And they answered the king, The man that
consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be
destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto
us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom
the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of
Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was
between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the
daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth;
and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought
up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
And he delivered them into the hands of the
Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and
they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of
harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley
harvest.
And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took
sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning
of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and
suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor
the beasts of the field by night.
And it was told David what Rizpah the
daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
And David went and took the bones of Saul
and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead,
which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the
Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in
Gilboa:
And he brought up from thence the bones of
Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones
of them that were hanged.
And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son
buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre
of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded.
And after that God was intreated for the land.
Moreover the Philistines had yet war again
with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and
fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of
the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels
of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to
have slain David.
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured
him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of
David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to
battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
And it came to pass after this, that there
was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the
Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.
And there was again a battle in Gob with
the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a
Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of
whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
And there was yet a battle in Gath, where
was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and
on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was
born to the giant.
And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son
of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.
These four were born to the giant in Gath,
and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his
servants.
And David spake unto the LORD the words of
this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the
hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my
fortress, and my deliverer;
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he
is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my
refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
When the waves of death compassed me, the
floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the
snares of death prevented me;
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and
cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my
cry did enter into his ears.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the
foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,
and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down;
and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and
he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
And he made darkness pavilions round about
him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
Through the brightness before him were
coals of fire kindled.
The LORD thundered from heaven, and the
most High uttered his voice.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;
lightning, and discomfited them.
And the channels of the sea appeared, the
foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the
LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me
out of many waters;
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and
from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
They prevented me in the day of my
calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a large
place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD rewarded me according to my
righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he
recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and
have not wickedly departed from my God.
For all his judgments were before me: and
as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
I was also upright before him, and have
kept myself from mine iniquity.
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me
according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye
sight.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself
merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself
upright.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;
and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save:
but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them
down.
For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD
will lighten my darkness.
For by thee I have run through a troop: by
my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of
the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in
him.
For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a
rock, save our God?
God is my strength and power: and he maketh
my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and
setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow
of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so
that my feet did not slip.
I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed
them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them,
that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
For thou hast girded me with strength to
battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under
me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
They looked, but there was none to save;
even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
Then did I beat them as small as the dust
of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did
spread them abroad.
Thou also hast delivered me from the
strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the
heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me:
as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall
be afraid out of their close places.
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock;
and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
It is God that avengeth me, and that
bringeth down the people under me.
And that bringeth me forth from mine
enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose
up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O
LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy
name.
He is the tower of salvation for his king:
and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for
evermore.
Now these be the last words of David. David
the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the
anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel,
said,
The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his
word was in my tongue.
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel
spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the
fear of God.
And he shall be as the light of the morning,
when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender
grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
Although my house be not so with God; yet he
hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although
he make it not to grow.
But the sons of Belial shall be all of them
as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with
hands:
But the man that shall touch them must be
fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be
utterly burned with fire in the same place.
These be the names of the mighty men whom
David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the
captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear
against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo
the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they
defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle,
and the men of Israel were gone away:
He arose, and smote the Philistines until
his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD
wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him
only to spoil.
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee
the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a
troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people
fled from the Philistines.
But he stood in the midst of the ground,
and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a
great victory.
And three of the thirty chief went down,
and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and
the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
And David was then in an hold, and the
garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
And David longed, and said, Oh that one
would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate!
And the three mighty men brake through the
host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of
Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to
David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out
unto the LORD.
And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD,
that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went
in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These
things did these three mighty men.
And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son
of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear
against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among
three.
Was he not most honourable of three?
therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the
first three.
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of
a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two
lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the
midst of a pit in time of snow:
And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and
the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with
a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew
him with his own spear.
These things did Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.
He was more honourable than the thirty, but
he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his
guard.
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the
thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
Shammah the Harodite, Elika the
Harodite,
Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh
the Tekoite,
Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the
Hushathite,
Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the
Netophathite,
Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite,
Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of
Benjamin,
Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the
brooks of Gaash,
Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the
Barhumite,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of
Jashen, Jonathan,
Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of
Sharar the Hararite,
Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of
the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the
Arbite,
Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the
Gadite,
Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite,
armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,
And again the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number
Israel and Judah.
For the king said to Joab the captain of the
host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel,
from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may
know the number of the people.
And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD
thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an
hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but
why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed
against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and
the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to
number the people of Israel.
And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in
Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the
river of Gad, and toward Jazer:
Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of
Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to
all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went
out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.
So when they had gone through all the land,
they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty
days.
And Joab gave up the sum of the number of
the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred
thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were
five hundred thousand men.
And David's heart smote him after that he
had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have
sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O
LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very
foolishly.
For when David was up in the morning, the
word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer,
saying,
Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD,
I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do
it unto thee.
So Gad came to David, and told him, and
said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy
land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while
they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy
land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that
sent me.
And David said unto Gad, I am in a great
strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies
are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel
from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the
people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
And when the angel stretched out his hand
upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil,
and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay
now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace
of Araunah the Jebusite.
And David spake unto the LORD when he saw
the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I
have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine
hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's
house.
And Gad came that day to David, and said
unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor
of Araunah the Jebusite.
And David, according to the saying of Gad,
went up as the LORD commanded.
And Araunah looked, and saw the king and
his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed
himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the
king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor
of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be
stayed from the people.
And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord
the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here
be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other
instruments of the oxen for wood.
All these things did Araunah, as a king,
give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy
God accept thee.
And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I
will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt
offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.
So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty she
