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 Chapter 1
1:1 And it came to pass after Saul was
dead, that David returned from smiting Amalec, and David abode two days in
Sekelac. 2 And it came to pass on
the third day, that, behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul,
and his garments were rent, and earth was upon his head: and it came to
pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and did obeisance to
him.
3 And David said to him, Whence comest
thou? and he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.
4 And David said to him, What is the
matter? tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the battle, and many of the
people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.
5 And David said to the young man who
brought him the tidings, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are
dead? 6 And the young man that
brought the tidings, said to him, I happened accidentally to be upon mount
Gelbue; and, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and, behold, the chariots
and captains of horse pressed hard upon him. 7
And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called me; and I said,
Behold, here am I. 8 And he
said to me, Who art thou? and I said, I am an Amalekite. 9
And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay
me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life is in me.
10 So I stood over him and slew him,
because I knew he would not live after he was fallen; and I took the crown that
was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and I have brought
them hither to my lord.
11 And David laid hold of his garments,
and rent them; and all the men who were with him rent their garments.
12 And they lamented, and wept, and fasted
till evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Juda, and
for the house of Israel, because they were smitten with the sword.
13 And David said to the young man who
brought the tidings to him, Whence art thou? and he said, I am the son of an
Amalekite sojourner.
14 And David said to him, How was it
thou wast not afraid to lift thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord?
15 And David called one of his young
men, and said, Go and fall upon him: and he smote him, and he died.
16 And David said to him, Thy blood be
upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have
slain the anointed of the Lord.
17 And David lamented with this
lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. 18
And he gave orders to teach it the sons of Juda: behold, it is
written in the book of Right.
19 Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the
slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Geth, and tell it not as
glad tidings in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines
rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gelbue, let not dew no rain descend
upon you, nor fields of first-fruits be upon you, for there the shield of
the mighty ones has been grievously assailed; the shield of Saul was not
anointed with oil. 22 From the blood
of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not
empty; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty. 23
Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not
divided: comely were they in their life, and in their death they were not
divided: they were swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than
lions. 24 Daughters of Israel, weep
for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added
golden ornaments to your apparel. 25
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan,
even the slain ones upon thy high places! 26
I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou wast very lovely
to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women.
27 How are the mighty fallen, and the
weapons of war perished!
Chapter 2
2:1 And it came to pass after this that
David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda?
and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he
said, To Chebron. 2 And David went
up thither to Chebron, he and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess,
and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite, 3
and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and
they dwelt in the cities of Chebron.
4 And the men of Judea come, and anoint
David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying,
The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
5 And David sent messengers to the rulers
of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be ye of the
Lord, because ye have wrought this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the
anointed of the Lord, and ye have buried him and Jonathan his son.
6 And now may the Lord deal in mercy and
truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because
ye have done this. 7 And now let
your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and
moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
8 But Abenner, the son of Ner, the
commander-in-chief of Saul’s army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up
from the camp to Manaem 9 and made
him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over
Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10
Jebosthe, Saul’s son was forty years old, when he reigned
over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who
followed David.
11 And the days which David reigned in
Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
12 And Abenner the son of Ner went
forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
13 And Joab the son of Saruia, and
the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of
Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and
those by the fountain on that side. 14
And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play
before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 15
And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children
of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants
of David. 16 And they seized every
one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword was thrust
into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of
that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
17 And the battle was very severe on
that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of
David. 18 And there were there the
three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his
feet as a roe in the field.
19 And Asael followed after Abenner, and
turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
20 And Abenner looked behind him, and said,
Art thou Asael himself? and he said, I am. 21
And Abenner said to him, Turn thou to the right hand or to the
left, and lay hold for thyself on one of the young men, and take to thyself his
armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
22 And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from
me, lest I smite thee to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab?
23 And what does this mean? return
to Joab thy brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with
the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and
he falls there and dies on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that
came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still.
24 And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun
went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of
Gai, by the desert way of Gabaon.
25 And the children of Benjamin who
followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one
body, and stood on the top of a hill. 26
And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour
perpetually? knowest thou not that it will be bitter at last? How long then wilt
thou refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?
27 And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if
thou hadst not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one
from following his brother. 28 And
Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after
Israel, and did not fight any longer.
29 And Abenner and his men departed at
evening, and went all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along
the whole adjacent country, and they come to the camp.
30 And Joab returned from following Abenner,
and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David,
nineteen men, and Asael. 31 And the
servants of David smote of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner,
three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
32 And they take up Asael, and bury him
in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all
the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.
Chapter 3
3:1 And there was war for a long time
between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David grew
continually stronger; but the house of Saul grew continually weaker.
2 And sons were born to David in Chebron:
and his first-born was Ammon the son of Achinoom the Jezraelitess.
3 And his second son was Daluia, the
son of Abigaia the Carmelitess; and the third, Abessalom the son of Maacha the
daughter of Tholmi the king of Gessir. 4
And the fourth was Ornia, the son of Aggith, and the fifth
was Saphatia, the son of Abital. 5
And the sixth was Jetheraam, the son of Ægal the wife of
David. These were born to David in Chebron.
6 And it came to pass while there was
war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abenner was governing
the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a
concubine, Respha, the daughter of Jol; and Jebosthe the son of Saul said to
Abenner, Why hast thou gone in to my father’s concubine? 8
And Abenner was very angry with Jebosthe for this saying;
and Abenner said to him, Am I a dog’s head? I have this day wrought kindness
with the house of Saul thy father, and with his brethren and friends, and have
not gone over to the house of David, and dost thou this day seek a charge
against me concerning injury to a woman? 9
God do thus and more also to Abenner, if as the Lord swore to
David, so do I not to him this day; 10
to take away the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to raise up
the throne of David over Israel and over Juda from Dan to Bersabee.
11 And Jebosthe could not any longer answer
Abenner a word, because he feared him.
12 And Abenner sent messengers to David
to Thaelam where he was, immediately, saying, Make thy covenant with me, and,
behold, my hand is with thee to bring back to thee all the house of
Israel. 13 And David said, With a
good will I will make with thee a covenant: only I demand one condition of thee,
saying, Thou shalt not see my face, unless thou bring Melchol the daughter of
Saul, when thou comest to see my face. 14
And David sent messengers to Jebosthe the son of Saul, saying,
Restore me my wife Melchol, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of the
Philistines. 15 And Jebosthe sent,
and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Selle.
16 And her husband went with her
weeping behind her as far as Barakim. And Abenner said to him, Go, return; and
he returned.
17 And Abenner spoke to the elders of
Israel, saying, In former days ye sought David to reign over you;
18 and now perform it: for the Lord
has spoken concerning David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save
Israel out of the hand of all their enemies. 19
And Abenner spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abenner went to
speak in the ears of David at Chebron, all that seemed good in the eyes of
Israel and in the eyes of the house of Benjamin. 20
And Abenner came to David to Chebron, and with him twenty men:
and David made for Abenner and his men with him a banquet of wine.
21 And Abenner said to David, I will arise
now, and go, and gather to my lord the king all Israel; and I will make with him
a covenant, and thou shalt reign over all whom thy soul desires. And David sent
away Abenner, and he departed in peace.
22 And, behold, the servants of David
and Joab arrived from their expedition, and they brought much spoil with them:
and Abenner was not with David in Chebron, because he had sent him away, and he
had departed in peace. 23 And Joab
and all his army came, and it was reported to Joab, saying, Abenner the son of
Ner is come to David, and David has let him go, and he has departed in peace.
24 And Joab went in to the king, and
said, What is this that thou hast done? behold, Abenner came to
thee; and why hast thou let him go, and he has departed in peace?
25 Knowest thou not the mischief of Abenner
the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy
coming in, and to know all things that thou doest?
26 And Joab returned from David, and
sent messengers to Abenner after him; and they bring him back from the
well of Seiram: but David knew it not. 27
And he brought back Abenner to Chebron, and Joab caused him to
turn aside from the gate to speak to him, laying wait for him: and he smote him
there in the loins, and he died for the blood of Asael the brother of Joab.
28 And David heard of it
afterwards, and said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord even for
ever of the blood of Abenner the son of Ner. 29
Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his
father; and let there not be wanting of the house of Joab one that has an issue,
or a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that wants
bread. 30 For Joab and Abessa his
brother laid wait continually for Abenner, because he slew Asael their brother
at Gabaon in the battle.
31 And David said to Joab and to all the
people with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and
lament before Abenner. And king David followed the bier.
32 And they bury Abenner in Chebron: and the king lifted
up his voice, and wept at his tomb, and all the people wept for Abenner.
33 And the king mourned over Abenner,
and said, Shall Abenner die according to the death of Nabal?
34 Thy hands were not bound, and thy feet
were not put in fetters: one brought thee not near
as Nabal; thou didst fall before children of iniquity. 35
And all the people assembled to weep for him. And all the
people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day: and David swore,
saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I eat bread or any thing else before
the sun goes down. 36 And all the
people took notice, and all things that the king did before the people were
pleasing in their sight. 37 So all
the people and all Israel perceived in that day, that it was not of the king to
slay Abenner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants,
Know ye not that a great prince is this day fallen in Israel?
39 And that I am this day a mere
kinsman of his, and as it were a subject; but these men the sons
of Saruia are too hard for me: the Lord reward the evil-doer according to his
wickedness.
Chapter 4
4:1 And Jebosthe the son of Saul heard
that Abenner the son of Ner had died in Chebron; and his hands were paralyzed,
and all the men of Israel grew faint. 2
And Jebosthe the son of Saul had two men that were captains of
bands: the name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab,
sons of Remmon the Berothite of the children of Benjamin; for Beroth was
reckoned to the children of Benjamin. 3
And the Berothites ran away to Gethaim, and were sojourners there
until this day.
4 And Jonathan Saul’s son had a
son lame of his feet, five years old, and he was in the way when the news
of Saul and Jonathan his son came from Jezrael, and his nurse took him up, and
fled; and it came to pass as he hasted and retreated, that he fell, and was
lamed. And his name was Memphibosthe.
5 And Rechab and Baana the sons of
Remmon the Berothite went, and they came in the heat of the day into the house
of Jebosthe; and he was sleeping on a bed at noon. 6
And, behold, the porter of the house winnowed wheat, and
he slumbered and slept: and the brothers Rechab and Baana went privily into the
house: 7 And Jebosthe was sleeping
on his bed in his chamber: and they smite him, and slay him, and take off his
head: and they took his head, and went all the night by the western road.
8 And they brought the head of Jebosthe
to David to Chebron, and they said to the king, Behold the head of Jebosthe the
son of Saul thy enemy, who sought thy life; and the Lord has executed for my
lord the king vengeance on his enemies, as it is this day: even on Saul
thy enemy, and on his seed.
9 And David answered and Rechab and
Baana his brother, the sons of Remmon the Berothite, and said to them, As
the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all affliction;
10 he that reported to me that Saul was
dead, even he was as one bringing glad tidings before me: but I seized him and
slew him in Sekelac, to whom I ought, as he thought, to have given a
reward for his tidings. 11 And now
evil men have slain a righteous men in his house on his bed: now then I will
require his blood of your hand, and I will destroy you from off the earth.
12 And David commanded his young
men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet; and they hung
them up at the fountain in Chebron: and they buried the head of Jebosthe in the
tomb of Abenezer the son of Ner.
Chapter 5
5:1 And all the tribes of Israel come to
David to Chebron, and they said to him, Behold, we are thy bone and thy
flesh. 2 And heretofore Saul being
king over us, thou was he that didst lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord
said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be for a leader
to my people Israel. 3 And all the
elders of Israel come to the king to Chebron; and king David made a covenant
with them in Chebron before the Lord; and they anoint David king over all
Israel. 4 David was thirty
years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
5 Seven years and six months he reigned in
Chebron over Juda, and thirty-three years he reigned over all Israel and Juda in
Jerusalem.
6 And David and his men, departed to
Jerusalem, to the Jebusite that inhabited the land: and it was said to David,
Thou shalt not come in hither: for the blind and the lame withstood him, saying,
David shall not come in hither. 7
And David took first the hold of Sion: this is the city of David.
8 And David said on that day, Every one
that smites the Jebusite, let him attack with the dagger both the lame and the
blind, and those that hate the soul of David. Therefore they say, The lame and
the blind shall not enter into the house of the Lord. 9
And David dwelt in the hold, and it was called the city of
David, and he built the city itself round about from the citadel, and he
built his own house. 10 And
David advanced and became great, and the Lord Almighty was with him.
11 And Chiram king of Tyre sent
messengers to David, and cedar wood, and carpenters, and stone-masons: and they
built a house for David. 12 And
David knew that the Lord had prepared him to be king over Israel, and that his
kingdom was exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
13 And David took again wives and
concubines out of Jerusalem, after he came from Chebron: and David had still
more sons and daughters born to him. 14
And these are the names of those that were born to him in
Jerusalem; Sammus, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon. 15
And Ebear, and Elisue, and Naphec, and Jephies.
16 And Elisama, and Elidae, and Eliphalath,
(5:16A) Samae, Jessibath, Nathan, Galamaan, Jebaar, Theesus, Eliphalat, Naged,
Naphec, Janathan, Leasamys, Baalimath, Eliphaath.
17 And the Philistines heard that David
was anointed king over Israel; and all the Philistines went up to seek David;
and David heard of it, and went down to the strong hold.
18 And the Philistines came, and assembled in the valley
of the giants.
19 And David enquired of the Lord,
saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into
my hands? and the Lord said to David, Go up, for I will surely deliver the
Philistines into thine hands. 20 And
David came from Upper Breaches, and smote the Philistines there: and David said,
The Lord has destroyed the hostile Philistines before me, as water is dispersed;
therefore the name of that place was called Over Breaches.
21 And they leave there their gods, and
David and his men with him took them.
22 And the Philistines came up yet
again, and assembled in the valley of Giants. 23
And David enquired of the Lord: and the Lord said, Thou shalt not
go up to meet them: turn from them, and thou shalt meet them near the place of
weeping. 24 And it shall come to
pass when thou hearest the sound of a clashing together from the grove of
weeping, then thou shalt go down to them, for then the Lord shall go forth
before thee to make havoc in the battle with the Philistines.
25 And David did as the Lord commanded him,
and smote the Philistines from Gabaon as far as the land of Gazera.
Chapter 6
6:1 And David again gathered all the
young men of Israel, about seventy thousand. 2
And David arose, and went, he and all the people that were with
him, and some of the rulers of Juda, on an expedition to a distant place,
to bring back thence the ark of God, on which the name of the Lord of Host who
dwells between the cherubs upon it is called. 3
And they put the ark of the Lord on a new waggon, and took it out
of the house of Aminadab who lived on the hill, and Oza and his brethren the
sons of Aminadab drove the waggon with the ark. 4
And his brethren went before the ark. 5
And David and the children of Israel were playing
before the Lord on well-tuned instruments mightily, and with songs, and with
harps, and with lutes, and with drums, and with cymbals, and with pipes.
6 And they come as far as the threshing
floor of Nachor: and Oza reached forth his hand to the ark of God to keep it
steady, and took hold of it; for the ox shook it out of its place.
7 And the Lord was very angry with Oza; and
God smote him there: and he died there by the ark of the Lord before God.
8 And David was dispirited because the Lord
made a breach upon Oza; and that place was called the breach of Oza until this
day. 9 And David feared the Lord in
that day, saying, How shall the ark of the Lord come in to me?
10 And David would not bring in the ark of
the covenant of the Lord to himself into the city of David: and David turned it
aside into the house of Abeddara the Gethite. 11
And the ark of the Lord lodged in the house of Abeddara the
Gethite three months, and the Lord blessed all the house of Abeddara, and all
his possessions.
12 And it was reported to king David,
saying, The Lord has blessed the house of Abeddara, and all that he has, because
of the ark of the Lord. And David went, and brought up the Ark of the Lord from
the house of Abeddara to the city of David with gladness.
13 And there were with him bearing the ark seven bands,
and for a sacrifice a calf and lambs. 14
And David sounded with well-tuned instruments before the Lord,
and David was clothed with a fine long robe. 15
And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark
of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.
16 And it came to pass as the ark
arrived at the city of David, that Melchol the daughter of Saul looked through
the window, and saw king David dancing and playing before the Lord; and she
despised him in her heart.
17 And they bring the ark of the Lord,
and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle which David pitched for
it: and David offered whole-burnt-offerings before the Lord, and
peace-offerings. 18 And David made
an end of offering the whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and blessed
the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. 19
And he distributed to all the people, even to all the host of
Israel from Dan to Bersabee, both men and women, to every one a cake of bread,
and a joint of meat, and a cake from the frying-pan: and all the people departed
every one to his home.
20 And David returned to bless his
house. And Melchol the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and saluted him,
and said, How was the king of Israel glorified to-day, who was to-day uncovered
in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the dancers wantonly
uncovers himself! 21 And David said
to Melchol, I will dance before the Lord. Blessed be the Lord who chose
me before thy father, and before all his house, to make me head over his people,
even over Israel: therefore I will play, and dance before the Lord.
22 And I will again uncover myself thus,
and I will be vile in thine eyes, and with the maid-servants by whom thou saidst
that I was not had in honour. 23 And
Melchol the daughter of Saul had no child till the day of her death.
Chapter 7
7:1 And it came to pass when the king
sat in his house, and the Lord had given him an inheritance on every side
free from all his enemies round about him; 2
that the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold now, I live in a
house of cedar, and the ark of the Lord dwells in the midst of a tent.
3 And Nathan said to the king, Go and do
all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.
4 And it came to pass in that night,
that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5
Go, and say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord, Thou shalt
not build me a house for me to dwell in. 6
For I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up
the children of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I have been walking in a
lodge and in a tent, 7 wheresoever I
went with all Israel. Have I ever spoken to any of the tribes of Israel, which I
commanded to tend my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me a house of
Cedar?
8 And now thus shalt thou say to my
servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty, I took thee from the sheep-cote,
that thou shouldest be a prince over my people, over Israel.
9 And I was with thee wheresoever thou
wentest, and I destroyed all thine enemies before thee, and I made thee renowned
according to the renown of the great ones on the earth. 10
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will
plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall be no more distressed;
and the son of iniquity shall no more afflict them, as he has done from
the beginning, 11 from the days when
I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all
thine enemies, and the Lord will tell thee that thou shalt build a house to him.
12 And it shall come to pass when
thy days shall have been fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that
I will raise up thy seed after thee, even thine own issue, and I will establish
his kingdom. 13 He shall build for
me a house to my name, and I will set up his throne even for ever.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall
be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with
the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.
15 But my mercy I will not take from him, as I took it
from those whom I removed from my presence. 16
And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom for ever before
me, and his throne shall be set up for ever.
17 According to all these words, and
according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
18 And king David came in, and sat
before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord, my Lord, and what is my
house, that thou hast loved me hitherto? 19
Whereas I was very little before thee, O Lord, my Lord, yet thou
spokest concerning the house of thy servant for a long time to to come.
And is this the law of man, O Lord, my Lord? 20
And what shall David yet say to thee? and now thou knowest
thy servant, O Lord, my Lord. 21 And
thou hast wrought for thy servant’s sake, and according to thy heart thou hast
wrought all this greatness, to make it known to thy servant,
22 that he may magnify thee, O my Lord; for
there is no one like thee, and there is no God, but thou among all of whom we
have heard with our ears. 23 And
what other nation in the earth is as thy people Israel? whereas God was
his guide, to redeem for himself a people to make thee a name, to do mightily
and nobly, so that thou shouldest cast out nations an their tabernacles
from the presence of thy people, whom thou didst redeem for thyself out of
Egypt? 24 And thou has prepared for
thyself thy people Israel to be a people for ever, and thou, Lord, art become
their God. 25 And now, O my Lord,
the Almighty Lord God of Israel, confirm the word for ever which thou hast
spoken concerning thy servant and his house: and now as thou hast said,
26 Let thy name be magnified for ever.
27 Almighty Lord God of Israel, thou
hast uncovered the ear of thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house:
therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.
28 And now, O Lord my Lord, thou art
God; and thy words will be true, and thou hast spoken these good things
concerning thy servant. 29 And now
begin and bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before
thee; for thou, O Lord, my Lord, hast spoken, and the house of thy servant shall
be blessed with thy blessing so as to continue for ever.
Chapter 8
8:1 And it came to pass after this, that
David smote the Philistines, and put them to flight, and David took the tribute
from out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And David smote Moab, and measured
them out with lines, having laid them down on the ground: and there were two
lines for slaying, and two lines he kept alive: and Moab became servants to
David, yielding tribute.
3 And David smote Adraazar the son of
Raab king of Suba, as he went to extend his power to the river Euphrates.
4 And David took a thousand of his
chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David
houghed all his chariot horses, and he reserved to himself a hundred
chariots. 5 And Syria of Damascus
comes to help Adraazar king of Suba, and David smote twenty-two thousand men
belonging to the Syrian. 6 And David
placed a garrison in Syria near Damascus, and the Syrians became servants and
tributaries to David: and the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.
7 And David took the golden bracelets which
were on the servants of Adraazar king of Suba, and brought them to Jerusalem.
And Susakim king of Egypt took them, when he went up to Jerusalem in the days of
Roboam son of Solomon. 8 And king
David took from Metebac, and from the choice cities of Adraazar, very much
brass: with that Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the lavers,
and all the furniture.
9 And Thou the king of Hemath heard that
David had smitten all the host of Adraazar. 10
And Thou sent Jedduram his son to king David, to ask him of his
welfare, and to congratulate him on his fighting against Adraazar and smiting
him, for he was an enemy to Adraazar: and in his hands were vessels of silver,
and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass. 11
And these king David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and
with the gold which he consecrated out of all the cities which he conquered,
12 out of Idumea, and out of Moab,
and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalec, and
from the spoils of Adraazar son of Raab king of Suba.
13 And David made himself a name:
and when he returned he smote Idumea in Gebelem to the number of eighteen
thousand. 14 And he set garrisons in
Idumea, even in all Idumea: and all the Idumeans were servants to the king. And
the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
15 And David reigned over all Israel:
and David wrought judgment and justice over all his people.
16 And Joab the son of Saruia was
over the host; and Josaphat the son of Achilud was keeper of the records.
17 And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and
Achimelech son of Abiathar, were priests; and Sasa was the scribe,
18 and Banaeas son of Jodae was
councillor, and the Chelethite and the Phelethite, and the sons of David, were
princes of the court.
Chapter 9
9:1 And David said, Is there yet any one
left in the house of Saul, that I may deal kindly with him for Jonathan’s sake?
2 And there was a servant of the
house of Saul, and his name was Siba: and they call him to David; and the king
said to him, Art thou Siba? and he said, I am thy servant.
3 And the king said, Is there yet a man
left of the house of Saul, that I may act towards him with the mercy of God? and
Siba said to the king, There is yet a son of Jonathan, lame of his feet.
4 And the king said, Where is
he? and Siba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the
son of Amiel of Lodabar. 5 And king
David went, and took him out of the house of Machir the son Amiel of Lodabar.
6 And Memphibosthe the son of Jonathan
the son of Saul comes to the king David, and he fell upon his face and did
obeisance to him: and David said to him, Memphibosthe: and he said, Behold thy
servant. 7 And David said to him,
Fear not, for I will surely deal mercifully with thee for the sake of Jonathan
thy father, and I will restore to thee all the land of Saul the father of thy
father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
8 And Memphibosthe did obeisance, and said, Who am I thy
servant, that thou hast looked upon a dead dog like me?
9 And the king called Siba the servant
of Saul, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house have I
given to the son of thy lord. 10 And
thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him; and thou
shalt bring in bread to the son of thy lord, and he shall eat bread: and
Memphibosthe the son of thy lord shall eat bread continually at my table. Now
Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11
And Siba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king
has commanded his servant, so will thy servant do. And Memphibosthe did eat at
the table of David, as one of the sons of the king. 12
And Memphibosthe had a little son, and his name was
Micha: and all the household of Siba were servants to Memphibosthe.
13 And Memphibosthe dwelt in
Jerusalem, for he continually ate at the table of the king; and he was lame in
both his feet.
Chapter 10
10:1 And it came to pass after this that
the king of the children of Ammon died, and Annon his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will shew mercy
to Annon the son of Naas, as his father dealt mercifully with me. And David sent
to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants; and the
servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon
said to Annon their lord, Is it to honour thy father before thee that
David has sent comforters to thee? Has not David rather sent his servants to
thee that they should search the city, and spy it out and examine it?
4 And Annon took the servants of David, and
shaved their beards, and cut off their garments in the midst as far as their
haunches, and sent them away.
5 And they brought David word concerning
the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonoured: and the
king said, Remain in Jericho till your beards have grown, and then ye
shall return.
6 And the children of Ammon saw that the
people of David were ashamed; and the children of Ammon sent, and hired the
Syrians of Baethraam, and the Syrians of Suba, and Roob, twenty thousand
footmen, and the king of Amalec with a thousand men, and Istob with twelve
thousand men.
7 And David heard, and sent Joab and all
his host, even the mighty men. 8
And the children of Ammon went forth, and set the battle in array
by the door of the gate: those of Syria, Suba, and Roob, and Istob, and
Amalec, being by themselves in the field. 9
And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him from
that which was opposed in front and from behind, and he chose out some of
all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against Syria.
10 And the rest of the people he
gave into the hand of Abessa his brother, and they set the battle in array
opposite to the children of Ammon. 11
And he said, If Syria be too strong for me, then shall ye help
me: and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then will we be ready
to help thee. 12 Be thou courageous,
and let us be strong for our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God,
and the Lord shall do that which is good in his eyes.
13 And Joab and his people with him
advanced to battle against Syria, and they fled from before him.
14 And the children of Ammon saw that the
Syrians were fled, and they fled from before Abessa, and entered into the city:
and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 And the Syrians saw that they were
worsted before Israel, and they gathered themselves together.
16 And Adraazar sent and gathered the
Syrians from the other side of the river Chalamak, and they came to Ælam; and
Sobac the captain of the host of Adraazar was at their head.
17 And it was reported to David, and he
gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan, and came to Ælam: and the Syrians set
the battle in array against David, and fought with him. 18
And Syria fled from before Israel, and David destroyed of
Syria seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and he smote Sobac
the captain of his host, and he died there. 19
And all the kings the servants of Adraazar saw that they were put
to the worse before Israel, and they went over to Israel, and served them: and
Syria was afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
Chapter 11
11:1 And it came to pass when the time o
the year for kings going out to battle had come round, that David sent
Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children
of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass toward evening,
that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king’s house, and
saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look
upon. 3 And David sent and enquired
about the woman: and one said, Is not this Bersabee the daughter
of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took
her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her
uncleanness, and returned to her house. 5
And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I
am with child. 6 And David sent to
Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David.
7 And Urias arrived and went in to him,
and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went
on. 8 And David said to Urias, Go to
thy house, and wash thy feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and
a portion of meat from the king followed him. 9
And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants
of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10
And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to
his house. And David said to Urias, Art thou not come from a journey? why hast
thou not gone down to thy house? 11
And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my
lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and
shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how should I
do this? as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing.
12 And David said to Urias, Remain here to-day also, and
to-morrow I will let thee go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the
day following.
13 And David called him, and he ate
before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to
lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
14 And the morning came, and David wrote
a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias. 15
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front
of the severe part of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he
be wounded and die.
16 And it came to pass while Joab was
watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that
valiant men were. 17 And the men of
the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants
of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.
18 And Joab sent, and reported to David
all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king.
19 And he charged the messenger, saying,
When thou hast finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,
20 then it shall come to pass if the anger
of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the
city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal
son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the
wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt
say, Thy servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.
22 And the messenger of Joab went to the
king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all
the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the
messenger, Why did ye draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would
be wounded from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a
woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi?
why did ye draw near to the wall? 23
And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us,
and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the
door of the gate. 24 And the archers
shot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of the king’s servants died,
and thy servant Urias the Chettite is dead also. 25
And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let
not the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one
time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city, and
destroy it, and strengthen him.
26 And the wife of Urias heard that
Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.
27 And the time of mourning expired, and
David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a
son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Chapter 12
12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan the
prophet to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, There were two men in
one city, one rich and the other poor. 2
And the rich man had very many flocks and herds.
3 But the poor man had only one
little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, and reared; an it grew
up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his
cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
4 And a traveller came to the rich man, and
he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller
that came to him; and he took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man
that came to him. 5 And David was
greatly moved with anger against the man; and David said to Nathan, As
the Lord lives, the man that did this thing shall surely die.
6 And he shall restore the lamb seven-fold,
because he has not spared.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the
man that has done this. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee to be
king over Israel, and I rescued thee out the hand of Saul;
8 and I gave thee the house of thy lord,
and the wives of thy lord into thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel
and Juda; and if that had been little, I would have given thee yet more.
9 Why hast thou set at nought the word of
the Lord, to do that which is evil in his eyes? thou hast slain Urias the
Chettite with the sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and thou
hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10
Now therefore the sword shall not depart from thy house
for ever, because thou has set me at nought, and thou hast taken the wife of
Urias the Chettite, to be thy wife. 11
Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against thee evil out
of thy house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and will give them to
thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly, but I will
do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said to Nathan, I have
sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, And the Lord has put away thy
sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Only
because thou hast given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord
by this thing, thy son also that is born to thee shall surely die.
15 And Nathan departed to his house. And
the Lord smote the child, which the wife of Urias the Chettite bore to David,
and it was ill. 16 And David
enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all
night upon the ground. 17 And the
elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the
ground, but he would not rise, nor did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh
day that the child died: and the servants of David were afraid to tell him that
the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive we
spoke to him, and he hearkened not to our voice; and thou should we tell him
that the child is dead?—so would he do himself harm.
19 And David understood that his servants
were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to
his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead.
20 Then David rose up from the earth, and
washed, and anointed himself, and changed his raiment, and went into the house
of God, and worshipped him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to
eat, and they set bread before him and he ate. 21
And his servants said to him, What is this thing that thou
hast done concerning the child? while it was yet living thou didst fast, and
weep, and watch: and when the child was dead thou didst rise up, and didst eat
bread, and drink. 22 And David said,
While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord
will pity me, and the child live? 23
But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to
bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bersabee his
wife, and he went in to her, and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son,
and he called his named Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and
called his name Jeddedi, for the Lord’s sake.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbath of
the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought
against Rabbath, and taken the city of waters. 28
And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the
city, an take it beforehand; lest I take the city first, and my name be called
upon it.
29 And David gathered all the people,
and went to Rabbath, and fought against it, and took it.
30 And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off
his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and
it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city.
31 And he brought forth the people
that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under iron harrows, and axes of
iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus he did to all the
cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to
Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
13:1 And it happened after this that
Abessalom the son of David had a very beautiful sister, and her name was
Themar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2
And Amnon was distressed even to sickness, because of Themar his
sister; for she was a virgin, and it seemed very difficult for Amnon to do
anything to her. 3 And Amnon had a
friend, and his name was Jonadab, the son of Samaa the brother of David:
and Jonadab was a very cunning man. 4
And he said to him, What ails thee that thou art thus weak? O son
of the king, morning by morning? wilt thou not tell me? and Ammon said, I love
Themar the sister of my brother Abessalom. 5
And Jonadab said to him, Lie upon thy bed, and make thyself sick,
and thy father shall come in to see thee; and thou shalt say to him, Let, I pray
thee, Themar my sister come, and feed me with morsels, and let her prepare food
before my eyes, that I may see and eat at her hands. 6
So Ammon lay down, and made himself sick; and the king
came in to see him: and Amnon said to the king, Let, I pray thee, my sister
Themar come to me, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, and I will eat them
at her hand.
7 And David sent to Themar to the house,
saying, Go now to thy brother’s house, and dress him food.
8 And Themar went to the house of her
brother Amnon, and he was lying down: and she took the dough and kneaded
it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9
And she took the frying pan and poured them out before
him, but he would not eat. And Amnon said, Send out every man from about me. And
they removed every man from about him. 10
And Amnon said to Themar, Bring in the food into the closet, and
I will eat of thy hand. And Themar took the cakes which she had made, and
brought them to her brother Amnon into the chamber. 11
And she brought them to him to eat, and he caught
hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.
12 And she said to him, Nay, my brother, do
not humble me, for it ought not to be so done in Israel; do not this folly.
13 And I, whither shall I remove my
reproach? and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. And now, speak, I
pray thee, to the king, for surely he will not keep me from thee.
14 But Amnon would not hearken to her
voice; and he prevailed against her, and humbled her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with very great
hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with
which he had loved her, for the last wickedness was greater than the first: and
Amnon said to her, Rise, and be gone. 16
And Themar spoke to him concerning this great mischief, greater,
said she, than the other that thou didst me, to send me away: but Amnon
would not hearken to her voice. 17
And he called his servant who had charge of the house, and said to him, Put now
this woman out from me, and shut the door after her.
18 And she had on her a variegated robe,
for so were the king’s daughters that were virgins attired in their apparel: and
his servant led her forth, and shut the door after her.
19 And Themar took ashes, and put them
on her head; and she rent the variegated garment that was upon her: and she laid
her hands on her head, and went crying continually. 20
And Abessalom her brother said to her, Has thy brother
Amnon been with thee? now then, my sister, be silent, for he is thy brother: be
not careful to mention this matter. So Themar dwelt as a widow in the house of
her brother Abessalom.
21 And king David heard of all these
things, and was very angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon,
because be loved him, for he was his first-born. 22
And Abessalom spoke not to Amnon, good or bad, because Abessalom
hated Amnon, on account of his humbling his sister Themar.
23 And it came to pass at the end of two
whole years, that they were shearing sheep for Abessalom in Belasor near
Ephraim: and Abessalom invited all the king’s sons. 24
And Abessalom came to the king, and said, Behold, thy
servant has a sheep-shearing; let now the king and his servants go with thy
servant. 25 And the king said to
Abessalom, Nay, my son, let us not all go, and let us not be burdensome to thee.
And he pressed him; but he would not go, but blessed him.
26 And Abessalom said to him, And if not, let I pray thee,
my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with
thee? 27 And Abessalom pressed him,
and he sent with him Amnon and all the king’s sons; and Abessalom made a banquet
like the banquet of the king.
28 And Abessalom charged his servants,
saying, Mark when the heart of Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I shall say
to you, Smite Amnon, and slay him: fear not; for is it not I that command you?
Be courageous, and be valiant. 29
And the servants of Abessalom did to Amnon as Abessalom commanded them: and all
the sons of the king rose up, and they mounted every man his mule, and fled.
30 And it came to pass, when they were
in the way, that a report came to David, saying, Abessalom has slain all the
king’s sons, and there is not one of them left. 31
Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay upon the
ground: and all his servants that were standing round him rent their garments.
32 And Jonadab the son of Samaa
brother of David, answered and said, Let not my Lord the king say that he has
slain all the young men the sons of the king, for Amnon only of them all is
dead; for he was appointed to death by the mouth of Abessalom from the
day that he humbled his sister Themar. 33
And now let not my lord the king take the matter to heart,
saying, All the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only of them is dead.
34 And Abessalom escaped: and the young
man the watchman, lifted up his eyes, and looked; and, behold, much people went
in the way behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent: and the
watchman came and told the king, and said, I have seen men by the way of Oronen,
by the side of the mountain. 35 And
Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king’s sons are present: according to the
word of thy servant, so has it happened. 36
And it came to pass when he had finished speaking, that, behold,
the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept: and the king also and
all his servants wept with a very great weeping.
37 But Abessalom fled, and went to
Tholmi son of Emiud the king of Gedsur to the land of Chamaachad: and king David
mourned for his son continually. 38
So Abessalom fled, and departed to Gedsur, and was there three years.
39 And king David ceased to go out after
Abessalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, touching his death.
Chapter 14
14:1 And Joab the son of Saruia knew
that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom. 2
And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and
said to her, Mourn, I pray thee, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint thee
not with oil, and thou shalt be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus
for many days. 3 And thou shalt go
to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in
her mouth.
4 So the woman of Thecoe went in to the
king and fell upon her face to the earth, and did him obeisance, and said, Help,
O king, help. 5 And the king said to
her, What is the matter with thee?
And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is
dead. 6 And moreover thy handmaid
had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to
part them; and the one smote the other his brother, and slew him.
7 And behold the whole family rose up
against thine handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that smote his brother,
and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and we
will take away even your heir: so they will quench my coal that is left, so as
not to leave my husband remnant or name on the face of the earth.
8 And the king said to the woman, Go in
peace to thy house, and I will give commandment concerning thee.
9 And the woman of Thecoe said to the king,
On me, my lord, O king, and on my father’s house be the iniquity, and the
king and his throne be guiltless. 10
And the king said, Who was it that spoke to thee? thou shalt even
bring him to me, and one shall not touch him any more.
11 And she said, Let now the king remember
concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy,
and let them not take away my son. And he said, As the lord lives, not a
hair of thy son shall fall to the ground.
12 And the woman said, Let now thy
servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 And the woman said, Why hast thou
devised this thing against the people of God? or is this word out of the
king’s mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his
banished? 14 For we shall surely
die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and
God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his
outcast. 15 And now whereas I came
to speak this word to my lord the king, the reason is that the people
will see me, and thy handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king,
if peradventure the king will perform the request of his handmaid;
16 for the king will hear. Let him rescue
his handmaid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son
from the inheritance of God. 17 And
the woman said, If now the word of my lord the king be gracious, —well:
for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to hear good and evil:
and the Lord thy God shall be with thee.
18 And the king answered, and said to
the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the matter which I ask thee. And the
woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak. 19
And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab in all
this matter with thee? and the woman said to the king, As thy soul lives,
my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all
that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab himself charged me, and
he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid. 20
In order that this form of speech might come about it
was that thy servant Joab has framed this matter: and my lord is wise as
is the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
21 And the king said to Joab, Behold
now, I have done to thee according to this thy word: go, bring back the young
man Abessalom. 22 And Joab fell on
his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said,
To-day thy servant knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king,
for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.
23 And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and
brought Abessalom to Jerusalem. 24
And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And
Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king’s face.
25 And there was not a man in Israel so
very comely as Abessalom: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his
head there was no blemish in him. 26
And when he polled his head, (and it was at the beginning of
every year that he polled it, because it grew, heavy upon him,) even when he
polled it, he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels according to the
royal shekel. 27 And there were born
to Abessalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Themar: she was a
very beautiful woman, and she becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she
bears to him Abia.
28 And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem
two full years, and he saw not the king’s face. 29
And Abessalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he
would not come to him: and he sent to him the second time, and he would not
come. 30 And Abessalom said to his
servants, Behold, Joab’s portion in the field is next to mine, and he has
in it barley; go and set it on fire. And the servants of Abessalom set the field
on fire: and the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes rent, and they
said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.
31 And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom
into the house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my field on fire?
32 And Abessalom said to Joab,
Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, and I will send thee to the king,
saying, Why did I come out of Gedsur? it would have been better for me to have
remained there: and now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if
there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.
33 And Joab went in to the king, and
brought him word: and he called Abessalom, and he went in to the king, and did
him obeisance, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the
king; and the king kissed Abessalom.
Chapter 15
15:1 And it came to pass after this that
Abessalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before
him. 2 And Abessalom rose early, and
stood by the side of the way of the gate: and it came to pass that every man who
had a cause, came to the king for judgment, and Abessalom cried to him, and said
to him, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the
tribes of Israel. 3 And Abessalom
said to him, See, thy affairs are right and clear, yet thou hast no one
appointed of the king to hear thee. 4
And Abessalom said, O that one would make me a judge in the land;
then every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge
him! 5 And it came to pass when a
man came near to do him obeisance, that he stretched out his hand, and took hold
of him, and kissed him. 6 And
Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king for
judgment; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And it came to pass after forty years,
that Abessalom said to his father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed
to the Lord in Chebron. 8 For thy
servant vowed a vow when I dwelt at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should
indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.
9 And the king said to him, Go in peace.
And he arose and went to Chebron.
10 And Abessalom sent spies throughout
all the tribes of Israel, saying, When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then
shall ye say, Abessalom is become king in Chebron. 11
And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from
Jerusalem; and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.
12 And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the
Theconite, the counsellor of David, from his city, from Gola, where he was
sacrificing: and there was a strong conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom
were increasingly numerous.
13 And there came a messenger to David,
saying, the heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.
14 And David said to all his servants who
were with him in Jerusalem, Rise, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from
Abessalom: make haste and go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon
us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. 15
And the king’s servants said to the king, In all things
which our lord the king chooses, behold we are thy servants.
16 And the king and all his house went
out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.
17 And the king and all his servants
went out on foot; and abode in a distant house. 18
And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite,
and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and
all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might,
and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and
every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that
came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.
19 And the king said to Ethi, the
Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for
thou art a stranger, and thou has come forth as a sojourner out of thy place.
20 Whereas thou camest yesterday,
shall I to-day cause thee to travel with us, and shalt thou thus change
thy place? thou didst come forth yesterday, and to-day shall I set thee in
motion to go along with us? I indeed will go whithersoever I may go: return
then, and cause thy brethren to return with thee, and may the Lord deal
mercifully and truly with thee. 21
And Ethi answered the king and said, As the Lord lives and as my lord the
king lives, in the place wheresoever my lord shall be, whether it be for death
or life, there shall thy servant be. 22
And the king said to Ethi, Come and pass over with me. So Ethi
the Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the
multitude with him.
23 And all the country wept with a loud
voice. And all the people passed by over the brook of Kedron; and the king
crossed the brook Kedron: and all the people and the king passed on toward the
way of the wilderness.
24 And behold also Sadoc, and all the
Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baethar:
and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had
passed out of the city. 25 And the
king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find
favour in the eyes of the Lord, then will he bring me back, and he will shew me
it and its beauty. 26 But if he
should say thus, I have no pleasure in thee; behold, here I am, let him
do to me according to that which is good in his eyes.
27 And the king said to Sadoc the
priest, Behold, thou shalt return to the city in peace, and Achimaas thy son,
and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.
28 Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert,
until there come tidings from you to report to me. 29
So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of the Lord to
Jerusalem, and it continued there.
30 And David went up by the ascent of
the mount of Olives, ascending and weeping, and had his head covered, and
went barefooted: and all the people that were with him covered every man
his head; and they went up, ascending and weeping. 31
And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also
is among the conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my God,
disconcert, I pray thee, the counsel of Achitophel.
32 And David came as far as Ros, where
he worshipped God: and behold, Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet
him, having rent his garment, and earth was upon his head.
33 And David said to him, If thou shouldest
go over with me, then wilt thou be a burden to me; 34
but if thou shall return to the city, and shalt say to
Abessalom, Thy brethren are passed over, and the king thy father is passed over
after me: and now I am thy servant, O king, suffer me to live: at one time even
of late I was the servant of thy father, and now I am thy humble
servant—so shalt thou disconcert for me, the counsel of Achitophel.
35 And, behold, there are there with
thee Sadoc and Abiathar the priests; and it shall be that every word that thou
shalt hear of the house of the king, thou shalt report it to Sadoc and Abiathar
the priests. 36 Behold, there are
there with them their two sons, Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son
of Abiathar; and by them ye shall report to me every word which ye shall hear.
37 So Chusi the friend of David went
into the city, and Abessalom was lately gone into Jerusalem.
Chapter 16
16:1 And David passed on a little way
from Ros; and, behold, Siba the servant of Memphibosthe came to meet him;
and he had a couple of asses laden, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a
hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred cakes of dates, and
bottle of wine. 2 And the king said
to Siba, What meanest thou by these? and Siba, said, The asses are for
the household of the king to sit upon, and the loaves and the dates are
for the young men to eat, and the wine is for them that are faint in the
wilderness to drink. 3 And the king
said, And where is the son of thy master? and Siba said to the king,
Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel
restore to me the kingdom of my father. 4
And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe’s property
is thine. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find
grace in thine eyes.
5 And king David came to Baurim; and,
behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, and
his name was Semei the son of Gera. He came forth and cursed as he went,
6 and cast stones at David, and at
all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were
on the right and left hand of the king. 7
And thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou
bloody man, and man of sin. 8 The
Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, because thou
hast reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of
Abessalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because
thou art a bloody man.
9 And Abessa the son of Saruia said to
the king, Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over now and
take off his head. 10 And the king
said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia? even let him alone, and so
let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, Why
hast thou done thus? 11 And David
said to Abessa and to all his servants, Behold, my son who came forth out of my
bowels seeks my life; still more now may the son of Benjamin: let him curse,
because the Lord has told him. 12 If
by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good
for his cursing this day.
13 And David and all the men with him
went on the way: and Semei went by the side of the hill next to him, cursing as
he went, and casting stones at him, and sprinkling him with dirt.
14 And the king, and all the people with
him, came away and refreshed themselves there.
15 And Abessalom and all the men of
Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him. 16
And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David
came to Abessalom, that Chusi said to Abessalom, Let the king live.
17 And Abessalom said to Chusi, Is
this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend?
18 And Chusi said to Abessalom, Nay,
but following whom the Lord, and this people, and all Israel have chosen, —his
will I be, and with him I will dwell. 19
And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of
his son? As I served in the sight of thy father, so will I be in thy presence.
20 And Abessalom said to Achitophel,
Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.
21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to thy father’s
concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that thou
hast dishonoured thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be
strengthened. 22 And they pitched a
tent for Abessalom on the roof, and Abessalom went in to his father’s concubines
in the sight of all Israel. 23 And
the counsel of Achitophel, which he counselled in former days, was as if
one should enquire of the word of God: so was all the counsel of
Achitophel both to David and also to Abessalom.
Chapter 17
17:1 And Achitophel said to Abessalom,
Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and
follow after David this night: 2 and
I will come upon him when he is weary and weak-handed, and I will strike
him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will smite the
king only of all. 3 And I will bring
back all the people to thee, as a bride returns to her husband: only thou
seekest the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.
4 And the saying was right in the
eyes of Abessalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
5 And Abessalom said, Call now also
Chusi the Arachite, and let us hear what is in his mouth, even in his
also. 6 And Chusi went in to
Abessalom, and Abessalom spoke to him, saying, After this manner spoke
Achitophel: shall we do according to his word? but if not, do thou speak.
7 And Chusi said to Abessalom, This
counsel which Achitophel has counselled this one time is not good.
8 And Chusi said, Thou knowest thy father
and his men, that they are very mighty, and bitter in their spirit, as a
bereaved bear in the field, [[and as a wild boar in the plain]]: and thy father
is a man of war, and will not give the people rest.
9 For, behold, he is now hidden in one of
the hills or in some other place: and it shall come to pass when he falls
upon them at the beginning, that some one will certainly hear, and say,
There has been a slaughter among the people that follow after Abessalom.
10 Then even he that is strong,
whose heart is as the heart of a lion, —it shall utterly melt: for all Israel
knows that thy father is mighty, and they that are with him are
mighty men. 11 For thus I have
surely given counsel, that all Israel be generally gathered to thee from Dan
even to Bersabee, as the sand that is upon the sea-shore for multitude: and that
thy presence go in the midst of them. 12
And we will come upon him in one of the places where we shall
find him, and we will encamp against him, as the dew falls upon the earth; and
we will not leave of him and of his men so much as one. 13
And if he shall have taken refuge with his army in a city,
then shall all Israel take ropes to that city, and we will draw it even into the
river, that there may not be left there even a stone.
14 And Abessalom, and all the men of
Israel said, The counsel of Chusi the Arachite is better than the counsel
of Achitophel. For the Lord ordained to disconcert the good counsel of
Achitophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Abessalom.
15 And Chusi the Arachite said to Sadoc
and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus Achitophel counselled Abessalom and the
elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 16
And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge
not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest one
swallow up the king, and all the people with him.
17 And Jonathan and Achimaas stood by
the well of Rogel, and a maid-servant went and reported to them, and they go and
tell king David; for they might not be seen to enter into the city.
18 But a young man saw them and told
Abessalom: and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of a man in
Baurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went down into it.
19 And a woman took a covering, and spread
it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and
the thing was not known. 20 And the
servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where are
Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way
beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem.
21 And it came to pass after they
were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on their way; and reported
to king David, and said to David, Arise ye and go quickly over the water, for
thus has Achitophel counselled concerning you.
22 And David rose up and all the people
with him, and they passed over Jordan till the morning light; there was not one
missing who did not pass over Jordan.
23 And Achitophel saw that his counsel
was not followed, and he saddled his ass, and rose and departed to his house
into his city; and he gave orders to his household, and hanged himself, and
died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
24 And David passed over to Manaim: and
Abessalom crossed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 And Abessalom appointed Amessai in the
room of Joab over the host. And Amessai was the son of a man whose name was
Jether of Jezrael: he went in to Abigaia the daughter of Naas, the sister of
Saruia the mother of Joab. 26 And
all Israel and Abessalom encamped in the land of Galaad.
27 And it came to pass when David came
to Manaim, that Uesbi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and
Machir son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Berzelli the Galaadite of Rogellim,
28 brought ten embroidered beds, (with
double coverings,)and ten caldrons, and earthenware, and wheat, and barley, and
flour, and meal, and beans, and pulse, 29
and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheeses of kine: and they
brought them to David and to his people with him to eat; for one said,
The people is faint and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.
Chapter 18
18:1 And David numbered the people with
him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2 And David sent away the people, the third
part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son
of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the
Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.
3 And they said, Thou shalt not go
out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us
should die, they will not mind us; for thou art as ten thousand of us:
and now it is well that thou shalt be to us an aid to help us in the
city. 4 And the king said to them,
Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the
side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abessa
and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people
heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.
6 And all the people went out into the
wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.
7 And the people of Israel fell down there
before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day,
even twenty thousand men. 8 And
the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood
consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that
day. 9 And Abessalom went to meet
the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came
under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak,
and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under
him.
10 And a man saw it, and reported to
Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.
11 And Joab said to the man who reported it
to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: why didst thou not smite him there to
the ground? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a
girdle. 12 And the man said to Joab,
Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand
against the king’s son; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and
Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,
13 so as to do no harm to his life: and
nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself
against me. 14 And Joab said, I will
begin this; I will not thus remain with thee. And Joab took three darts in his
hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the
heart of the oak. 15 And ten young
men that bore Joab’s armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the
people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
17 And he took Abessalom, and cast him into
a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great
heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.
18 Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken
and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as
to have the pillar in the king’s dale; for he said he had no son to keep his
name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom’s hand, until this day.
19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said,
Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered
him from the hand of his enemies. 20
And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a messenger
of glad tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou
shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead. 21
And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that
thou hast seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.
22 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again
to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus
run, my son? attend, thou hast no tidings for profit if thou go.
23 And he said, Why should I not run? and
Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran
Chusi.
24 And David was sitting between the two
gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted
up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.
25 And the watchman cried out, and reported
to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in
his mouth. And the man came and drew near. 26
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried
at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said,
He also brings glad tidings. 27 And
the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the
son of Sadoc. And the king said, He is a good man, and will come to
report glad tidings.
28 And Achimaas cried out and said to
the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground,
and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who has delivered up the men that
lifted up their hands against my lord the king. 29
And the king said, Is the young man Abessalom safe? and
Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab’s sending the
king’s servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.
30 And the king said, Turn aside, stand
still here. And he turned aside, and stood.
31 And, behold, Chusi came up, and said
to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged
thee this day upon all them that rose up against thee. 32
And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man
Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all
whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.
33 And the king was troubled, and went to
the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son
Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would God I had died for thee, even
I had died for thee, Abessalom, my son, my son!
Chapter 19
19:1 And they brought Joab word, saying,
Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Abessalom. 2
And the victory was turned that day into mourning to all the
people, for the people heard say that day, The king grieves after his son.
3 And the people stole away that day
to go into the city, as people steal away when they are ashamed as they flee in
the battle. 4 And the king hid his
face: and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Abessalom! Abessalom my son!
5 And Joab went in to the king, into the
house, and said, Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy servants that
have delivered thee this day, and have saved the lives of thy sons and of
thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and of thy concubines,
6 forasmuch as thou lovest them that hate
thee, and hatest them that love thee; and thou hast this day declared, that thy
princes and thy servants are nothing in thy sight: for I know this day,
that if Abessalom were alive, and all of us dead to-day, then it would
have been right in thy sight. 7 And
now arise, and go forth, and speak comfortably to thy servants; for I have sworn
by the Lord, that unless thou wilt go forth to-day, there shall not a man remain
with thee this night: and know for thyself, this thing will indeed be
evil to thee beyond all the evil that has come upon thee from thy youth until
now. 8 Then the king arose, and sat
in the gate: and all the people reported, saying, Behold, the king sits in the
gate. And all the people went in before the king to the gate; for Israel had
fled every man to his tent.
9 And all the people disputed among all
the tribes of Israel, saying, King David delivered us from all our enemies, and
he rescued us from the hand of the Philistines: and now he has fled from the
land, and from his kingdom, and from Abessalom. 10
And Abessalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle: and
now why are ye silent about bringing back the king? And the word of all Israel
came to the king.
11 And king David sent to Sadoc and
Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Israel, saying, Why are ye
the last to bring back the king to his house? whereas the word of all Israel is
come to the king to his house. 12 Ye
are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: why are ye the last
to bring back the king to his house? 13
And ye shall say to Amessai, Art thou not my bone and my
flesh? and now God do so to me, and more also, if thou shalt not be commander of
the host before me continually in the room of Joab. 14
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Juda as that of
one man; and they sent to the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants.
15 And the king returned, and came
as far s Jordan. And the men of Juda came to Galgala on their way to meet the
king, to cause the king to pass over Jordan.
16 And Semei the son of Gera, the
Benjamite, of Baurim, hasted and went down with the men of Juda to meet king
David. 17 And a thousand men of
Benjamin were with him, and Siba the servant of the house of Saul, and
his fifteen sons with him, and his twenty servants with him: and they went
directly down to Jordan before the king, 18
and they performed the service of bringing the king over; and
there went over a ferry-boat to remove the household of the king, and to do that
which was right in his eyes. And Semei the son of Gera fell on his face before
the king, as he went over Jordan; 19
and said to the king, Let not my lord now impute iniquity, and
remember not all the iniquity of thy servant in the day in which my lord went
out from Jerusalem, so that the king should mind it. 20
For thy servant knows that I have sinned: and, behold, I
am come to-day before all Israel and the house of Joseph, to go down and meet my
lord the king.
21 And Abessai the son of Saruia
answered and said, Shall not Semei therefore be put to death, because he cursed
the Lord’s anointed? 22 And David
said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia, that ye as it were lie in
wait against me this day? to-day no man in Israel shall be put to death, for I
know not if I this day reign over Israel. 23
And the king said to Semei, Thou shalt not die: and the king
swore to him.
24 And Memphibosthe the son of Saul’s
son went down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, nor pared his
nails, nor shaved himself, neither had he washed his garments, from the day that
the king departed, until the day when he arrived in peace.
25 And it came to pass when he went into
Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why didst thou not go
with me, Memphibosthe? 26 And
Memphibosthe said to him, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy
servant said to him, Saddle me the ass, and I will ride upon it, and go with the
king; for thy servant is lame. 27
And he has dealt deceitfully with thy servant to my lord the
king: but my lord the king is as an angel of God, and do thou that which
is good in thine eyes. 28 For all
the house of my father were but as dead men before my lord the king; yet thou
hast set thy servant among them that eat at thy table: and what right have I any
longer even to cry to the king? 29
And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any longer of thy matters? I have
said, Thou and Siba shall divide the land. 30
And Memphibosthe said to the king, Yea, let him take all, since
my lord the king has come in peace to his house.
31 And Berzelli the Galaadite came down
from Rogellim, and crossed over Jordan with the king, that he might conduct the
king over Jordan. 32 And Berzelli
was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had maintained the king when he
dwelt in Manaim; for he was a very great man. 33
And the king said to Berzelli, Thou shalt go over with me, and I
will nourish thine old age with me in Jerusalem. 34
And Berzelli said to the king, How many are the days of
the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
35 I am this day eighty years old: can I
then distinguish between good and evil? Can thy servant taste any longer what I
eat or drink? can I any longer hear the voice of singing men or singing women?
and wherefore shall thy servant any longer be a burden to my lord the king?
36 Thy servant will go a little way
over Jordan with the king: and why does the king return me this recompense?
37 Let, I pray thee, thy servant
remain, and I will die in my city, by the tomb of my father and of my mother.
And, behold, thy servant Chamaam shall go over with my lord the king; and do
thou to him as it seems good in thine eyes. 38
And the king said, Let Chamaam go over with me, and I will do to
him what is good in my sight; and whatsoever thou shalt choose at my hand, I
will do for thee.
39 And all the people went over Jordan,
and the king went over; and the king kissed Berzelli, and blessed him; and he
returned to his place. 40 And the
king went over to Galgala, and Chamaam went over with him: and all the men of
Juda went over with the king, and also half the people of Israel.
41 And behold, all the men of Israel
came to the king, and said to the king, Why have our brethren the men of Juda
stolen thee away, and caused the king and all his house to pass over Jordan, and
all the men of David with him? 42
And all the men of Juda answered the men of Israel, and said, Because the king
is near of kin to us: and why were you thus angry concerning this matter? have
we indeed eaten of the king’s food? or has he given us a gift, or has he sent us
a portion? 43 And the men of Israel
answered the men of Juda, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we are
older than you, we have also an interest in David above you: and why have ye
thus insulted us, and why was not our advice taken before that of Juda, to bring
back our king? And the speech of the men of Juda was sharper than the speech of
the men of Israel.
Chapter 20
20:1 And there was a transgressor so
called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite, the son of Bochori: and he
blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we any
inheritance in the son of Jessae: to thy tents, O Israel, every one.
2 And all the men of Israel went up from
following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda adhered to
their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 And David went into his house at
Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to
keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and
went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their
death.
4 And the king said to Amessai, Call to
me the men of Juda for three days, and do thou be present here.
5 And Amessai went to call Juda, and
delayed beyond the time which David appointed him. 6
And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of
Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the
servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong
cities, so will he blind our eyes. 7
And there went out after him Amessai and the men of Joab, and the
Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from
Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.
8 And they were by the great
stone that is in Gabaon: and Amessai went in before them: and Joab had upon him
a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger
fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came
out and fell.
9 And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in
health, my brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of
Amessai to kiss him. 10 And Amessai
observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it
on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not
repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after
Sabee the son of Bochori. 11 And
there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who is he
that is for Joab, and who is on the side of David following Joab?
12 And Amessai was weltering in
blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still;
and he removed Amessai out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon
him, because he saw every one that came to him standing still.
13 And when he was quickly removed from the
road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the son of
Bochori.
14 And he went through all the tribes of
Israel to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and
followed after him. 15 And they came
and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city
and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw
down the wall. 16 And a wise woman
cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near
hither, and I will speak to him.
17 And he drew nigh to her, and the
woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I am. And she said to him,
Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.
18 And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus,
Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in
what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether
they have failed. 19 I am a
peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city
and a mother city in Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the
Lord? 20 And Joab answered and said,
Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.
21 Is not the case thus, that a man of
mount Ephraim, Sabee, son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand
against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And
the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22 And the woman went in to all the
people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head
of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew
the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to
his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 And Joab was over all the
forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae was over the Cherethites
and over the Phelethites. 24 And
Adoniram was over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of Achiluth was
recorder. 25 And Susa was
scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar were priests. 26
Moreover Iras the son of Iarin was priest to David.
Chapter 21
21:1 And there was a famine in the days
of David three years, year after year; |
