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The Book of 2 Samuel
Chapter 1
001:001 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul,
when David was
returned from the
slaughter of the Amalekites, and David
had
abode two days in Ziklag;
001:002 It came even to pass on the third day, that,
behold, a man
came out of the camp
from Saul with his clothes rent,
and
earth upon his head: and so it
was, when he came to David,
that
he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
001:003 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou?
And he said
unto him, Out of the
camp of Israel am I escaped.
001:004 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I
pray thee,
tell me. And he
answered, That the people are fled from
the
battle, and many of the people
also are fallen and dead; and
Saul
and Jonathan his son are dead also.
001:005 And David said unto the young man that told him,
How knowest
thou that Saul and
Jonathan his son be dead?
001:006 And the young man that told him said, As I
happened by chance
upon mount
Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear;
and,
lo, the chariots and horsemen
followed hard after him.
001:007 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and
called unto me.
And I answered,
Here am I.
001:008 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered
him, I am an
Amalekite.
001:009 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon
me, and slay
me: for anguish is
come upon me, because my life is yet
whole
in me.
001:010 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was
sure that he
could not live after
that he was fallen: and I took the
crown
that was upon his head, and
the bracelet that was on his arm,
and have brought them hither unto my lord.
001:011 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent
them; and
likewise all the men
that were with him:
001:012 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until
even, for Saul,
and for Jonathan
his son, and for the people of the LORD,
and
for the house of Israel;
because they were fallen by the
sword.
001:013 And David said unto the young man that told him,
Whence art
thou? And he answered,
I am the son of a stranger, an
Amalekite.
001:014 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid
to stretch
forth thine hand to
destroy the LORD's anointed?
001:015 And David called one of the young men, and said,
Go near, and
fall upon him. And he
smote him that he died.
001:016 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy
head; for thy
mouth hath testified
against thee, saying, I have slain
the
LORD's anointed.
001:017 And David lamented with this lamentation over
Saul and over
Jonathan his
son:
001:018 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah
the use of the
bow: behold, it is
written in the book of Jasher.)
001:019 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high
places: how are
the mighty
fallen!
001:020 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the
streets of Askelon;
lest the
daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest
the
daughters of the uncircumcised
triumph.
001:021 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew,
neither let there
be rain, upon
you, nor fields of offerings: for there
the
shield of the mighty is vilely
cast away, the shield of Saul,
as
though he had not been anointed with oil.
001:022 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the
mighty, the
bow of Jonathan turned
not back, and the sword of Saul
returned not empty.
001:023 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in
their lives, and
in their death
they were not divided: they were swifter
than
eagles, they were stronger
than lions.
001:024 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who
clothed you in
scarlet, with other
delights, who put on ornaments of
gold
upon your apparel.
001:025 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the
battle! O
Jonathan, thou wast
slain in thine high places.
001:026 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan:
very pleasant
hast thou been unto
me: thy love to me was wonderful,
passing
the love of women.
001:027 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
002:001 And it came to pass after this, that David
enquired of the
LORD, saying,
Shall I go up into any of the cities of
Judah?
And the LORD said unto him,
Go up. And David said, Whither
shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
002:002 So David went up thither, and his two wives also,
Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and
Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
002:003 And his men that were with him did David bring
up, every man
with his household:
and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
002:004 And the men of Judah came, and there they
anointed David king
over the house
of Judah. And they told David, saying, That
the
men of Jabeshgilead were they
that buried Saul.
002:005 And David sent messengers unto the men of
Jabeshgilead, and
said unto them,
Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have
shewed
this kindness unto your
lord, even unto Saul, and have
buried
him.
002:006 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto
you: and I also
will requite you
this kindness, because ye have done
this
thing.
002:007 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and
be ye
valiant: for your master
Saul is dead, and also the house
of
Judah have anointed me king
over them.
002:008 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,
took
Ishbosheth the son of Saul,
and brought him over to Mahanaim;
002:009 And made him king over Gilead, and over the
Ashurites, and
over Jezreel, and
over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and
over
all Israel.
002:010 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he
began to
reign over Israel, and
reigned two years. But the house
of
Judah followed David.
002:011 And the time that David was king in Hebron over
the house of
Judah was seven years
and six months.
002:012 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of
Ishbosheth the
son of Saul, went
out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
002:013 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of
David, went
out, and met together
by the pool of Gibeon: and they
sat
down, the one on the one side
of the pool, and the other on
the
other side of the pool.
002:014 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now
arise, and play
before us. And
Joab said, Let them arise.
002:015 Then there arose and went over by number twelve
of Benjamin,
which pertained to
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve
of
the servants of David.
002:016 And they caught every one his fellow by the head,
and thrust
his sword in his
fellow's side; so they fell down
together:
wherefore that place was
called Helkathhazzurim, which is
in
Gibeon.
002:017 And there was a very sore battle that day; and
Abner was
beaten, and the men of
Israel, before the servants of David.
002:018 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab,
and Abishai,
and Asahel: and
Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
002:019 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he
turned not to
the right hand nor
to the left from following Abner.
002:020 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou
Asahel? And
he answered, I am.
002:021 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy
right hand or to
thy left, and lay
thee hold on one of the young men, and
take
thee his armour. But Asahel
would not turn aside from
following of him.
002:022 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside
from following
me: wherefore
should I smite thee to the ground? how
then
should I hold up my face to
Joab thy brother?
002:023 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner
with the
hinder end of the spear
smote him under the fifth rib,
that
the spear came out behind
him; and he fell down there, and
died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many
as
came to the place where Asahel
fell down and died stood still.
002:024 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and
the sun went
down when they were
come to the hill of Ammah, that
lieth
before Giah by the way of
the wilderness of Gibeon.
002:025 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves
together
after Abner, and became
one troop, and stood on the top of
an
hill.
002:026 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the
sword devour
for ever? knowest
thou not that it will be bitterness in
the
latter end? how long shall it
be then, ere thou bid the people
return from following their brethren?
002:027 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst
spoken, surely
then in the morning
the people had gone up every one
from
following his brother.
002:028 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood
still, and
pursued after Israel no
more, neither fought they any more.
002:029 And Abner and his men walked all that night
through the plain,
and passed over
Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and
they
came to Mahanaim.
002:030 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when
he had
gathered all the people
together, there lacked of David's
servants nineteen men and Asahel.
002:031 But the servants of David had smitten of
Benjamin, and of
Abner's men, so
that three hundred and threescore men died.
002:032 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the
sepulchre of
his father, which was
in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men
went
all night, and they came to
Hebron at break of day.
003:001 Now there was long war between the house of Saul
and the house
of David: but David
waxed stronger and stronger, and the
house
of Saul waxed weaker and
weaker.
003:002 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his
firstborn was
Amnon, of Ahinoam
the Jezreelitess;
003:003 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of
Nabal the
Carmelite; and the
third, Absalom the son of Maacah
the
daughter of Talmai king of
Geshur;
003:004 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and
the fifth,
Shephatiah the son of
Abital;
003:005 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife.
These were born
to David in
Hebron.
003:006 And it came to pass, while there was war between
the house of
Saul and the house of
David, that Abner made himself
strong
for the house of Saul.
003:007 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah,
the daughter
of Aiah: and
Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast
thou
gone in unto my father's
concubine?
003:008 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of
Ishbosheth, and
said, Am I a dog's
head, which against Judah do shew
kindness
this day unto the house
of Saul thy father, to his
brethren,
and to his friends, and
have not delivered thee into the
hand
of David, that thou chargest
me to day with a fault concerning
this woman?
003:009 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the
LORD hath
sworn to David, even so
I do to him;
003:010 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul,
and to set up
the throne of David
over Israel and over Judah, from Dan
even
to Beersheba.
003:011 And he could not answer Abner a word again,
because he feared
him.
003:012 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf,
saying,
Whose is the land? saying
also, Make thy league with me,
and,
behold, my hand shall be with
thee, to bring about all Israel
unto thee.
003:013 And he said, Well; I will make a league with
thee: but one
thing I require of
thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my
face,
except thou first bring
Michal Saul's daughter, when thou
comest to see my face.
003:014 And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's
son, saying,
Deliver me my wife
Michal, which I espoused to me for
an
hundred foreskins of the
Philistines.
003:015 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her
husband, even from
Phaltiel the
son of Laish.
003:016 And her husband went with her along weeping
behind her to
Bahurim. Then said
Abner unto him, Go, return. And he
returned.
003:017 And Abner had communication with the elders of
Israel, saying,
Ye sought for
David in times past to be king over you:
003:018 Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of
David, saying, By
the hand of my
servant David I will save my people Israel
out
of the hand of the
Philistines, and out of the hand of
all
their enemies.
003:019 And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and
Abner went
also to speak in the
ears of David in Hebron all that
seemed
good to Israel, and that
seemed good to the whole house of
Benjamin.
003:020 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men
with him. And
David made Abner and
the men that were with him a feast.
003:021 And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go,
and will
gather all Israel unto my
lord the king, that they may make
a
league with thee, and that thou
mayest reign over all that
thine
heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he
went
in peace.
003:022 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came
from pursuing
a troop, and brought
in a great spoil with them: but Abner
was
not with David in Hebron; for
he had sent him away, and he was
gone in peace.
003:023 When Joab and all the host that was with him were
come, they
told Joab, saying,
Abner the son of Ner came to the king,
and
he hath sent him away, and he
is gone in peace.
003:024 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast
thou done?
behold, Abner came unto
thee; why is it that thou hast
sent
him away, and he is quite
gone?
003:025 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came
to deceive
thee, and to know thy
going out and thy coming in, and to
know
all that thou doest.
003:026 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent
messengers
after Abner, which
brought him again from the well of
Sirah:
but David knew it not.
003:027 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took
him aside in
the gate to speak
with him quietly, and smote him there
under
the fifth rib, that he died,
for the blood of Asahel his
brother.
003:028 And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and
my kingdom
are guiltless before
the LORD for ever from the blood of
Abner
the son of Ner:
003:029 Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his
father's
house; and let there not
fail from the house of Joab one
that
hath an issue, or that is a
leper, or that leaneth on a staff,
or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
003:030 So Joab, and Abishai his brother slew Abner,
because he had
slain their brother
Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
003:031 And David said to Joab, and to all the people
that were with
him, Rend your
clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and
mourn
before Abner. And king David
himself followed the bier.
003:032 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king
lifted up his
voice, and wept at
the grave of Abner; and all the
people
wept.
003:033 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died
Abner as a
fool dieth?
003:034 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into
fetters: as a
man falleth before
wicked men, so fellest thou. And all
the
people wept again over
him.
003:035 And when all the people came to cause David to
eat meat while
it was yet day,
David sware, saying, So do God to me, and
more
also, if I taste bread, or
ought else, till the sun be down.
003:036 And all the people took notice of it, and it
pleased them: as
whatsoever the
king did pleased all the people.
003:037 For all the people and all Israel understood that
day that it
was not of the king to
slay Abner the son of Ner.
003:038 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not
that there is
a prince and a great
man fallen this day in Israel?
003:039 And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and
these men
the sons of Zeruiah be
too hard for me: the LORD shall
reward
the doer of evil according
to his wickedness.
004:001 And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in
Hebron, his
hands were feeble, and
all the Israelites were troubled.
004:002 And Saul's son had two men that were captains of
bands: the
name of the one was
Baanah, and the name of the other
Rechab,
the sons of Rimmon a
Beerothite, of the children of
Benjamin:
(for Beeroth also was
reckoned to Benjamin.
004:003 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were
sojourners there
until this
day.)
004:004 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame
of his feet.
He was five years old
when the tidings came of Saul and
Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and
fled:
and it came to pass, as she
made haste to flee, that he fell,
and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
004:005 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and
Baanah,
went, and came about the
heat of the day to the house of
Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
004:006 And they came thither into the midst of the
house, as though
they would have
fetched wheat; and they smote him under
the
fifth rib: and Rechab and
Baanah his brother escaped.
004:007 For when they came into the house, he lay on his
bed in his
bedchamber, and they
smote him, and slew him, and
beheaded
him, and took his head,
and gat them away through the
plain
all night.
004:008 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto
David to Hebron,
and said to the
king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son
of
Saul thine enemy, which sought
thy life; and the LORD hath
avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
004:009 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother,
the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite,
and said unto them, As the LORD
liveth,
who hath redeemed my soul
out of all adversity,
004:010 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead,
thinking to
have brought good
tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him
in
Ziklag, who thought that I
would have given him a reward for
his tidings:
004:011 How much more, when wicked men have slain a
righteous person
in his own house
upon his bed? shall I not therefore
now
require his blood of your
hand, and take you away from the
earth?
004:012 And David commanded his young men, and they slew
them, and cut
off their hands and
their feet, and hanged them up over
the
pool in Hebron. But they took
the head of Ishbosheth, and
buried
it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
005:001 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto
Hebron, and
spake, saying, Behold,
we are thy bone and thy flesh.
005:002 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us,
thou wast he
that leddest out and
broughtest in Israel: and the LORD
said
to thee, Thou shalt feed my
people Israel, and thou shalt be a
captain over Israel.
005:003 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to
Hebron; and
king David made a
league with them in Hebron before the
LORD:
and they anointed David king
over Israel.
005:004 David was thirty years old when he began to
reign, and he
reigned forty
years.
005:005 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and
six months:
and in Jerusalem he
reigned thirty and three years over
all
Israel and Judah.
005:006 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto
the Jebusites,
the inhabitants of
the land: which spake unto David,
saying,
Except thou take away the
blind and the lame, thou shalt not
come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
005:007 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion:
the same is
the city of David.
005:008 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up
to the
gutter, and smiteth the
Jebusites, and the lame and the
blind
that are hated of David's
soul, he shall be chief and
captain.
Wherefore they said, The
blind and the lame shall not come
into the house.
005:009 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the
city of David.
And David built
round about from Millo and inward.
005:010 And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD
God of hosts
was with him.
005:011 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David,
and cedar
trees, and carpenters,
and masons: and they built David
an
house.
005:012 And David perceived that the LORD had established
him king
over Israel, and that he
had exalted his kingdom for his
people Israel's sake.
005:013 And David took him more concubines and wives out
of Jerusalem,
after he was come
from Hebron: and there were yet sons
and
daughters born to David.
005:014 And these be the names of those that were born
unto him in
Jerusalem; Shammuah,
and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
005:015 Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
005:016 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
005:017 But when the Philistines heard that they had
anointed David
king over Israel,
all the Philistines came up to seek
David;
and David heard of it, and
went down to the hold.
005:018 The Philistines also came and spread themselves
in the valley
of Rephaim.
005:019 And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I
go up to the
Philistines? wilt
thou deliver them into mine hand? And
the
LORD said unto David, Go up:
for I will doubtless deliver the
Philistines into thine hand.
005:020 And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote
them there, and
said, The LORD
hath broken forth upon mine enemies before
me,
as the breach of waters.
Therefore he called the name of
that
place Baalperazim.
005:021 And there they left their images, and David and
his men burned
them.
005:022 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread
themselves
in the valley of
Rephaim.
005:023 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said,
Thou shalt not
go up; but fetch a
compass behind them, and come upon
them
over against the mulberry
trees.
005:024 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a
going in the
tops of the mulberry
trees, that then thou shalt bestir
thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to
smite
the host of the
Philistines.
005:025 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him;
and smote the
Philistines from
Geba until thou come to Gazer.
006:001 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men
of Israel,
thirty thousand.
006:002 And David arose, and went with all the people
that were with
him from Baale of
Judah, to bring up from thence the ark
of
God, whose name is called by
the name of the LORD of hosts
that
dwelleth between the cherubims.
006:003 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and
brought it
out of the house of
Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah
and
Ahio, the sons of Abinadab,
drave the new cart.
006:004 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab
which was at
Gibeah, accompanying
the ark of God: and Ahio went before
the
ark.
006:005 And David and all the house of Israel played
before the LORD
on all manner of
instruments made of fir wood, even on
harps,
and on psalteries, and on
timbrels, and on cornets, and on
cymbals.
006:006 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor,
Uzzah put forth
his hand to the
ark of God, and took hold of it; for the
oxen
shook it.
006:007 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against
Uzzah; and God
smote him there for
his error; and there he died by the ark
of
God.
006:008 And David was displeased, because the LORD had
made a breach
upon Uzzah: and he
called the name of the place Perezuzzah
to
this day.
006:009 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and
said, How shall
the ark of the
LORD come to me?
006:010 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD
unto him into
the city of David:
but David carried it aside into the
house
of Obededom the Gittite.
006:011 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of
Obededom the
Gittite three months:
and the LORD blessed Obededom, and
all
his household.
006:012 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath
blessed the
house of Obededom, and
all that pertaineth unto him,
because
of the ark of God. So
David went and brought up the ark of
God
from the house of Obededom
into the city of David with
gladness.
006:013 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark
of the LORD
had gone six paces, he
sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
006:014 And David danced before the LORD with all his
might; and David
was girded with a
linen ephod.
006:015 So David and all the house of Israel brought up
the ark of the
LORD with shouting,
and with the sound of the trumpet.
006:016 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of
David, Michal
Saul's daughter
looked through a window, and saw king
David
leaping and dancing before
the LORD; and she despised him in
her heart.
006:017 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set
it in his
place, in the midst of
the tabernacle that David had
pitched
for it: and David offered
burnt offerings and peace
offerings
before the LORD.
006:018 And as soon as David had made an end of offering
burnt
offerings and peace
offerings, he blessed the people in
the
name of the LORD of hosts.
006:019 And he dealt among all the people, even among the
whole
multitude of Israel, as well
to the women as men, to every one
a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon
of
wine. So all the people
departed every one to his house.
006:020 Then David returned to bless his household. And
Michal the
daughter of Saul came
out to meet David, and said, How
glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered
himself
to day in the eyes of the
handmaids of his servants, as one
of
the vain fellows shamelessly
uncovereth himself!
006:021 And David said unto Michal, It was before the
LORD, which
chose me before thy
father, and before all his house,
to
appoint me ruler over the
people of the LORD, over Israel:
therefore will I play before the LORD.
006:022 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will
be base in
mine own sight: and of
the maidservants which thou hast
spoken
of, of them shall I be had
in honour.
006:023 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no
child unto the
day of her
death.
007:001 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his
house, and the
LORD had given him
rest round about from all his enemies;
007:002 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See
now, I dwell
in an house of cedar,
but the ark of God dwelleth within
curtains.
007:003 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is
in thine
heart; for the LORD is
with thee.
007:004 And it came to pass that night, that the word of
the LORD came
unto Nathan,
saying,
007:005 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the
LORD, Shalt thou
build me an house
for me to dwell in?
007:006 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the
time that I
brought up the
children of Israel out of Egypt, even to
this
day, but have walked in a
tent and in a tabernacle.
007:007 In all the places wherein I have walked with all
the children
of Israel spake I a
word with any of the tribes of
Israel,
whom I commanded to feed
my people Israel, saying, Why
build
ye not me an house of
cedar?
007:008 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant
David, Thus
saith the LORD of
hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote,
from
following the sheep, to be
ruler over my people, over Israel:
007:009 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest,
and have cut
off all thine enemies
out of thy sight, and have made thee
a
great name, like unto the name
of the great men that are in
the
earth.
007:010 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people
Israel, and will
plant them, that
they may dwell in a place of their own,
and
move no more; neither shall
the children of wickedness afflict
them any more, as beforetime,
007:011 And as since the time that I commanded judges to
be over my
people Israel, and have
caused thee to rest from all thine
enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee
an
house.
007:012 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt
sleep with thy
fathers, I will set
up thy seed after thee, which
shall
proceed out of thy bowels,
and I will establish his kingdom.
007:013 He shall build an house for my name, and I will
stablish the
throne of his kingdom
for ever.
007:014 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If
he commit
iniquity, I will chasten
him with the rod of men, and with
the
stripes of the children of
men:
007:015 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I
took it from
Saul, whom I put away
before thee.
007:016 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be
established for ever
before thee:
thy throne shall be established for ever.
007:017 According to all these words, and according to
all this
vision, so did Nathan
speak unto David.
007:018 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD,
and he said,
Who am I, O Lord GOD?
and what is my house, that thou
hast
brought me hitherto?
007:019 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O
Lord GOD; but
thou hast spoken
also of thy servant's house for a great
while
to come. And is this the
manner of man, O Lord GOD?
007:020 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou,
Lord GOD,
knowest thy servant.
007:021 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own
heart, hast
thou done all these
great things, to make thy servant
know
them.
007:022 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there
is none like
thee, neither is
there any God beside thee, according to
all
that we have heard with our
ears.
007:023 And what one nation in the earth is like thy
people, even like
Israel, whom God
went to redeem for a people to himself,
and
to make him a name, and to do
for you great things and
terrible,
for thy land, before thy people, which
thou
redeemedst to thee from
Egypt, from the nations and their
gods?
007:024 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people
Israel to be a
people unto thee
for ever: and thou, LORD, art become
their
God.
007:025 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast
spoken concerning
thy servant, and
concerning his house, establish it for
ever,
and do as thou hast
said.
007:026 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying,
The LORD of
hosts is the God over
Israel: and let the house of thy
servant
David be established
before thee.
007:027 For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast
revealed to thy
servant, saying, I
will build thee an house: therefore
hath
thy servant found in his
heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
007:028 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy
words be true,
and thou hast
promised this goodness unto thy servant:
007:029 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the
house of thy
servant, that it may
continue for ever before thee: for
thou,
O Lord GOD, hast spoken it:
and with thy blessing let the
house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
008:001 And after this it came to pass that David smote
the
Philistines, and subdued them:
and David took Methegammah out
of
the hand of the Philistines.
008:002 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line,
casting them
down to the ground;
even with two lines measured he to put
to
death, and with one full line
to keep alive. And so the
Moabites
became David's servants, and brought gifts.
008:003 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob,
king of Zobah,
as he went to
recover his border at the river Euphrates.
008:004 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and
seven hundred
horsemen, and twenty
thousand footmen: and David houghed
all
the chariot horses, but
reserved of them for an hundred
chariots.
008:005 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour
Hadadezer
king of Zobah, David
slew of the Syrians two and twenty
thousand men.
008:006 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus:
and the Syrians
became servants to
David, and brought gifts. And the
LORD
preserved David whithersoever
he went.
008:007 And David took the shields of gold that were on
the servants
of Hadadezer, and
brought them to Jerusalem.
008:008 And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of
Hadadezer, king
David took
exceeding much brass.
008:009 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had
smitten all the
host of
Hadadezer,
008:010 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to
salute him,
and to bless him,
because he had fought against Hadadezer,
and
smitten him: for Hadadezer had
wars with Toi. And Joram
brought
with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold,
and
vessels of brass:
008:011 Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD,
with the
silver and gold that he
had dedicated of all nations which
he
subdued;
008:012 Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of
Ammon, and of
the Philistines, and
of Amalek, and of the spoil of
Hadadezer,
son of Rehob, king of
Zobah.
008:013 And David gat him a name when he returned from
smiting of the
Syrians in the
valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
008:014 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom
put he
garrisons, and all they of
Edom became David's servants. And
the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
008:015 And David reigned over all Israel; and David
executed judgment
and justice unto
all his people.
008:016 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host;
and Jehoshaphat
the son of Ahilud
was recorder;
008:017 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the
son of
Abiathar, were the priests;
and Seraiah was the scribe;
008:018 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the
Cherethites
and the Pelethites;
and David's sons were chief rulers.
009:001 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of
the house of
Saul, that I may shew
him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
009:002 And there was of the house of Saul a servant
whose name was
Ziba. And when they
had called him unto David, the king
said
unto him, Art thou Ziba? And
he said, Thy servant is he.
009:003 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the
house of Saul,
that I may shew the
kindness of God unto him? And Ziba
said
unto the king, Jonathan hath
yet a son, which is lame on his
feet.
009:004 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba
said unto
the king, Behold, he is
in the house of Machir, the son of
Ammiel, in Lodebar.
009:005 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the
house of
Machir, the son of
Ammiel, from Lodebar.
009:006 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the
son of Saul,
was come unto David,
he fell on his face, and did
reverence.
And David said,
Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold
thy
servant!
009:007 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will
surely shew thee
kindness for
Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore
thee
all the land of Saul thy
father; and thou shalt eat bread
at
my table continually.
009:008 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy
servant, that thou
shouldest look
upon such a dead dog as I am?
009:009 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and
said unto
him, I have given unto
thy master's son all that pertained
to
Saul and to all his house.
009:010 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants,
shall till the
land for him, and
thou shalt bring in the fruits, that
thy
master's son may have food to
eat: but Mephibosheth thy
master's
son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba
had
fifteen sons and twenty
servants.
009:011 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all
that my lord
the king hath
commanded his servant, so shall thy servant
do.
As for Mephibosheth, said the
king, he shall eat at my table,
as
one of the king's sons.
009:012 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was
Micha. And
all that dwelt in the
house of Ziba were servants unto
Mephibosheth.
009:013 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did
eat continually
at the king's
table; and was lame on both his feet.
010:001 And it came to pass after this, that the king of
the children
of Ammon died, and
Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
010:002 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun
the son of
Nahash, as his father
shewed kindness unto me. And David
sent
to comfort him by the hand of
his servants for his father. And
David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
010:003 And the princes of the children of Ammon said
unto Hanun their
lord, Thinkest
thou that David doth honour thy father, that
he
hath sent comforters unto thee?
hath not David rather sent his
servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out,
and
to overthrow it?
010:004 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved
off the one
half of their beards,
and cut off their garments in the
middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
010:005 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet
them, because
the men were greatly
ashamed: and the king said, Tarry
at
Jericho until your beards be
grown, and then return.
010:006 And when the children of Ammon saw that they
stank before
David, the children
of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians
of
Bethrehob and the Syrians of
Zoba, twenty thousand footmen,
and
of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob
twelve
thousand men.
010:007 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all
the host of
the mighty men.
010:008 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the
battle in
array at the entering in
of the gate: and the Syrians of
Zoba,
and of Rehob, and Ishtob,
and Maacah, were by themselves in
the field.
010:009 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was
against him
before and behind, he
chose of all the choice men of
Israel,
and put them in array
against the Syrians:
010:010 And the rest of the people he delivered into the
hand of
Abishai his brother, that
he might put them in array against
the children of Ammon.
010:011 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me,
then thou
shalt help me: but if
the children of Ammon be too strong
for
thee, then I will come and
help thee.
010:012 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for
our people,
and for the cities of
our God: and the LORD do that
which
seemeth him good.
010:013 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with
him, unto
the battle against the
Syrians: and they fled before him.
010:014 And when the children of Ammon saw that the
Syrians were fled,
then fled they
also before Abishai, and entered into the
city.
So Joab returned from the
children of Ammon, and came to
Jerusalem.
010:015 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten
before Israel,
they gathered
themselves together.
010:016 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians
that were
beyond the river: and
they came to Helam; and Shobach
the
captain of the host of
Hadarezer went before them.
010:017 And when it was told David, he gathered all
Israel together,
and passed over
Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians
set
themselves in array against
David, and fought with him.
010:018 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David
slew the men of
seven hundred
chariots of the Syrians, and forty
thousand
horsemen, and smote
Shobach the captain of their host,
who
died there.
010:019 And when all the kings that were servants to
Hadarezer saw
that they were
smitten before Israel, they made peace
with
Israel, and served them. So
the Syrians feared to help the
children of Ammon any more.
011:001 And it came to pass, after the year was expired,
at the time
when kings go forth to
battle, that David sent Joab, and
his
servants with him, and all
Israel; and they destroyed the
children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David
tarried
still at Jerusalem.
011:002 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David
arose from
off his bed, and walked
upon the roof of the king's house:
and
from the roof he saw a woman
washing herself; and the woman
was
very beautiful to look upon.
011:003 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And
one said, Is
not this Bathsheba,
the daughter of Eliam, the wife of
Uriah
the Hittite?
011:004 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she
came in unto
him, and he lay with
her; for she was purified from her
uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
011:005 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David,
and said, I
am with child.
011:006 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the
Hittite. And
Joab sent Uriah to
David.
011:007 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded
of him how
Joab did, and how the
people did, and how the war prospered.
011:008 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house,
and wash thy
feet. And Uriah
departed out of the king's house, and
there
followed him a mess of meat
from the king.
011:009 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house
with all the
servants of his lord,
and went not down to his house.
011:010 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went
not down unto
his house, David
said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from
thy
journey? why then didst thou
not go down unto thine house?
011:011 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel,
and Judah,
abide in tents; and my
lord Joab, and the servants of my
lord,
are encamped in the open
fields; shall I then go into mine
house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as
thou
livest, and as thy soul
liveth, I will not do this thing.
011:012 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also,
and to morrow
I will let thee
depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that
day,
and the morrow.
011:013 And when David had called him, he did eat and
drink before
him; and he made him
drunk: and at even he went out to lie
on
his bed with the servants of
his lord, but went not down to
his
house.
011:014 And it came to pass in the morning, that David
wrote a letter
to Joab, and sent
it by the hand of Uriah.
011:015 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah
in the
forefront of the hottest
battle, and retire ye from him,
that
he may be smitten, and
die.
011:016 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city,
that he
assigned Uriah unto a
place where he knew that valiant
men
were.
011:017 And the men of the city went out, and fought with
Joab: and
there fell some of the
people of the servants of David;
and
Uriah the Hittite died
also.
011:018 Then Joab sent and told David all the things
concerning the
war;
011:019 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast
made an end
of telling the matters
of the war unto the king,
011:020 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he
say unto
thee, Wherefore
approached ye so nigh unto the city when
ye
did fight? knew ye not that
they would shoot from the wall?
011:021 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did
not a woman
cast a piece of a
millstone upon him from the wall, that
he
died in Thebez? why went ye
nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy
servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
011:022 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David
all that Joab
had sent him
for.
011:023 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men
prevailed
against us, and came out
unto us into the field, and we
were
upon them even unto the
entering of the gate.
011:024 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy
servants; and
some of the king's
servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah
the
Hittite is dead also.
011:025 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt
thou say unto
Joab, Let not this
thing displease thee, for the
sword
devoureth one as well as
another: make thy battle more
strong
against the city, and
overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
011:026 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her
husband was
dead, she mourned for
her husband.
011:027 And when the mourning was past, David sent and
fetched her to
his house, and she
became his wife, and bare him a son.
But
the thing that David had done
displeased the LORD.
012:001 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came
unto him, and
said unto him, There
were two men in one city; the one
rich,
and the other poor.
012:002 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
012:003 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe
lamb, which
he had bought and
nourished up: and it grew up together
with
him, and with his children;
it did eat of his own meat, and
drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto
him
as a daughter.
012:004 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and
he spared to
take of his own flock
and of his own herd, to dress for
the
wayfaring man that was come
unto him; but took the poor man's
lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
012:005 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the
man; and he
said to Nathan, As the
LORD liveth, the man that hath
done
this thing shall surely
die:
012:006 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because
he did this
thing, and because he
had no pity.
012:007 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus
saith the
LORD God of Israel, I
anointed thee king over Israel, and
I
delivered thee out of the hand
of Saul;
012:008 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy
master's wives
into thy bosom, and
gave thee the house of Israel and
of
Judah; and if that had been too
little, I would moreover have
given unto thee such and such things.
012:009 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of
the LORD, to
do evil in his sight?
thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite
with
the sword, and hast taken his
wife to be thy wife, and hast
slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
012:010 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from
thine house;
because thou hast
despised me, and hast taken the wife
of
Uriah the Hittite to be thy
wife.
012:011 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil
against thee
out of thine own
house, and I will take thy wives before
thine
eyes, and give them unto thy
neighbour, and he shall lie with
thy wives in the sight of this sun.
012:012 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this
thing before
all Israel, and
before the sun.
012:013 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against
the LORD.
And Nathan said unto
David, The LORD also hath put away
thy
sin; thou shalt not die.
012:014 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given
great occasion
to the enemies of
the LORD to blaspheme, the child also
that
is born unto thee shall
surely die.
012:015 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD
struck the
child that Uriah's wife
bare unto David, and it was very sick.
012:016 David therefore besought God for the child; and
David fasted,
and went in, and lay
all night upon the earth.
012:017 And the elders of his house arose, and went to
him, to raise
him up from the
earth: but he would not, neither did he
eat
bread with them.
012:018 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the
child died.
And the servants of
David feared to tell him that the
child
was dead: for they said,
Behold, while the child was yet
alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto
our
voice: how will he then vex
himself, if we tell him that the
child is dead?
012:019 But when David saw that his servants whispered,
David
perceived that the child was
dead: therefore David said unto
his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
012:020 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and
anointed
himself, and changed his
apparel, and came into the house
of
the LORD, and worshipped: then
he came to his own house; and
when
he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
012:021 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is
this that thou
hast done? thou
didst fast and weep for the child, while
it
was alive; but when the child
was dead, thou didst rise and
eat
bread.
012:022 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I
fasted and wept:
for I said, Who
can tell whether GOD will be gracious to
me,
that the child may live?
012:023 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can
I bring him
back again? I shall go
to him, but he shall not return to me.
012:024 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went
in unto her,
and lay with her: and
she bare a son, and he called his
name
Solomon: and the LORD loved
him.
012:025 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet;
and he called
his name Jedidiah,
because of the LORD.
012:026 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of
Ammon, and
took the royal
city.
012:027 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I
have fought
against Rabbah, and
have taken the city of waters.
012:028 Now therefore gather the rest of the people
together, and
encamp against the
city, and take it: lest I take the
city,
and it be called after my
name.
012:029 And David gathered all the people together, and
went to
Rabbah, and fought against
it, and took it.
012:030 And he took their king's crown from off his head,
the weight
whereof was a talent of
gold with the precious stones: and
it
was set on David's head. And he
brought forth the spoil of the
city in great abundance.
012:031 And he brought forth the people that were
therein, and put
them under saws,
and under harrows of iron, and under axes
of
iron, and made them pass
through the brick-kiln: and thus
did
he unto all the cities of the
children of Ammon. So David and
all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
013:001 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the
son of David
had a fair sister,
whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son
of
David loved her.
013:002 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his
sister
Tamar; for she was a
virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for
him
to do anything to her.
013:003 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab,
the son of
Shimeah David's
brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.
013:004 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the
king's son, lean
from day to day?
wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said
unto
him, I love Tamar, my brother
Absalom's sister.
013:005 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy
bed, and make
thyself sick: and
when thy father cometh to see thee, say
unto
him, I pray thee, let my
sister Tamar come, and give me
meat,
and dress the meat in my
sight, that I may see it, and eat
it
at her hand.
013:006 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and
when the king
was come to see him,
Amnon said unto the king, I pray
thee,
let Tamar my sister come,
and make me a couple of cakes in
my
sight, that I may eat at her
hand.
013:007 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to
thy brother
Amnon's house, and
dress him meat.
013:008 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and
he was laid
down. And she took
flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes
in
his sight, and did bake the
cakes.
013:009 And she took a pan, and poured them out before
him; but he
refused to eat. And
Amnon said, Have out all men from me.
And
they went out every man from
him.
013:010 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into
the chamber,
that I may eat of
thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes
which
she had made, and brought
them into the chamber to Amnon her
brother.
013:011 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he
took hold of
her, and said unto
her, Come lie with me, my sister.
013:012 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not
force me; for no
such thing ought
to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
013:013 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and
as for thee,
thou shalt be as one
of the fools in Israel. Now therefore,
I
pray thee, speak unto the king;
for he will not withhold me
from
thee.
013:014 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but,
being
stronger than she, forced
her, and lay with her.
013:015 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the
hatred wherewith
he hated her was
greater than the love wherewith he had
loved
her. And Amnon said unto
her, Arise, be gone.
013:016 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this
evil in sending
me away is greater
than the other that thou didst unto me.
But
he would not hearken unto
her.
013:017 Then he called his servant that ministered unto
him, and said,
Put now this woman
out from me, and bolt the door after her.
013:018 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her:
for with
such robes were the
king's daughters that were virgins
apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted
the
door after her.
013:019 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her
garment of
divers colours that was
on her, and laid her hand on her
head,
and went on crying.
013:020 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon
thy brother
been with thee? but
hold now thy peace, my sister: he is
thy
brother; regard not this
thing. So Tamar remained desolate
in
her brother Absalom's
house.
013:021 But when king David heard of all these things, he
was very
wroth.
013:022 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither
good nor bad:
for Absalom hated
Amnon, because he had forced his
sister
Tamar.
013:023 And it came to pass after two full years, that
Absalom had
sheepshearers in
Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim:
and
Absalom invited all the king's
sons.
013:024 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold
now, thy
servant hath
sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee,
and
his servants go with thy
servant.
013:025 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us
not all now
go, lest we be
chargeable unto thee. And he pressed
him:
howbeit he would not go, but
blessed him.
013:026 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my
brother Amnon
go with us. And the
king said unto him, Why should he go
with
thee?
013:027 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and
all the king's
sons go with
him.
013:028 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying,
Mark ye now
when Amnon's heart is
merry with wine, and when I say
unto
you, Smite Amnon; then kill
him, fear not: have not I
commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
013:029 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as
Absalom had
commanded. Then all
the king's sons arose, and every man
gat
him up upon his mule, and
fled.
013:030 And it came to pass, while they were in the way,
that tidings
came to David,
saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's
sons,
and there is not one of them
left.
013:031 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and
lay on the
earth; and all his
servants stood by with their clothes rent.
013:032 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother,
answered and
said, Let not my lord
suppose that they have slain all
the
young men the king's sons; for
Amnon only is dead: for by the
appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the
day
that he forced his sister
Tamar.
013:033 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the
thing to his
heart, to think that
all the king's sons are dead: for
Amnon
only is dead.
013:034 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the
watch lifted
up his eyes, and
looked, and, behold, there came much
people
by the way of the hill side
behind him.
013:035 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the
king's sons come:
as thy servant
said, so it is.
013:036 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an
end of
speaking, that, behold, the
king's sons came, and lifted up
their voice and wept: and the king also and all his
servants
wept very sore.
013:037 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of
Ammihud, king
of Geshur. And David
mourned for his son every day.
013:038 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was
there three
years.
013:039 And the soul of king David longed to go forth
unto Absalom:
for he was comforted
concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
014:001 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the
king's heart
was toward
Absalom.
014:002 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a
wise woman, and
said unto her, I
pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner,
and
put on now mourning apparel,
and anoint not thyself with oil,
but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
014:003 And come to the king, and speak on this manner
unto him. So
Joab put the words in
her mouth.
014:004 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king,
she fell on
her face to the
ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help,
O
king.
014:005 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And
she
answered, I am indeed a widow
woman, and mine husband is dead.
014:006 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two
strove together in
the field, and
there was none to part them, but the one
smote
the other, and slew him.
014:007 And, behold, the whole family is risen against
thine handmaid,
and they said,
Deliver him that smote his brother, that we
may
kill him, for the life of his
brother whom he slew; and we
will
destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my
coal
which is left, and shall not
leave to my husband neither name
nor remainder upon the earth.
014:008 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine
house, and I
will give charge
concerning thee.
014:009 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My
lord, O king,
the iniquity be on
me, and on my father's house: and the
king
and his throne be
guiltless.
014:010 And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto thee,
bring him to
me, and he shall not
touch thee any more.
014:011 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember
the LORD thy
God, that thou
wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood
to
destroy any more, lest they
destroy my son. And he said, As
the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall
to
the earth.
014:012 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray
thee, speak
one word unto my lord
the king. And he said, Say on.
014:013 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou
thought such a
thing against the
people of God? for the king doth speak
this
thing as one which is faulty,
in that the king doth not fetch
home again his banished.
014:014 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on
the ground,
which cannot be
gathered up again; neither doth God
respect
any person: yet doth he
devise means, that his banished be
not
expelled from him.
014:015 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this
thing unto my
lord the king, it is
because the people have made me
afraid:
and thy handmaid said, I
will now speak unto the king; it
may
be that the king will perform
the request of his handmaid.
014:016 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid
out of the
hand of the man that
would destroy me and my son together
out
of the inheritance of God.
014:017 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the
king shall
now be comfortable: for
as an angel of God, so is my lord
the
king to discern good and bad:
therefore the LORD thy God will
be
with thee.
014:018 Then the king answered and said unto the woman,
Hide not from
me, I pray thee, the
thing that I shall ask thee. And
the
woman said, Let my lord the
king now speak.
014:019 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with
thee in all
this? And the woman
answered and said, As thy soul liveth,
my
lord the king, none can turn to
the right hand or to the left
from
ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy
servant
Joab, he bade me, and he
put all these words in the mouth
of
thine handmaid:
014:020 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy
servant Joab done
this thing: and
my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of
an
angel of God, to know all
things that are in the earth.
014:021 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have
done this
thing: go therefore,
bring the young man Absalom again.
014:022 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and
bowed himself,
and thanked the
king: and Joab said, To day thy
servant
knoweth that I have found
grace in thy sight, my lord, O
king,
in that the king hath
fulfilled the request of his servant.
014:023 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought
Absalom to
Jerusalem.
014:024 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house,
and let him
not see my face. So
Absalom returned to his own house, and
saw
not the king's face.
014:025 But in all Israel there was none to be so much
praised as
Absalom for his beauty:
from the sole of his foot even to
the
crown of his head there was no
blemish in him.
014:026 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every
year's end
that he polled it:
because the hair was heavy on him,
therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head
at
two hundred shekels after the
king's weight.
014:027 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and
one daughter,
whose name was
Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
014:028 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and
saw not the
king's face.
014:029 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him
to the king;
but he would not come
to him: and when he sent again the
second time, he would not come.
014:030 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's
field is near
mine, and he hath
barley there; go and set it on fire.
And
Absalom's servants set the
field on fire.
014:031 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his
house, and said
unto him,
Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
014:032 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto
thee, saying,
Come hither, that I
may send thee to the king, to say,
Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me
to
have been there still: now
therefore let me see the king's
face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
014:033 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when
he had called
for Absalom, he came
to the king, and bowed himself on
his
face to the ground before the
king: and the king kissed
Absalom.
015:001 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom
prepared him
chariots and horses,
and fifty men to run before him.
015:002 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the
way of the
gate: and it was so,
that when any man that had a
controversy
came to the king for
judgment, then Absalom called unto
him,
and said, Of what city art
thou? And he said, Thy servant is
of one of the tribes of Israel.
015:003 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are
good and
right; but there is no
man deputed of the king to hear thee.
015:004 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge
in the land,
that every man which
hath any suit or cause might come
unto
me, and I would do him
justice!
015:005 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him
to do him
obeisance, he put forth
his hand, and took him, and kissed
him.
015:006 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that
came to the
king for judgment: so
Absalom stole the hearts of the men
of
Israel.
015:007 And it came to pass after forty years, that
Absalom said unto
the king, I pray
thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I
have
vowed unto the LORD, in
Hebron.
015:008 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at
Geshur in Syria,
saying, If the
LORD shall bring me again indeed to
Jerusalem,
then I will serve the
LORD.
015:009 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he
arose, and went
to Hebron.
015:010 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes
of Israel,
saying, As soon as ye
hear the sound of the trumpet, then
ye
shall say, Absalom reigneth in
Hebron.
015:011 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of
Jerusalem, that
were called; and
they went in their simplicity, and they
knew
not any thing.
015:012 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite,
David's
counsellor, from his city,
even from Giloh, while he offered
sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the
people
increased continually with
Absalom.
015:013 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The
hearts of the
men of Israel are
after Absalom.
015:014 And David said unto all his servants that were
with him at
Jerusalem, Arise, and
let us flee; for we shall not else
escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake
us
suddenly, and bring evil upon
us, and smite the city with the
edge of the sword.
015:015 And the king's servants said unto the king,
Behold, thy
servants are ready to
do whatsoever my lord the king
shall
appoint.
015:016 And the king went forth, and all his household
after him. And
the king left ten
women, which were concubines, to keep
the
house.
015:017 And the king went forth, and all the people after
him, and
tarried in a place that
was far off.
015:018 And all his servants passed on beside him; and
all the
Cherethites, and all the
Pelethites, and all the Gittites,
six
hundred men which came after
him from Gath, passed on before
the king.
015:019 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite,
Wherefore goest thou
also with us?
return to thy place, and abide with the
king:
for thou art a stranger, and
also an exile.
015:020 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this
day make thee
go up and down with
us? seeing I go whither I may,
return
thou, and take back thy
brethren: mercy and truth be with
thee.
015:021 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the
LORD liveth, and
as my lord the
king liveth, surely in what place my lord
the
king shall be, whether in
death or life, even there also
will
thy servant be.
015:022 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And
Ittai the
Gittite passed over, and
all his men, and all the little
ones
that were with him.
015:023 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and
all the people
passed over: the
king also himself passed over the
brook
Kidron, and all the people
passed over, toward the way of the
wilderness.
015:024 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with
him, bearing
the ark of the
covenant of God: and they set down the ark
of
God; and Abiathar went up,
until all the people had done
passing out of the city.
015:025 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark
of God into
the city: if I shall
find favour in the eyes of the LORD,
he
will bring me again, and shew
me both it, and his habitation:
015:026 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee;
behold, here am
I, let him do to
me as seemeth good unto him.
015:027 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not
thou a seer?
return into the city
in peace, and your two sons with
you,
Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan
the son of Abiathar.
015:028 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness,
until there
come word from you to
certify me.
015:029 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of
God again to
Jerusalem: and they
tarried there.
015:030 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet,
and wept as
he went up, and had
his head covered, and he went
barefoot:
and all the people that
was with him covered every man his
head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
015:031 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among
the
conspirators with Absalom. And
David said, O LORD, I pray
thee,
turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
015:032 And it came to pass, that when David was come to
the top of
the mount, where he
worshipped God, behold, Hushai the
Archite
came to meet him with his
coat rent, and earth upon his head:
015:033 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me,
then thou
shalt be a burden unto
me:
015:034 But if thou return to the city, and say unto
Absalom, I will
be thy servant, O
king; as I have been thy father's
servant
hitherto, so will I now
also be thy servant: then mayest
thou
for me defeat the counsel of
Ahithophel.
015:035 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and
Abiathar the
priests? therefore it
shall be, that what thing soever
thou
shalt hear out of the king's
house, thou shalt tell it to
Zadok
and Abiathar the priests.
015:036 Behold, they have there with them their two sons,
Ahimaaz
Zadok's son, and Jonathan
Abiathar's son; and by them ye
shall
send unto me every thing
that ye can hear.
015:037 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and
Absalom came
into Jerusalem.
016:001 And when David was a little past the top of the
hill, behold,
Ziba the servant of
Mephibosheth met him, with a couple
of
asses saddled, and upon them
two hundred loaves of bread, and
an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of
summer
fruits, and a bottle of
wine.
016:002 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by
these? And
Ziba said, The asses be
for the king's household to ride
on;
and the bread and summer fruit
for the young men to eat; and
the
wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
016:003 And the king said, And where is thy master's son?
And Ziba
said unto the king,
Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for
he
said, To day shall the house of
Israel restore me the kingdom
of
my father.
016:004 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all
that
pertained unto Mephibosheth.
And Ziba said, I humbly beseech
thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.
016:005 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold,
thence came out a
man of the
family of the house of Saul, whose name was
Shimei,
the son of Gera: he came
forth, and cursed still as he came.
016:006 And he cast stones at David, and at all the
servants of king
David: and all
the people and all the mighty men were on
his
right hand and on his
left.
016:007 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out,
come out, thou
bloody man, and
thou man of Belial:
016:008 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of
the house of
Saul, in whose stead
thou hast reigned; and the LORD
hath
delivered the kingdom into
the hand of Absalom thy son: and,
behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art
a
bloody man.
016:009 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the
king, Why should
this dead dog
curse my lord the king? let me go over, I
pray
thee, and take off his
head.
016:010 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye
sons of
Zeruiah? so let him curse,
because the LORD hath said unto
him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou
done
so?
016:011 And David said to Abishai, and to all his
servants, Behold, my
son, which
came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how
much
more now may this Benjamite
do it? let him alone, and let him
curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
016:012 It may be that the LORD will look on mine
affliction, and that
the LORD will
requite me good for his cursing this day.
016:013 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei
went along on
the hill's side over
against him, and cursed as he went,
and
threw stones at him, and cast
dust.
016:014 And the king, and all the people that were with
him, came
weary, and refreshed
themselves there.
016:015 And Absalom, and all the people the men of
Israel, came to
Jerusalem, and
Ahithophel with him.
016:016 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite,
David's friend,
was come unto
Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God
save
the king, God save the
king.
016:017 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness
to thy
friend? why wentest thou
not with thy friend?
016:018 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the
LORD, and this
people, and all the
men of Israel, choose, his will I be,
and
with him will I abide.
016:019 And again, whom should I serve? should I not
serve in the
presence of his son?
as I have served in thy father's
presence, so will I be in thy presence.
016:020 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel
among you what
we shall do.
016:021 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy
father's
concubines, which he hath
left to keep the house; and all
Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father:
then
shall the hands of all that
are with thee be strong.
016:022 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the
house; and
Absalom went in unto
his father's concubines in the sight
of
all Israel.
016:023 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he
counselled in those
days, was as
if a man had enquired at the oracle of God:
so
was all the counsel of
Ahithophel both with David and
with
Absalom.
017:001 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now
choose out
twelve thousand men,
and I will arise and pursue after
David
this night:
017:002 And I will come upon him while he is weary and
weak handed,
and will make him
afraid: and all the people that are with
him
shall flee; and I will smite
the king only:
017:003 And I will bring back all the people unto thee:
the man whom
thou seekest is as if
all returned: so all the people shall
be
in peace.
017:004 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the
elders of
Israel.
017:005 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite
also, and let
us hear likewise
what he saith.
017:006 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom
spake unto him,
saying, Ahithophel
hath spoken after this manner: shall we
do
after his saying? if not; speak
thou.
017:007 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that
Ahithophel hath
given is not good
at this time.
017:008 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his
men, that
they be mighty men, and
they be chafed in their minds, as
a
bear robbed of her whelps in the
field: and thy father is a
man of
war, and will not lodge with the people.
017:009 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some
other place: and
it will come to
pass, when some of them be overthrown at
the
first, that whosoever heareth
it will say, There is a
slaughter
among the people that follow Absalom.
017:010 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as
the heart of a
lion, shall utterly
melt: for all Israel knoweth that
thy
father is a mighty man, and
they which be with him are valiant
men.
017:011 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally
gathered unto
thee, from Dan even
to Beersheba, as the sand that is by
the
sea for multitude; and that
thou go to battle in thine own
person.
017:012 So shall we come upon him in some place where he
shall be
found, and we will light
upon him as the dew falleth on the
ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him
there
shall not be left so much as
one.
017:013 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall
all Israel
bring ropes to that
city, and we will draw it into the
river,
until there be not one
small stone found there.
017:014 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The
counsel of
Hushai the Archite is
better than the counsel of
Ahithophel.
For the LORD had
appointed to defeat the good counsel
of
Ahithophel, to the intent that
the LORD might bring evil upon
Absalom.
017:015 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the
priests, Thus
and thus did
Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders
of
Israel; and thus and thus have
I counselled.
017:016 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David,
saying, Lodge not
this night in
the plains of the wilderness, but speedily
pass
over; lest the king be
swallowed up, and all the people
that
are with him.
017:017 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for
they might not
be seen to come
into the city: and a wench went and told
them;
and they went and told king
David.
017:018 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom:
but they went
both of them away
quickly, and came to a man's house
in
Bahurim, which had a well in
his court; whither they went
down.
017:019 And the woman took and spread a covering over the
well's
mouth, and spread ground
corn thereon; and the thing was
not
known.
017:020 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to
the house,
they said, Where is
Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman
said
unto them, They be gone over
the brook of water. And when they
had sought and could not find them, they returned
to
Jerusalem.
017:021 And it came to pass, after they were departed,
that they came
up out of the well,
and went and told king David, and
said
unto David, Arise, and pass
quickly over the water: for thus
hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
017:022 Then David arose, and all the people that were
with him, and
they passed over
Jordan: by the morning light there lacked
not
one of them that was not gone
over Jordan.
017:023 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not
followed, he
saddled his ass, and
arose, and gat him home to his house,
to
his city, and put his household
in order, and hanged himself,
and
died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
017:024 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed
over Jordan,
he and all the men of
Israel with him.
017:025 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host
instead of Joab:
which Amasa was a
man's son, whose name was Ithra an
Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of
Nahash,
sister to Zeruiah Joab's
mother.
017:026 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
017:027 And it came to pass, when David was come to
Mahanaim, that
Shobi the son of
Nahash of Rabbah of the children of
Ammon,
and Machir the son of
Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai
the
Gileadite of Rogelim,
017:028 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels,
and wheat, and
barley, and flour,
and parched corn, and beans, and
lentiles,
and parched pulse,
017:029 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of
kine, for
David, and for the
people that were with him, to eat: for
they
said, The people is hungry,
and weary, and thirsty, in the
wilderness.
018:001 And David numbered the people that were with him,
and set
captains of thousands, and
captains of hundreds over them.
018:002 And David sent forth a third part of the people
under the hand
of Joab, and a
third part under the hand of Abishai the son
of
Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a
third part under the hand of
Ittai
the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I
will
surely go forth with you
myself also.
018:003 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth:
for if we
flee away, they will not
care for us; neither if half of us
die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth
ten
thousand of us: therefore now
it is better that thou succour
us
out of the city.
018:004 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you
best I will do.
And the king stood
by the gate side, and all the people
came
out by hundreds and by
thousands.
018:005 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and
Ittai, saying,
Deal gently for my
sake with the young man, even with
Absalom.
And all the people heard
when the king gave all the
captains
charge concerning
Absalom.
018:006 So the people went out into the field against
Israel: and the
battle was in the
wood of Ephraim;
018:007 Where the people of Israel were slain before the
servants of
David, and there was
there a great slaughter that day
of
twenty thousand men.
018:008 For the battle was there scattered over the face
of all the
country: and the wood
devoured more people that day than
the
sword devoured.
018:009 And Absalom met the servants of David. And
Absalom rode upon a
mule, and the
mule went under the thick boughs of a great
oak,
and his head caught hold of
the oak, and he was taken up
between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was
under
him went away.
018:010 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and
said, Behold, I
saw Absalom hanged
in an oak.
018:011 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And,
behold, thou
sawest him, and why
didst thou not smite him there to
the
ground? and I would have given
thee ten shekels of silver, and
a
girdle.
018:012 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should
receive a thousand
shekels of
silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth
mine
hand against the king's son:
for in our hearing the king
charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that
none
touch the young man
Absalom.
018:013 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against
mine own
life: for there is no
matter hid from the king, and thou
thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
018:014 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee.
And he took
three darts in his
hand, and thrust them through the heart
of
Absalom, while he was yet alive
in the midst of the oak.
018:015 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour
compassed about and
smote Absalom,
and slew him.
018:016 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people
returned from
pursuing after
Israel: for Joab held back the people.
018:017 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great
pit in the
wood, and laid a very
great heap of stones upon him: and
all
Israel fled every one to his
tent.
018:018 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared
up for
himself a pillar, which is
in the king's dale: for he said, I
have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called
the
pillar after his own name: and
it is called unto this day,
Absalom's place.
018:019 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now
run, and bear
the king tidings,
how that the LORD hath avenged him of
his
enemies.
018:020 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear
tidings this day,
but thou shalt
bear tidings another day: but this day
thou
shalt bear no tidings,
because the king's son is dead.
018:021 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what
thou hast seen.
And Cushi bowed
himself unto Joab, and ran.
018:022 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to
Joab, But
howsoever, let me, I
pray thee, also run after Cushi. And
Joab
said, Wherefore wilt thou
run, my son, seeing that thou hast
no tidings ready?
018:023 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said
unto him, Run.
Then Ahimaaz ran by
the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
018:024 And David sat between the two gates: and the
watchman went up
to the roof over
the gate unto the wall, and lifted up
his
eyes, and looked, and behold a
man running alone.
018:025 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And
the king said,
If he be alone,
there is tidings in his mouth. And he
came
apace, and drew near.
018:026 And the watchman saw another man running: and the
watchman
called unto the porter,
and said, Behold another man
running
alone. And the king said,
He also bringeth tidings.
018:027 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of
the foremost
is like the running
of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the
king
said, He is a good man, and
cometh with good tidings.
018:028 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All
is well. And
he fell down to the
earth upon his face before the king,
and
said, Blessed be the LORD thy
God, which hath delivered up the
men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
018:029 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe?
And Ahimaaz
answered, When Joab
sent the king's servant, and me
thy
servant, I saw a great tumult,
but I knew not what it was.
018:030 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand
here. And he
turned aside, and
stood still.
018:031 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings,
my lord the
king: for the LORD
hath avenged thee this day of all them
that
rose up against thee.
018:032 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man
Absalom safe?
And Cushi answered,
The enemies of my lord the king, and
all
that rise against thee to do
thee hurt, be as that young man
is.
018:033 And the king was much moved, and went up to the
chamber over
the gate, and wept:
and as he went, thus he said, O my
son
Absalom, my son, my son
Absalom! would God I had died for
thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
019:001 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth
and mourneth
for Absalom.
019:002 And the victory that day was turned into mourning
unto all the
people: for the
people heard say that day how the king
was
grieved for his son.
019:003 And the people gat them by stealth that day into
the city, as
people being ashamed
steal away when they flee in battle.
019:004 But the king covered his face, and the king cried
with a loud
voice, O my son
Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
019:005 And Joab came into the house to the king, and
said, Thou hast
shamed this day
the faces of all thy servants, which this
day
have saved thy life, and the
lives of thy sons and of thy
daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of
thy
concubines;
019:006 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy
friends. For
thou hast declared
this day, that thou regardest
neither
princes nor servants: for
this day I perceive, that if
Absalom
had lived, and all we had
died this day, then it had pleased
thee well.
019:007 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak
comfortably unto thy
servants: for
I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth,
there
will not tarry one with thee
this night: and that will be
worse
unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from
thy
youth until now.
019:008 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And
they told unto
all the people,
saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the
gate.
And all the people came
before the king: for Israel had
fled
every man to his tent.
019:009 And all the people were at strife throughout all
the tribes of
Israel, saying, The
king saved us out of the hand of
our
enemies, and he delivered us
out of the hand of the
Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
019:010 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in
battle. Now
therefore why speak ye
not a word of bringing the king back?
019:011 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the
priests,
saying, Speak unto the
elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye
the
last to bring the king back to
his house? seeing the speech of
all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
019:012 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh:
wherefore
then are ye the last to
bring back the king?
019:013 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and
of my flesh?
God do so to me, and
more also, if thou be not captain of
the
host before me continually in
the room of Joab.
019:014 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah,
even as the
heart of one man; so
that they sent this word unto the
king,
Return thou, and all thy
servants.
019:015 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And
Judah came to
Gilgal, to go to
meet the king, to conduct the king
over
Jordan.
019:016 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which
was of Bahurim,
hasted and came
down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
019:017 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with
him, and Ziba
the servant of the
house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and
his
twenty servants with him; and
they went over Jordan before the
king.
019:018 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over
the king's
household, and to do
what he thought good. And Shimei the
son
of Gera fell down before the
king, as he was come over Jordan;
019:019 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute
iniquity unto
me, neither do thou
remember that which thy servant
did
perversely the day that my
lord the king went out of
Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
019:020 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned:
therefore,
behold, I am come the
first this day of all the house of
Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
019:021 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said,
Shall not
Shimei be put to death
for this, because he cursed the
LORD's
anointed?
019:022 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye
sons of
Zeruiah, that ye should
this day be adversaries unto me?
shall
there any man be put to
death this day in Israel? for do not
I
know that I am this day king
over Israel?
019:023 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt
not die. And
the king sware unto
him.
019:024 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to
meet the king,
and had neither
dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard,
nor
washed his clothes, from the
day the king departed until the
day he came again in peace.
019:025 And it came to pass, when he was come to
Jerusalem to meet the
king, that
the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not
thou
with me, Mephibosheth?
019:026 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant
deceived me: for
thy servant said,
I will saddle me an ass, that I may
ride
thereon, and go to the king;
because thy servant is lame.
019:027 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord
the king; but
my lord the king is
as an angel of God: do therefore what
is
good in thine eyes.
019:028 For all of my father's house were but dead men
before my lord
the king: yet didst
thou set thy servant among them that
did
eat at thine own table. What
right therefore have I yet to cry
any more unto the king?
019:029 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any
more of thy
matters? I have said,
Thou and Ziba divide the land.
019:030 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him
take all,
forasmuch as my lord the
king is come again in peace unto
his
own house.
019:031 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from
Rogelim, and went
over Jordan with
the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
019:032 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore
years old:
and he had provided the
king of sustenance while he lay at
Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
019:033 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over
with me, and
I will feed thee with
me in Jerusalem.
019:034 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I
to live,
that I should go up with
the king unto Jerusalem?
019:035 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I
discern between
good and evil? can
thy servant taste what I eat or what
I
drink? can I hear any more the
voice of singing men and
singing
women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet
a
burden unto my lord the
king?
019:036 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with
the king:
and why should the king
recompense it me with such a reward?
019:037 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again,
that I may die
in mine own city,
and be buried by the grave of my father
and
of my mother. But behold thy
servant Chimham; let him go over
with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good
unto
thee.
019:038 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with
me, and I
will do to him that
which shall seem good unto thee:
and
whatsoever thou shalt require
of me, that will I do for thee.
019:039 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the
king was
come over, the king
kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and
he
returned unto his own
place.
019:040 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went
on with him:
and all the people of
Judah conducted the king, and also
half
the people of Israel.
019:041 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the
king, and said
unto the king, Why
have our brethren the men of Judah
stolen
thee away, and have brought
the king, and his household, and
all David's men with him, over Jordan?
019:042 And all the men of Judah answered the men of
Israel, Because
the king is near
of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry
for
this matter? have we eaten at
all of the king's cost? or hath
he
given us any gift?
019:043 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah,
and said, We
have ten parts in the
king, and we have also more right
in
David than ye: why then did ye
despise us, that our advice
should
not be first had in bringing back our king? And
the
words of the men of Judah were
fiercer than the words of the
men
of Israel.
020:001 And there happened to be there a man of Belial,
whose name was
Sheba, the son of
Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a
trumpet,
and said, We have no part
in David, neither have we
inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents,
O
Israel.
020:002 So every man of Israel went up from after David,
and followed
Sheba the son of
Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto
their
king, from Jordan even to
Jerusalem.
020:003 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the
king took
the ten women his
concubines, whom he had left to keep
the
house, and put them in ward,
and fed them, but went not in
unto
them. So they were shut up unto the day of their
death,
living in widowhood.
020:004 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men
of Judah
within three days, and be
thou here present.
020:005 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but
he tarried
longer than the set
time which he had appointed him.
020:006 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the
son of Bichri
do us more harm than
did Absalom: take thou thy lord's
servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced
cities,
and escape us.
020:007 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the
Cherethites,
and the Pelethites,
and all the mighty men: and they went
out
of Jerusalem, to pursue after
Sheba the son of Bichri.
020:008 When they were at the great stone which is in
Gibeon, Amasa
went before them.
And Joab's garment that he had put on
was
girded unto him, and upon it a
girdle with a sword fastened
upon
his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth
it
fell out.
020:009 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my
brother? And
Joab took Amasa by
the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
020:010 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in
Joab's hand:
so he smote him
therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out
his
bowels to the ground, and
struck him not again; and he died.
So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son
of
Bichri.
020:011 And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He
that
favoureth Joab, and he that
is for David, let him go after
Joab.
020:012 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the
highway. And
when the man saw that
all the people stood still, he
removed
Amasa out of the highway
into the field, and cast a cloth
upon
him, when he saw that every
one that came by him stood still.
020:013 When he was removed out of the highway, all the
people went on
after Joab, to
pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
020:014 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto
Abel, and to
Bethmaachah, and all
the Berites: and they were
gathered
together, and went also
after him.
020:015 And they came and besieged him in Abel of
Bethmaachah, and
they cast up a
bank against the city, and it stood in
the
trench: and all the people
that were with Joab battered the
wall, to throw it down.
020:016 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear,
hear; say, I
pray you, unto Joab,
Come near hither, that I may speak
with
thee.
020:017 And when he was come near unto her, the woman
said, Art thou
Joab? And he
answered, I am he. Then she said unto him,
Hear
the words of thine handmaid.
And he answered, I do hear.
020:018 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak
in old time,
saying, They shall
surely ask counsel at Abel: and so
they
ended the matter.
020:019 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful
in Israel:
thou seekest to destroy
a city and a mother in Israel: why
wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
020:020 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it
from me, that
I should swallow up
or destroy.
020:021 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim,
Sheba the
son of Bichri by name,
hath lifted up his hand against
the
king, even against David:
deliver him only, and I will
depart
from the city. And the
woman said unto Joab, Behold, his
head
shall be thrown to thee over
the wall.
020:022 Then the woman went unto all the people in her
wisdom. And
they cut off the head
of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast
it
out to Joab. And he blew a
trumpet, and they retired from the
city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to
Jerusalem
unto the king.
020:023 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and
Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada was
over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
020:024 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat
the son of
Ahilud was
recorder:
020:025 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
020:026 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
021:001 Then there was a famine in the days of David
three years, year
after year; and
David enquired of the LORD. And the
LORD
answered, It is for Saul, and
for his bloody house, because he
slew the Gibeonites.
021:002 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto
them; (now
the Gibeonites were not
of the children of Israel, but of
the
remnant of the Amorites; and
the children of Israel had sworn
unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to
the
children of Israel and
Judah.)
021:003 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What
shall I do for
you? and wherewith
shall I make the atonement, that ye
may
bless the inheritance of the
LORD?
021:004 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no
silver nor
gold of Saul, nor of
his house; neither for us shalt thou
kill
any man in Israel. And he
said, What ye shall say, that will
I
do for you.
021:005 And they answered the king, The man that consumed
us, and that
devised against us
that we should be destroyed from
remaining
in any of the coasts of
Israel,
021:006 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us,
and we will
hang them up unto the
LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the
LORD
did choose. And the king
said, I will give them.
021:007 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of
Jonathan the son
of Saul, because
of the LORD's oath that was between
them,
between David and Jonathan
the son of Saul.
021:008 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the
daughter of Aiah,
whom she bare
unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the
five
sons of Michal the daughter
of Saul, whom she brought up for
Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
021:009 And he delivered them into the hands of the
Gibeonites, and
they hanged them
in the hill before the LORD: and they
fell
all seven together, and were
put to death in the days of
harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of
barley
harvest.
021:010 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth,
and spread it
for her upon the
rock, from the beginning of harvest
until
water dropped upon them out
of heaven, and suffered neither
the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts
of
the field by night.
021:011 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of
Aiah, the
concubine of Saul, had
done.
021:012 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the
bones of
Jonathan his son from the
men of Jabeshgilead, which had
stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the
Philistines
had hanged them, when
the Philistines had slain Saul in
Gilboa:
021:013 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul
and the bones
of Jonathan his son;
and they gathered the bones of them
that
were hanged.
021:014 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried
they in the
country of Benjamin in
Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish
his
father: and they performed all
that the king commanded. And
after
that God was intreated for the land.
021:015 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with
Israel; and
David went down, and
his servants with him, and fought
against
the Philistines: and David
waxed faint.
021:016 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the
giant, the weight
of whose spear
weighed three hundred shekels of brass
in
weight, he being girded with a
new sword, thought to have
slain
David.
021:017 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and
smote the
Philistine, and killed
him. Then the men of David sware
unto
him, saying, Thou shalt go no
more out with us to battle, that
thou quench not the light of Israel.
021:018 And it came to pass after this, that there was
again a battle
with the
Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the
Hushathite
slew Saph, which was of
the sons of the giant.
021:019 And there was again a battle in Gob with the
Philistines,
where Elhanan the son
of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew
the
brother of Goliath the
Gittite, the staff of whose spear
was
like a weaver's beam.
021:020 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a
man of great
stature, that had on
every hand six fingers, and on every
foot
six toes, four and twenty in
number; and he also was born to
the giant.
021:021 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of
Shimeah the
brother of David slew
him.
021:022 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and
fell by the
hand of David, and by
the hand of his servants.
022:001 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this
song in the
day that the LORD had
delivered him out of the hand of all
his
enemies, and out of the hand
of Saul:
022:002 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my
fortress, and my
deliverer;
022:003 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my
shield, and
the horn of my
salvation, my high tower, and my refuge,
my
saviour; thou savest me from
violence.
022:004 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be
praised: so shall
I be saved from
mine enemies.
022:005 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods
of ungodly
men made me afraid;
022:006 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the
snares of death
prevented me;
022:007 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried
to my God:
and he did hear my
voice out of his temple, and my cry
did
enter into his ears.
022:008 Then the earth shook and trembled; the
foundations of heaven
moved and
shook, because he was wroth.
022:009 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and
fire out of his
mouth devoured:
coals were kindled by it.
022:010 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and
darkness was
under his feet.
022:011 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he
was seen upon
the wings of the
wind.
022:012 And he made darkness pavilions round about him,
dark waters,
and thick clouds of
the skies.
022:013 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
022:014 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High
uttered his
voice.
022:015 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;
lightning, and
discomfited
them.
022:016 And the channels of the sea appeared, the
foundations of the
world were
discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at
the
blast of the breath of his
nostrils.
022:017 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
022:018 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from
them that hated
me: for they were
too strong for me.
022:019 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but
the LORD was
my stay.
022:020 He brought me forth also into a large place: he
delivered me,
because he delighted
in me.
022:021 The LORD rewarded me according to my
righteousness: according
to the
cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
022:022 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have
not wickedly
departed from my
God.
022:023 For all his judgments were before me: and as for
his statutes,
I did not depart
from them.
022:024 I was also upright before him, and have kept
myself from mine
iniquity.
022:025 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according
to my
righteousness; according to
my cleanness in his eye sight.
022:026 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself
merciful, and with
the upright man
thou wilt shew thyself upright.
022:027 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and
with the
froward thou wilt shew
thyself unsavoury.
022:028 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but
thine eyes are
upon the haughty,
that thou mayest bring them down.
022:029 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will
lighten my
darkness.
022:030 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God
have I
leaped over a wall.
022:031 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the
LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to
all them that trust in him.
022:032 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock,
save our
God?
022:033 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
022:034 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth
me upon my
high places.
022:035 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of
steel is broken
by mine arms.
022:036 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation: and thy
gentleness hath
made me great.
022:037 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my
feet did not
slip.
022:038 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them;
and turned
not again until I had
consumed them.
022:039 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that
they could
not arise: yea, they
are fallen under my feet.
022:040 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle:
them that
rose up against me hast
thou subdued under me.
022:041 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies, that I
might destroy them
that hate me.
022:042 They looked, but there was none to save; even
unto the LORD,
but he answered
them not.
022:043 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the
earth, I did
stamp them as the
mire of the street, and did spread
them
abroad.
022:044 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of
my people,
thou hast kept me to be
head of the heathen: a people which
I
knew not shall serve me.
022:045 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as
soon as they
hear, they shall be
obedient unto me.
022:046 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be
afraid out of
their close
places.
022:047 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and
exalted be the
God of the rock of
my salvation.
022:048 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth
down the people
under me.
022:049 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies:
thou also hast
lifted me up on
high above them that rose up against me:
thou
hast delivered me from the
violent man.
022:050 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD,
among the
heathen, and I will sing
praises unto thy name.
022:051 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and
sheweth mercy
to his anointed,
unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
023:001 Now these be the last words of David. David the
son of Jesse
said, and the man who
was raised up on high, the anointed
of
the God of Jacob, and the sweet
psalmist of Israel, said,
023:002 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word
was in my
tongue.
023:003 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake
to me, He
that ruleth over men
must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
023:004 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when
the sun
riseth, even a morning
without clouds; as the tender
grass
springing out of the earth
by clear shining after rain.
023:005 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath
made with me
an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things, and sure:
for
this is all my salvation, and
all my desire, although he make
it
not to grow.
023:006 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as
thorns thrust
away, because they
cannot be taken with hands:
023:007 But the man that shall touch them must be fenced
with iron and
the staff of a
spear; and they shall be utterly burned
with
fire in the same place.
023:008 These be the names of the mighty men whom David
had: The
Tachmonite that sat in
the seat, chief among the captains;
the
same was Adino the Eznite: he
lift up his spear against eight
hundred, whom he slew at one time.
023:009 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the
Ahohite, one of
the three mighty
men with David, when they defied
the
Philistines that were there
gathered together to battle, and
the men of Israel were gone away:
023:010 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his
hand was weary,
and his hand clave
unto the sword: and the LORD wrought
a
great victory that day; and the
people returned after him only
to
spoil.
023:011 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the
Hararite. And
the Philistines were
gathered together into a troop, where
was
a piece of ground full of
lentiles: and the people fled from
the Philistines.
023:012 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and
defended it, and
slew the
Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
023:013 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came
to David in
the harvest time unto
the cave of Adullam: and the troop
of
the Philistines pitched in the
valley of Rephaim.
023:014 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison
of the
Philistines was then in
Bethlehem.
023:015 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would
give me drink of
the water of the
well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
023:016 And the three mighty men brake through the host
of the
Philistines, and drew water
out of the well of Bethlehem, that
was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to
David:
nevertheless he would not
drink thereof, but poured it out
unto the LORD.
023:017 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I
should do this:
is not this the
blood of the men that went in jeopardy
of
their lives? therefore he would
not drink it. These things did
these three mighty men.
023:018 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of
Zeruiah, was
chief among three.
And he lifted up his spear against
three
hundred, and slew them, and
had the name among three.
023:019 Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he
was their
captain: howbeit he
attained not unto the first three.
023:020 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a
valiant man, of
Kabzeel, who had
done many acts, he slew two lionlike men
of
Moab: he went down also and
slew a lion in the midst of a pit
in time of snow:
023:021 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the
Egyptian had a
spear in his hand;
but he went down to him with a staff,
and
plucked the spear out of the
Egyptian's hand, and slew him
with
his own spear.
023:022 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and
had the name
among three mighty
men.
023:023 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he
attained not to
the first three.
And David set him over his guard.
023:024 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty;
Elhanan the
son of Dodo of
Bethlehem,
023:025 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
023:026 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
023:027 Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
023:028 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
023:029 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai
the son of
Ribai out of Gibeah of
the children of Benjamin,
023:030 Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,
023:031 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
023:032 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,
023:033 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,
023:034 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the
Maachathite,
Eliam the son of
Ahithophel the Gilonite,
023:035 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
023:036 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
023:037 Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite,
armourbearer to
Joab the son of
Zeruiah,
023:038 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,
023:039 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.
024:001 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Israel,
and he moved David
against them to say, Go, number Israel
and
Judah.
024:002 For the king said to Joab the captain of the
host, which was
with him, Go now
through all the tribes of Israel, from
Dan
even to Beersheba, and number
ye the people, that I may know
the
number of the people.
024:003 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God
add unto the
people, how many
soever they be, an hundredfold, and that
the
eyes of my lord the king may
see it: but why doth my lord the
king delight in this thing?
024:004 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against
Joab, and
against the captains of
the host. And Joab and the captains
of
the host went out from the
presence of the king, to number
the
people of Israel.
024:005 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in
Aroer, on the
right side of the
city that lieth in the midst of the river
of
Gad, and toward Jazer:
024:006 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of
Tahtimhodshi; and
they came to
Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
024:007 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all
the cities of
the Hivites, and of
the Canaanites: and they went out to
the
south of Judah, even to
Beersheba.
024:008 So when they had gone through all the land, they
came to
Jerusalem at the end of
nine months and twenty days.
024:009 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the
people unto the
king: and there
were in Israel eight hundred thousand
valiant
men that drew the sword;
and the men of Judah were five
hundred thousand men.
024:010 And David's heart smote him after that he had
numbered the
people. And David
said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly
in
that I have done: and now, I
beseech thee, O LORD, take away
the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
024:011 For when David was up in the morning, the word of
the LORD
came unto the prophet
Gad, David's seer, saying,
024:012 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I
offer thee three
things; choose
thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
024:013 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto
him, Shall
seven years of famine
come unto thee in thy land? or wilt
thou
flee three months before
thine enemies, while they pursue
thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land?
now
advise, and see what answer I
shall return to him that sent
me.
024:014 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait:
let us fall
now into the hand of
the LORD; for his mercies are great:
and
let me not fall into the hand
of man.
024:015 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from
the morning
even to the time
appointed: and there died of the people
from
Dan even to Beersheba seventy
thousand men.
024:016 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon
Jerusalem to
destroy it, the LORD
repented him of the evil, and said to
the
angel that destroyed the
people, It is enough: stay now
thine
hand. And the angel of the
LORD was by the threshingplace of
Araunah the Jebusite.
024:017 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the
angel that smote
the people, and
said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have
done
wickedly: but these sheep,
what have they done? let thine
hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my
father's
house.
024:018 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto
him, Go up, rear
an altar unto the
LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah
the
Jebusite.
024:019 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went
up as the LORD
commanded.
024:020 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his
servants coming
on toward him: and
Araunah went out, and bowed himself
before
the king on his face upon
the ground.
024:021 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king
come to his
servant? And David
said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee,
to
build an altar unto the LORD,
that the plague may be stayed
from
the people.
024:022 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king
take and
offer up what seemeth
good unto him: behold, here be oxen
for
burnt sacrifice, and threshing
instruments and other
instruments
of the oxen for wood.
024:023 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give
unto the king.
And Araunah said
unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
024:024 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will
surely buy it
of thee at a price:
neither will I offer burnt offerings
unto
the LORD my God of that which
doth cost me nothing. So David
bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels
of
silver.
024:025 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and
offered
burnt offerings and peace
offerings. So the LORD was
intreated
for the land, and the
plague was stayed from Israel.