The Old Testament of the
King James Version of the Bible
10:1 And it came to pass after this, that
the king of the children of
Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his
stead.
10:2 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.
10:3 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?
10:4 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.
10:5 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.
10:6 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.
10:7 And when David heard of it, he sent
Joab, and all the host of the
mighty men.
10:8 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.
10:9 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: 10:10 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.
10:11 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.
10:12 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.
10:13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people
that were with him, unto the
battle against the Syrians: and they fled
before him.
10:14 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.
10:15 And when the Syrians saw that they
were smitten before Israel,
they gathered themselves together.
10:16 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.
10:17 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.
10:18 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.
10:19 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.
11:1 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.
11:2 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.
11:3 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?
11:4 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.
11:5 And the woman conceived, and sent and
told David, and said, I am
with child.
11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me
Uriah the Hittite. And
Joab sent Uriah to David.
11:7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David
demanded of him how Joab
did, and how the people did, and how the war
prospered.
11:8 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.
11:9 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.
11:10 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? 11:11 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.
11:12 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.
11:13 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.
11:14 And it came to pass in the morning,
that David wrote a letter to
Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
11:15 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.
11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab
observed the city, that he
assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew
that valiant men were.
11:17 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.
11:18 Then Joab sent and told David all the
things concerning the war;
11:19 And charged the messenger, saying,
When thou hast made an end of
telling the matters of the war unto the
king, 11:20 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? 11:21 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.
11:22 So the messenger went, and came and
shewed David all that Joab
had sent him for.
11:23 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.
11:24 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.
11:25 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.
11:26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that
Uriah her husband was
dead, she mourned for her husband.
11:27 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.
12:1 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.
12:2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks
and herds: 12:3 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.
12:4 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.
12:5 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: 12:6 And he shall restore
the lamb fourfold, because
he did this thing, and because he had no
pity.
12:7 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; 12:8 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.
12:9 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.
12:10 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.
12:11 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.
12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will
do this thing before all
Israel, and before the sun.
12:13 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.
12:14 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.
12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house.
And the LORD struck the
child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and
it was very sick.
12:16 David therefore besought God for the
child; and David fasted,
and went in, and lay all night upon the
earth.
12:17 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.
12:18 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? 12:19
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.
12:20 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.
12:21 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.
12:22 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? 12:23 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.
12:24 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.
12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the
prophet; and he called his
name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the
children of Ammon, and
took the royal city.
12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and
said, I have fought
against Rabbah, and have taken the city of
waters.
12:28 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.
12:29 And David gathered all the people
together, and went to Rabbah,
and fought against it, and took it.
12:30 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.
12:31 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.
13:1 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.
13:2 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.
13:3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was
Jonadab, the son of
Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a
very subtil man.
13:4 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.
13:5 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.
13:6 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.
13:7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying,
Go now to thy brother
Amnon's house, and dress him meat.
13:8 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.
13:9 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.
13:10 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.
13:11 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.
13:12 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.
13:13 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.
13:14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her
voice: but, being stronger
than she, forced her, and lay with her.
13:15 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.
13:16 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.
13:17 Then he called his servant that
ministered unto him, and said,
Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the
door after her.
13:18 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.
13:19 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.
13:20 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.
13:21 But when king David heard of all these
things, he was very
wroth.
13:22 And Absalom spake unto his brother
Amnon neither good nor bad:
for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had
forced his sister Tamar.
13:23 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.
13:24 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.
13:25 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.
13:26 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?
13:27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let
Amnon and all the king's
sons go with him.
13:28 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.
13:29 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.
13:30 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.
13:31 Then the king arose, and tare his
garments, and lay on the
earth; and all his servants stood by with
their clothes rent.
13:32 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.
13:33 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.
13:34 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.
13:35 And Jonadab said unto the king,
Behold, the king's sons come: as
thy servant said, so it is.
13:36 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.
13:37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai,
the son of Ammihud, king
of Geshur. And David mourned for his son
every day.
13:38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur,
and was there three years.
13:39 And the soul of king David longed to
go forth unto Absalom: for
he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he
was dead.
14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived
that the king's heart was
toward Absalom.
14:2 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: 14:3 And come to the
king, and speak on this manner unto him. So
Joab put the words in her
mouth.
14:4 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.
14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth
thee? And she answered, I
am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is
dead.
14:6 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.
14:7 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.
14:8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to
thine house, and I will
give charge concerning thee.
14:9 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.
14:10 And the king said, Whoever saith ought
unto thee, bring him to
me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
14:11 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.
14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine
handmaid, I pray thee, speak one
word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say
on.
14:13 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.
14:14 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.
14:15 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.
14:16 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.
14:17 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.
14:18 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.
14:19 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: 14:20 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.
14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold
now, I have done this thing:
go therefore, bring the young man Absalom
again.
14:22 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.
14:23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and
brought Absalom to
Jerusalem.
14:24 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.
14:25 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.
14:26 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.
14:27 And unto Absalom there were born three
sons, and one daughter,
whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a
fair countenance.
14:28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in
Jerusalem, and saw not the
king's face.
14:29 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.
14:30 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.
14:31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom
unto his house, and said
unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my
field on fire? 14:32 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.
14:33 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.
15:1 And it came to pass after this, that
Absalom prepared him
chariots and horses, and fifty men to run
before him.
15:2 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.
15:3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy
matters are good and right;
but there is no man deputed of the king to
hear thee.
15:4 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! 15:5 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.
15:6 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.
15:7 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.
15:8 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.
15:9 And the king said unto him, Go in
peace. So he arose, and went to
Hebron.
15:10 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.
15:11 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.
15:12 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.
15:13 And there came a messenger to David,
saying, The hearts of the
men of Israel are after Absalom.
15:14 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.
15:15 And the king's servants said unto the
king, Behold, thy servants
are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king
shall appoint.
15:16 And the king went forth, and all his
household after him. And
the king left ten women, which were
concubines, to keep the house.
15:17 And the king went forth, and all the
people after him, and
tarried in a place that was far off.
15:18 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.
15:19 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.
15:20 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.
15:21 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.
15:22 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.
15:23 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.
15:24 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.
15:25 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: 15:26 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.
15:27 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.
15:28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the
wilderness, until there
come word from you to certify me.
15:29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried
the ark of God again to
Jerusalem: and they tarried there.
15:30 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.
15:31 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.
15:32 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: 15:33 Unto whom
David said, If thou passest on with me, then
thou shalt be a burden
unto me: 15:34 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.
15:35 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.
15:36 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.
15:37 So Hushai David's friend came into the
city, and Absalom came
into Jerusalem.
16:1 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.
16:2 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.
16:3 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.
16:4 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.
16:5 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.
16:6 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.
16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed,
Come out, come out, thou
bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 16:8 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.
16:9 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.
16:10 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? 16:11 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.
16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on
mine affliction, and that
the LORD will requite me good for his
cursing this day.
16:13 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.
16:14 And the king, and all the people that
were with him, came weary,
and refreshed themselves there.
16:15 And Absalom, and all the people the
men of Israel, came to
Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16:16 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.
16:17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this
thy kindness to thy friend?
why wentest thou not with thy friend? 16:18
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.
16:19 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.
16:20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give
counsel among you what we
shall do.
16:21 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.
16:22 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.
16:23 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.
17:1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom,
Let me now choose out
twelve thousand men, and I will arise and
pursue after David this
night: 17:2 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:
17:3 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.
17:4 And the saying pleased Absalom well,
and all the elders of
Israel.
17:5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the
Archite also, and let us
hear likewise what he saith.
17:6 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.
17:7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The
counsel that Ahithophel hath
given is not good at this time.
17:8 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.
17:9 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.
17:10 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.
17:11 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.
17:12 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.
17:13 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.
17:14 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.
17:15 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.
17:16 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.
17:17 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.
17:18 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.
17:19 And the woman took and spread a
covering over the well's mouth,
and spread ground corn thereon; and the
thing was not known.
17:20 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.
17:21 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.
17:22 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.
17:23 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.
17:24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And
Absalom passed over Jordan, he
and all the men of Israel with him.
17:25 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.
17:26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the
land of Gilead.
17:27 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,
17:28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen
vessels, and wheat, and
barley, and flour, and parched corn, and
beans, and lentiles, and
parched pulse, 17:29 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.
18:1 And David numbered the people that were
with him, and set
captains of thousands, and captains of
hundreds over them.
18:2 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.
18:3 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.
18:4 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.
18:5 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.
18:6 So the people went out into the field
against Israel: and the
battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 18:7
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.
18:8 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.
18:9 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.
18:10 And a certain man saw it, and told
Joab, and said, Behold, I saw
Absalom hanged in an oak.
18:11 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.
18:12 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.
18:13 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.
18:14 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.
18:15 And ten young men that bare Joab's
armour compassed about and
smote Absalom, and slew him.
18:16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the
people returned from pursuing
after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
18:17 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.
18:18 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.
18:19 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.
18:20 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.
18:21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the
king what thou hast seen.
And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
18:22 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? 18:23 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.
18:24 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.
18:25 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.
18:26 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.
18:27 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.
18:28 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.
18:29 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.
18:30 And the king said unto him, Turn
aside, and stand here. And he
turned aside, and stood still.
18:31 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.
18:32 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.
18:33 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! 19:1 And it was told Joab, Behold,
the king weepeth and
mourneth for Absalom.
19:2 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.
19:3 And the people gat them by stealth that
day into the city, as
people being ashamed steal away when they
flee in battle.
19:4 But the king covered his face, and the
king cried with a loud
voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son,
my son! 19:5 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; 19:6
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.
19:7 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.
19:8 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.
19:9 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.
19:10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us,
is dead in battle. Now
therefore why speak ye not a word of
bringing the king back? 19:11
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.
19:12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones
and my flesh: wherefore then
are ye the last to bring back the king?
19:13 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.
19:14 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.
19:15 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.
19:16 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.
19:17 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.
19:18 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; 19:19 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.
19:20 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.
19:21 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? 19:22 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? 19:23
Therefore the king said
unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the
king sware unto him.
19:24 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.
19:25 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? 19:26 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.
19:27 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.
19:28 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? 19:29 And the king said unto him,
Why speakest thou any
more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and
Ziba divide the land.
19:30 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.
19:31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down
from Rogelim, and went
over Jordan with the king, to conduct him
over Jordan.
19:32 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.
19:33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come
thou over with me, and I
will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
19:34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How
long have I to live, that
I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
19:35 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? 19:36 Thy servant will
go a little way over Jordan with the king:
and why should the king
recompense it me with such a reward? 19:37
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.
19:38 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.
19:39 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.
19:40 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.
19:41 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? 19:42 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? 19:43
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. |
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