1 Samuel 16 - 2 Samuel 21

New King James Version

David Anointed King

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, ^(A)“How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? ^(B)Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to ^(C)Jesse the Bethlehemite. For ^(D)I have ^[a]provided Myself a king among his sons.”

² And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”

But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ^(E)‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town ^(F)trembled at his coming, and said, ^(G)“Do you come peaceably?”

⁵ And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ^(H)Sanctify^[b] yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ So it was, when they came, that he looked at ^(I)Eliab and ^(J)said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, ^(K)“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have ^[c]refused him. ^(L)For^[d] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man ^(M)looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the ^(N)heart.”

⁸ So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the ^(O)sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not ^[e]sit down till he comes here.” ¹² So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ^(P)ruddy, ^(Q)with ^[f]bright eyes, and good-looking. ^(R)And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and ^(S)the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul

^14 (T)But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and ^(U)a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. ¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. ¹⁶ Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will ^(V)play it with his hand when the ^[g]distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, ^[h]“Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and ^(W)the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ And Jesse ^(X)took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. ²¹ So David came to Saul and ^(Y)stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. ²² Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³ And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

David and Goliath

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at ^(Z)Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. ² And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

⁴ And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named ^(AA)Goliath, from ^(AB)Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was ^[i]armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶ And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. ⁷ Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. ⁸ Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the ^(AC)servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and ^(AD)serve us.” ¹⁰ And the Philistine said, “I ^(AE)defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” ¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

¹² Now David was ^(AF)the son of that ^(AG)Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had ^(AH)eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul. ¹³ The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The ^(AI)names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. ¹⁵ But David occasionally went and returned from Saul ^(AJ)to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. ¹⁸ And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and ^(AK)see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” ¹⁹ Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰ So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. ²¹ For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. ²² And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. ²³ Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke ^(AL)according to the same words. So David heard them. ²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. ²⁵ So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, ^(AM)will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away ^(AN)the reproach from Israel? For who is this ^(AO)uncircumcised Philistine, that he should ^(AP)defy the armies of ^(AQ)the living God?”

²⁷ And the people answered him in this manner, saying, ^(AR)“So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸ Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s ^(AS)anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

²⁹ And David said, “What have I done now? ^(AT)Is^[j] there not a cause?” ³⁰ Then he turned from him toward another and ^(AU)said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

³¹ Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. ³² Then David said to Saul, ^(AV)“Let no man’s heart fail because of him; ^(AW)your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

³³ And Saul said to David, ^(AX)“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a ^(AY)lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵ I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ Moreover David said, ^(AZ)“The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, ^(BA)“Go, and the Lord be with you!”

³⁸ So Saul clothed David with his ^[k]armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹ David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. ⁴¹ So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. ⁴² And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he ^(BB)disdained^[l] him; for he was only a youth, ^(BC)ruddy and good-looking. ⁴³ So the Philistine ^(BD)said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ And the Philistine ^(BE)said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. ^(BF)But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have ^(BG)defied. ⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give ^(BH)the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, ^(BI)that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord ^(BJ)does not save with sword and spear; for ^(BK)the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ^(BL)ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. ⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a ^(BM)sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. ⁵¹ Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his ^(BN)sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, ^(BO)they fled. ⁵² Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of ^[m]the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to ^(BP)Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. ⁵⁴ And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵ When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to ^(BQ)Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, ^(BR)whose son is this youth?”

And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

⁵⁶ So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷ Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul ^(BS)with the head of the Philistine in his hand. ⁵⁸ And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”

So David answered, ^(BT)“I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Saul Resents David

18 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, ^(BU)the ^[n]soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, ^(BV)and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ² Saul took him that day, ^(BW)and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. ³ Then Jonathan and David made a ^(BX)covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. ⁴ And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

⁵ So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and ^[o]behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. ⁶ Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the ^[p]Philistine, that ^(BY)the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. ⁷ So the women ^(BZ)sang as they danced, and said:

⁸ Then Saul was very angry, and the saying ^(CB)displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but ^(CC)the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul ^[q]eyed David from that day forward.

¹⁰ And it happened on the next day that ^(CD)the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, ^(CE)and he prophesied inside the house. So David ^(CF)played music with his hand, as at other times; ^(CG)but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. ¹¹ And Saul ^(CH)cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice.

¹² Now Saul was ^(CI)afraid of David, because ^(CJ)the Lord was with him, but had ^(CK)departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from ^[r]his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and ^(CL)he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and ^(CM)the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But ^(CN)all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

David Marries Michal

¹⁷ Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; ^(CO)I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight ^(CP)the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, ^(CQ)“Let my hand not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

¹⁸ So David said to Saul, ^(CR)“Who am I, and what is my life or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹ But it happened at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, that she was given to ^(CS)Adriel the ^(CT)Meholathite as a wife.

^20 (CU)Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. ²¹ So Saul said, “I will give her to him, that she may ^[s]be a snare to him, and that ^(CV)the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, ^(CW)“You shall be my son-in-law today.”

²² And Saul commanded his servants, “Communicate with David secretly, and say, ‘Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king’s son-in-law.’ ”

²³ So Saul’s servants spoke those words in the hearing of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king’s son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man?” ²⁴ And the servants of Saul told him, saying, ^[t]“In this manner David spoke.”

²⁵ Then Saul said, “Thus you shall say to David: ‘The king does not desire any ^(CX)dowry but one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take ^(CY)vengeance on the king’s enemies.’ ” But Saul ^(CZ)thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. ²⁶ So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king’s son-in-law. Now ^(DA)the days had not expired; ²⁷ therefore David arose and went, he and ^(DB)his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And ^(DC)David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife.

²⁸ Thus Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him; ²⁹ and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David’s enemy ^[u]continually. ³⁰ Then the princes of the Philistines ^(DD)went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David ^(DE)behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed.

Saul Persecutes David

19 Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill ^(DF)David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, ^(DG)delighted greatly in David. ² So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide. ³ And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell ^(DH)you.”

⁴ Thus Jonathan ^(DI)spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king ^(DJ)sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you. ⁵ For he took his ^(DK)life in his hands and ^(DL)killed the Philistine, and ^(DM)the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. ^(DN)Why then will you ^(DO)sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”

⁶ So Saul heeded the voice of Jonathan, and Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” ⁷ Then Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all these things. So Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ^(DP)as in times past.

⁸ And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, ^(DQ)and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.

⁹ Now ^(DR)the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing music with his hand. ¹⁰ Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul’s presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.

^11 (DS)Saul also sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and to kill him in the morning. And Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” ¹² So Michal ^(DT)let David down through a window. And he went and fled and escaped. ¹³ And Michal took ^[v]an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats’ hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. ¹⁴ So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

¹⁵ Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats’ hair for his head. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?”

And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! ^(DU)Why should I kill you?’ ”

¹⁸ So David fled and escaped, and went to ^(DV)Samuel at ^(DW)Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!” ²⁰ Then ^(DX)Saul sent messengers to take David. ^(DY)And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also ^(DZ)prophesied. ²¹ And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. ²² Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?”

And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then ^(EA)the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ^24 (EB)And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down ^(EC)naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ^(ED)“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Jonathan’s Loyalty to David

20 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”

² So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”

³ Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But ^(EE)truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

⁴ So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”

⁵ And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the ^(EF)New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may ^(EG)hide in the field until the third day at evening. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over ^(EH)to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ ^7 (EI)If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that ^(EJ)evil is determined by him. ⁸ Therefore you shall ^(EK)deal kindly with your servant, for ^(EL)you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, ^(EM)if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”

⁹ But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”

¹⁰ Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?”

¹¹ And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field. ¹² Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have ^[w]sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, ¹³ may ^(EN)the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And ^(EO)the Lord be with you as He has ^(EP)been with my father. ¹⁴ And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; ¹⁵ but ^(EQ)you shall not ^[x]cut off your kindness from my ^[y]house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” ¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the ^[z]house of David, saying, ^(ER)“Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

¹⁷ Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; ^(ES)for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, ^(ET)“Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to ^(EU)the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; ²¹ and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, ^(EV)as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm. ²² But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away. ²³ And as for ^(EW)the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”

²⁴ Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. ²⁵ Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And ^[aa]Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is ^(EX)unclean.” ²⁷ And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”

²⁸ So Jonathan ^(EY)answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

³⁰ Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? ³¹ For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he ^[ab]shall surely die.”

³² And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, ^(EZ)“Why should he be killed? What has he done?” ³³ Then Saul ^(FA)cast a spear at him to ^[ac]kill him, ^(FB)by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.

³⁴ So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

³⁵ And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. ³⁶ Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. ³⁹ But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his ^[ad]weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

⁴¹ As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. ⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, ^(FC)“Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

David and the Holy Bread

21 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And ^(FD)Ahimelech was ^(FE)afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

² So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. ³ Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”

⁴ And the priest answered David and said, “There is no ^[ae]common bread on hand; but there is ^(FF)holy^[af] bread, ^(FG)if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”

⁵ Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And ^[ag]the ^(FH)vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated ^(FI)in the vessel this day.”

⁶ So the priest ^(FJ)gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread ^(FK)which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was ^(FL)Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

⁸ And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

⁹ So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in ^(FM)the Valley of Elah, ^(FN)there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.”

And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David Flees to Gath

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. ¹¹ And ^(FO)the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

¹² Now David ^(FQ)took these words ^[ah]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So ^(FR)he changed his behavior before them, pretended ^[ai]madness in their hands, ^[aj]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

David’s Four Hundred Men^(FS)

22 David therefore departed from there and ^(FT)escaped ^(FU)to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. ^2 (FV)And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was ^[ak]discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about ^(FW)four hundred men with him.

³ Then David went from there to Mizpah of ^(FX)Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

⁵ Now the prophet ^(FY)Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Saul Murders the Priests

⁶ When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in ^(FZ)Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him— ⁷ then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse ^(GA)give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? ⁸ All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that ^(GB)my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”

⁹ Then answered ^(GC)Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to ^(GD)Ahimelech the son of ^(GE)Ahitub. ^10 (GF)And he inquired of the Lord for him, ^(GG)gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king. ¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”

He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

¹³ Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”

¹⁴ So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as ^(GH)faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? ¹⁵ Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all ^(GI)your father’s house!” ¹⁷ Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king ^(GJ)would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. ¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and ^[al]struck the priests, and ^(GK)killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. ^19 (GL)Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.

^20 (GM)Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, ^(GN)escaped and fled after David. ²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests. ²² So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s ^[am]house. ²³ Stay with me; do not fear. ^(GO)For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”

David Saves the City of Keilah

23 Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against ^(GP)Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

² Therefore David ^(GQ)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and ^[an]attack these Philistines?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again.

And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and ^(GR)fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ^(GS)fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷ And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” ⁸ Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, ^(GT)he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah ^(GU)to destroy the city for my sake. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah ^[ao]deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

¹³ So David and his men, ^(GV)about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

David in Wilderness Strongholds

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in ^(GW)the mountains in the Wilderness of ^(GX)Ziph. Saul ^(GY)sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. ¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph ^[ap]in a forest. ¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and ^[aq]strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷ And he said to him, ^(GZ)“Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. ^(HA)Even my father Saul knows that.” ¹⁸ So the two of them ^(HB)made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites ^(HC)came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and ^(HD)our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

²¹ And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. ²² Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty. ²³ See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the ^[ar]clans of Judah.”

²⁴ So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness ^(HE)of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down ^[as]to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. ^(HF)So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men ^(HG)were encircling David and his men to take them.

^27 (HH)But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!” ²⁸ Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place ^[at]the Rock of Escape. ²⁹ Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at ^(HI)En Gedi.

David Spares Saul

24 Now it happened, ^(HJ)when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” ² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and ^(HK)went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and ^(HL)Saul went in to ^(HM)attend to his needs. (^(HN)David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) ^4 (HO)Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. ⁵ Now it happened afterward that ^(HP)David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. ⁶ And he said to his men, ^(HQ)“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ So David ^(HR)restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

⁸ David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. ⁹ And David said to Saul: ^(HS)“Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? ¹⁰ Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is ^(HT)neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you ^(HU)hunt my life to take it. ^12 (HV)Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. ¹³ As the proverb of the ancients says, ^(HW)‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you. ¹⁴ After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? ^(HX)A dead dog? ^(HY)A flea? ^15 (HZ)Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and ^(IA)see and ^(IB)plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

¹⁶ So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, ^(IC)“Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. ^17 (ID)Then he said to David: “You are ^(IE)more righteous than I; for ^(IF)you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. ¹⁸ And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when ^(IG)the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. ¹⁹ For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. ²⁰ And now ^(IH)I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. ^21 (II)Therefore swear now to me by the Lord ^(IJ)that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

²² So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to ^(IK)the stronghold.

Death of Samuel

25 Then ^(IL)Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and ^(IM)lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down ^(IN)to the Wilderness of ^[au]Paran.

David and the Wife of Nabal

² Now there was a man ^(IO)in Maon whose business was in ^(IP)Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. ³ The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of ^(IQ)Caleb.

⁴ When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was ^(IR)shearing his sheep, ⁵ David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. ⁶ And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ^(IS)‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! ⁷ Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, ^(IT)nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore ^[av]let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on ^(IU)a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”

⁹ So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

¹⁰ Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, ^(IV)“Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. ^11 (IW)Shall I then take my bread and my water and my ^[aw]meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

¹² So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. ¹³ Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred ^(IX)stayed with the supplies.

¹⁴ Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he ^[ax]reviled them. ¹⁵ But the men were very good to us, and ^(IY)we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. ¹⁶ They were ^(IZ)a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. ¹⁷ Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for ^(JA)harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a ^(JB)scoundrel^[ay] that one cannot speak to him.”

¹⁸ Then Abigail made haste and ^(JC)took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹ And she said to her servants, ^(JD)“Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

²⁰ So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. ²¹ Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has ^(JE)repaid me evil for good. ^22 (JF)May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I ^(JG)leave ^(JH)one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”

²³ Now when Abigail saw David, she ^(JI)dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. ²⁴ So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant ^[az]speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. ²⁵ Please, let not my lord ^[ba]regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: ^[bb]Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. ²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, ^(JJ)as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has ^(JK)held you back from coming to bloodshed and from ^(JL)avenging^[bc] yourself with your own hand, now then, ^(JM)let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. ²⁷ And now ^(JN)this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸ Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For ^(JO)the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord ^(JP)fights the battles of the Lord, ^(JQ)and evil is not found in you throughout your days. ²⁹ Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be ^(JR)bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall ^(JS)sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ^(JT)ruler over Israel, ³¹ that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

³² Then David said to Abigail: ^(JU)“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! ³³ And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have ^(JV)kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. ³⁴ For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has ^(JW)kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely ^(JX)by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” ³⁵ So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, ^(JY)“Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and ^(JZ)respected your person.”

³⁶ Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, ^(KA)holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light. ³⁷ So it was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. ³⁸ Then it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord ^(KB)struck Nabal, and he died.

³⁹ So when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ^(KC)“Blessed be the Lord, who has ^(KD)pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has ^(KE)kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has ^(KF)returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.”

And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife. ⁴⁰ When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her saying, “David sent us to you, to ask you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to ^(KG)wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” ⁴² So Abigail rose in haste and rode on a donkey, ^[bd]attended by five of her maidens; and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife. ⁴³ David also took Ahinoam ^(KH)of Jezreel, ^(KI)and so both of them were his wives.

⁴⁴ But Saul had given ^(KJ)Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to ^[be]Palti the son of Laish, who was from ^(KK)Gallim.

David Spares Saul a Second Time

26 Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, ^(KL)“Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” ² Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having ^(KM)three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. ³ And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. ⁴ David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.

⁵ So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and ^(KN)Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. ⁶ Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai ^(KO)the son of Zeruiah, brother of ^(KP)Joab, saying, “Who will ^(KQ)go down with me to Saul in the camp?”

And ^(KR)Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. ⁸ Then Abishai said to David, ^(KS)“God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him ^[bf]at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; ^(KT)for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” ¹⁰ David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, ^(KU)the Lord shall strike him, or ^(KV)his day shall come to die, or he shall ^(KW)go out to battle and perish. ^11 (KX)The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” ¹² So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because ^(KY)a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

¹³ Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. ¹⁴ And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?”

Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?”

¹⁵ So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. ¹⁶ This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.”

¹⁷ Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, ^(KZ)“Is that your voice, my son David?”

David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” ¹⁸ And he said, ^(LA)“Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has ^(LB)stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, ^(LC)for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the ^(LD)inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek ^(LE)a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, ^(LF)“I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”

²² And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. ^23 (LG)May the Lord ^(LH)repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. ²⁴ And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still ^(LI)prevail.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

David Allied with the Philistines

27 And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will ^[bg]despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” ² Then David arose ^(LJ)and went over with the six hundred men who were with him ^(LK)to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David ^(LL)with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. ⁴ And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore ^(LM)Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷ Now ^[bh]the time that David ^(LN)dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months.

⁸ And David and his men went up and raided ^(LO)the Geshurites, ^(LP)the ^[bi]Girzites, and the ^(LQ)Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from ^[bj]of old, ^(LR)as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ Whenever David ^[bk]attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of ^(LS)the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of ^(LT)the Kenites.” ¹¹ David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. ¹² So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.”

Saul Consults a Medium

28 Now ^(LU)it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”

² So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.”

And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”

Saul Consults a Medium^(LV)

³ Now ^(LW)Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in ^(LX)Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put ^(LY)the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

⁴ Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at ^(LZ)Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at ^(MA)Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was ^(MB)afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the Lord, ^(MC)the Lord did not answer him, either by ^(MD)dreams or ^(ME)by Urim or by the prophets.

⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, ^(MF)that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”

⁸ So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And ^(MG)he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

⁹ Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has ^(MH)cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

¹⁰ And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

¹¹ Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”

¹³ And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?”

And the woman said to Saul, “I saw ^(MI)a^[bl] spirit ascending out of the earth.”

¹⁴ So he said to her, “What is his form?”

And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with ^(MJ)a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

¹⁵ Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you ^(MK)disturbed me by bringing me up?”

And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and ^(ML)God has departed from me and ^(MM)does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”

¹⁶ Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? ¹⁷ And the Lord has done for ^[bm]Himself ^(MN)as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. ^18 (MO)Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon ^(MP)Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. ¹⁹ Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with ^(MQ)me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.

²¹ And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have ^(MR)put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. ²² Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”

²³ But he refused and said, “I will not eat.”

So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. ²⁴ Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.

The Philistines Reject David

29 Then ^(MS)the Philistines gathered together all their armies ^(MT)at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. ² And the ^(MU)lords of the Philistines ^[bn]passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but ^(MV)David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. ³ Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me ^(MW)these days, or these years? And to this day I have ^(MX)found no fault in him since he defected to me.”

⁴ But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, ^(MY)“Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to ^(MZ)battle, lest ^(NA)in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these ^(NB)men? ⁵ Is this not David, ^(NC)of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying:

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and ^(NE)your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day ^(NF)I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. ⁷ Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

⁸ So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight ^(NG)as an angel of God; nevertheless ^(NH)the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants ^(NI)who have come with ^[bo]you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”

¹¹ So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. ^(NJ)And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Conflict with the Amalekites

30 Now it happened, when David and his men came to ^(NK)Ziklag, on the third day, that the ^(NL)Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the ^(NM)women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ⁵ And David’s two ^(NN)wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. ⁶ Now David was greatly distressed, for ^(NO)the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was ^[bp]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. ^(NP)But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

^7 (NQ)Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And ^(NR)Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ^8 (NS)So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. ¹⁰ But David pursued, he and four hundred men; ^(NT)for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor.

¹¹ Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. ¹² And they gave him a piece of ^(NU)a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So ^(NV)when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?”

And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. ¹⁴ We made an invasion of the southern area of ^(NW)the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area ^(NX)of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

¹⁵ And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?”

So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my ^(NY)master, and I will take you down to this troop.”

¹⁶ And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, ^(NZ)eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; ^(OA)David recovered all. ²⁰ Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

²¹ Now David came to the ^(OB)two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he ^[bq]greeted them. ²² Then all the wicked and ^(OC)worthless^[br] men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”

²³ But David said, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. ²⁴ For who will heed you in this matter? But ^(OD)as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” ²⁵ So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

²⁶ Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the ^[bs]spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord”— ²⁷ to those who were in Bethel, those who were in ^(OE)Ramoth of the South, those who were in ^(OF)Jattir, ²⁸ those who were in ^(OG)Aroer, those who were in ^(OH)Siphmoth, those who were in ^(OI)Eshtemoa, ²⁹ those who were in Rachal, those who were in the cities of ^(OJ)the Jerahmeelites, those who were in the cities of the ^(OK)Kenites, ³⁰ those who were in ^(OL)Hormah, those who were in ^[bt]Chorashan, those who were in Athach, ³¹ those who were in ^(OM)Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to ^(ON)rove.

The Tragic End of Saul and His Sons^(OO)

31 Now ^(OP)the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount ^(OQ)Gilboa. ² Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed ^(OR)Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. ^3 (OS)The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers ^[bu]hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.

^4 (OT)Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest ^(OU)these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and ^[bv]abuse me.”

But his armorbearer would not, ^(OV)for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and ^(OW)fell on it. ⁵ And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. ⁶ So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. ⁸ So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines, to ^(OX)proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. ^10 (OY)Then they put his armor in the temple of the ^(OZ)Ashtoreths, and ^(PA)they fastened his body to the wall of ^(PB)Beth^[bw] Shan.

^11 (PC)Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ^12 (PD)all the valiant men arose and traveled all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh and ^(PE)burned them there. ¹³ Then they took their bones and ^(PF)buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, ^(PG)and fasted seven days.

The Report of Saul’s Death

1 Now it came to pass after the ^(PH)death of Saul, when David had returned from ^(PI)the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, ² on the third day, behold, it happened that ^(PJ)a man came from Saul’s camp ^(PK)with his clothes ^[bx]torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he ^(PL)fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

³ And David said to him, “Where have you come from?”

So he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”

⁴ Then David said to him, ^(PM)“How did the matter go? Please tell me.”

And he answered, “The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and ^(PN)Jonathan his son are dead also.”

⁵ So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

⁶ Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on ^(PO)Mount Gilboa, there was ^(PP)Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷ Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for ^[by]anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and ^(PQ)killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and ^(PR)tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² And they ^(PS)mourned and wept and ^(PT)fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the ^(PU)people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³ Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”

And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴ So David said to him, “How ^(PV)was it you were not ^(PW)afraid to ^(PX)put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ Then ^(PY)David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. ¹⁶ So David said to him, ^(PZ)“Your blood is on your own head, for ^(QA)your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ”

The Song of the Bow

¹⁷ Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, ^18 (QB)and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written ^(QC)in the Book ^[bz]of Jasher:

David Anointed King of Judah

2 It happened after this that David ^(QQ)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the Lord said to him, “Go up.”

David said, “Where shall I go up?”

And He said, “To ^(QR)Hebron.”

² So David went up there, and his ^(QS)two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ And David brought up ^(QT)the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

^4 (QU)Then the men of Judah came, and there they ^(QV)anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, ^(QW)“The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.” ⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, ^(QX)“You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. ⁶ And now may ^(QY)the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. ⁷ Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ishbosheth Made King of Israel

⁸ But ^(QZ)Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took ^[cb]Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to ^(RA)Mahanaim; ⁹ and he made him king over ^(RB)Gilead, over the ^(RC)Ashurites, over ^(RD)Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. ¹⁰ Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. ¹¹ And ^(RE)the ^[cc]time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Israel and Judah at War

¹² Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to ^(RF)Gibeon. ¹³ And ^(RG)Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by ^(RH)the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. ¹⁴ Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men now arise and compete before us.”

And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

¹⁵ So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶ And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called ^[cd]the Field of Sharp Swords, which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ So there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

¹⁸ Now the ^(RI)three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was ^(RJ)as fleet of foot ^(RK)as a wild gazelle. ¹⁹ So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Are you Asahel?”

He answered, “I am.”

²¹ And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. ²² So Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?” ²³ However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him ^(RL)in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood ^(RM)still.

²⁴ Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵ Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became ^[ce]a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to return from pursuing their brethren?”

²⁷ And Joab said, “As God lives, ^[cf]unless ^(RN)you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have given up pursuing their brethren.” ²⁸ So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore. ²⁹ Then Abner and his men went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

³⁰ So Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. ³¹ But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died. ³² Then they took up Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in ^(RO)Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.

Joab Kills Abner

3 Now there was a long ^(RP)war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Sons of David

² Sons were born ^(RQ)to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon ^(RR)by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; ³ his second, ^[cg]Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, ^(RS)Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king ^(RT)of Geshur; ⁴ the fourth, ^(RU)Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins Forces with David

⁶ Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

⁷ And Saul had a concubine, whose name was ^(RV)Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you ^(RW)gone in to my father’s concubine?”

⁸ Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I ^(RX)a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? ^9 (RY)May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David ^(RZ)as the Lord has sworn to him— ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the ^[ch]house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, ^(SA)from Dan to Beersheba.” ¹¹ And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

¹³ And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: ^(SB)you shall not see my face unless you first bring ^(SC)Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” ¹⁴ So David sent messengers to ^(SD)Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself ^(SE)for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from ^[ci]Paltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶ Then her husband went along with her to ^(SF)Bahurim, ^[cj]weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. ¹⁸ Now then, do it! ^(SG)For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David, ^[ck]I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’ ” ¹⁹ And Abner also spoke in the hearing of ^(SH)Benjamin. Then Abner also went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰ So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹ Then Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and ^(SI)gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may ^(SJ)reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

²² At that moment the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much ^[cl]spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the troops that were with him had come, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” ²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you; why is it that you sent him away, and he has already gone? ²⁵ Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to know ^(SK)your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”

²⁶ And when Joab had gone from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. ²⁷ Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab ^(SL)took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there ^[cm]stabbed him ^(SM)in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of ^(SN)Asahel his brother.

²⁸ Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are ^[cn]guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ^29 (SO)Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the ^[co]house of Joab one ^(SP)who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother ^(SQ)Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

David’s Mourning for Abner

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ^(SR)“Tear your clothes, ^(SS)gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” And King David followed the coffin. ³² So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ And the king sang a lament over Abner and said:

Then all the people wept over him again.

³⁵ And when all the people came ^(SU)to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, ^(SV)“God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^(SW)till the sun goes down!” ³⁶ Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸ Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, ^(SX)are too harsh for me. ^(SY)The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

Ishbosheth Is Murdered

4 When Saul’s ^[cp]son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, ^(SZ)he^[cq] lost heart, and all Israel was ^(TA)troubled. ² Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For ^(TB)Beeroth also was ^[cr]part of Benjamin, ³ because the Beerothites fled to ^(TC)Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

^4 (TD)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came ^(TE)from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was ^(TF)Mephibosheth.^[cs]

⁵ Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the ^(TG)house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. ⁶ And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they ^[ct]stabbed him ^(TH)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. ⁷ For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. ⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, ^(TI)who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

⁹ But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, ^(TJ)who has redeemed my life from all adversity, ¹⁰ when ^(TK)someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. ¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now ^(TL)require his ^[cu]blood at your hand and ^[cv]remove you from the earth?” ¹² So David ^(TM)commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the ^(TN)tomb of Abner in Hebron.

David Reigns over All Israel^(TO)

5 Then all the tribes of Israel ^(TP)came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed ^(TQ)we are your bone and your flesh. ² Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, ^(TR)you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ^(TS)‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” ^3 (TT)Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^(TU)and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^(TV)before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was ^(TW)thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^(TX)he reigned forty years. ⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah ^(TY)seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

The Conquest of Jerusalem^(TZ)

^6 (UA)And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against ^(UB)the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” ⁷ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion ^(UC)(that is, the City of David).

⁸ Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), ^(UD)he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

⁹ Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it ^(UE)the City of David. And David built all around from ^[cw]the Millo and inward. ¹⁰ So David went on and became great, and ^(UF)the Lord God of hosts was with ^(UG)him.

¹¹ Then ^(UH)Hiram ^(UI)king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. ¹² So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had ^(UJ)exalted His kingdom ^(UK)for the sake of His people Israel.

¹³ And ^(UL)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. ¹⁴ Now ^(UM)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: ^[cx]Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, ^(UN)Solomon, ¹⁵ Ibhar, ^[cy]Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

The Philistines Defeated^(UO)

^17 (UP)Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it ^(UQ)and went down to the stronghold. ¹⁸ The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in ^(UR)the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁹ So David ^(US)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

²⁰ So David went to ^(UT)Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place ^[cz]Baal Perazim. ²¹ And they left their ^[da]images there, and David and his men ^(UU)carried them away.

^22 (UV)Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. ²³ Therefore ^(UW)David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. ²⁴ And it shall be, when you ^(UX)hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then ^(UY)the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” ²⁵ And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from ^(UZ)Geba^[db] as far as ^(VA)Gezer.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(VB)

6 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. ² And ^(VC)David arose and went with all the people who were with him from ^[dc]Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called ^[dd]by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, ^(VD)who dwells between the cherubim. ³ So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on ^(VE)the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new ^[de]cart. ⁴ And they brought it out of ^(VF)the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. ⁵ Then David and all the house of Israel ^(VG)played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

⁶ And when they came to ^(VH)Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his ^(VI)hand to the ark of God and ^[df]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. ⁷ Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his ^[dg]error; and he died there by the ark of God. ⁸ And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place ^[dh]Perez Uzzah to this day.

^9 (VJ)David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” ¹⁰ So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the ^(VK)City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the ^(VL)Gittite. ^11 (VM)The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord ^(VN)blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

¹² Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” ^(VO)So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. ¹³ And so it was, when ^(VP)those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed ^(VQ)oxen and fatted sheep. ¹⁴ Then David ^(VR)danced^[di] before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing ^(VS)a linen ephod. ^15 (VT)So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, ^(VU)Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ So ^(VV)they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in ^(VW)its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David ^(VX)offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, ^(VY)he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. ^19 (VZ)Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

^20 (WA)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 today, ^(WB)uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the ^(WC)base fellows ^[dj]shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, ^(WD)who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the ^(WE)people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. ²² And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

²³ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children ^(WF)to the day of her death.

God’s Covenant with David^(WG)

7 Now it came to pass ^(WH)when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ^(WI)a house of cedar, ^(WJ)but the ark of God dwells inside tent ^(WK)curtains.”

³ Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your ^(WL)heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(WM)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house ^(WN)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in ^(WO)a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have ^(WP)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded ^(WQ)to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(WR)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And ^(WS)I have been with you wherever you have gone, ^(WT)and have ^[dk]cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(WU)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; ^(WV)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ^11 (WW)since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord ^[dl]tells you ^(WX)that He will make you a ^[dm]house.

^12 (WY)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(WZ)rest with your fathers, ^(XA)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (XB)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(XC)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (XD)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(XE)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[dn]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(XF)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And ^(XG)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[do]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving to God^(XH)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ^(XI)“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. ^(XJ)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? ²⁰ Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, ^(XK)know Your servant. ²¹ For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. ²² Therefore ^(XL)You are great, ^[dp]O Lord God. For ^(XM)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ^(XN)ears. ²³ And who is like Your people, like Israel, ^(XO)the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before ^(XP)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? ²⁴ For ^(XQ)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; ^(XR)and You, Lord, have become their God.

²⁵ “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. ²⁶ So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸ “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and ^(XS)Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. ²⁹ Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed ^(XT)forever.”

David’s Further Conquests^(XU)

8 After this it came to pass that David ^[dq]attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took ^[dr]Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

² Then ^(XV)he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s ^(XW)servants, and ^(XX)brought tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^(XY)Zobah, as he went to recover ^(XZ)his territory at the River Euphrates. ⁴ David took from him one thousand chariots, ^[ds]seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David ^(YA)hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.

^5 (YB)When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So ^(YC)the Lord preserved David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took ^(YD)the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from ^[dt]Betah and from ^(YE)Berothai,^[du] cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

⁹ When ^[dv]Toi king of ^(YF)Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ then Toi sent ^[dw]Joram his son to King David, to ^[dx]greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. ¹¹ King David also ^(YG)dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— ¹² from ^[dy]Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the ^(YH)Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ And David made himself a ^(YI)name when he returned from killing ^(YJ)eighteen thousand ^[dz]Syrians in ^(YK)the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and ^(YL)all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

David’s Administration^(YM)

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. ^16 (YN)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; ^(YO)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ^17 (YP)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; ^[ea]Seraiah was the ^[eb]scribe; ^18 (YQ)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the ^(YR)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were ^[ec]chief ministers.

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may ^(YS)show him ^[ed]kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

² And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was ^(YT)Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He said, “At your service!”

³ Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show ^(YU)the kindness of God?”

And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is ^(YV)lame in his feet.”

⁴ So the king said to him, “Where is he?”

And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of ^(YW)Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

⁵ Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

⁶ Now when ^(YX)Mephibosheth^[ee] the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”

And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

⁷ So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

⁸ Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such ^(YY)a dead dog as I?”

⁹ And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ^(YZ)“I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰ You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son ^(ZA)shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had ^(ZB)fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”

“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at ^[ef]my table like one of the king’s sons.” ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son ^(ZC)whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, ^(ZD)for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he ^(ZE)was lame in both his feet.

The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated^(ZF)

10 It happened after this that the ^(ZG)king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show ^(ZH)kindness to Hanun the son of ^(ZI)Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. ³ And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

⁴ Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, ^(ZJ)at their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ^[eg]ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

⁶ When the people of Ammon saw that they ^(ZK)had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired ^(ZL)the Syrians of ^(ZM)Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of ^(ZN)Maacah one thousand men, and from ^(ZO)Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. ⁷ Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of ^(ZP)the mighty men. ⁸ Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And ^(ZQ)the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

⁹ When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. ¹⁰ And the rest of the people he put under the command of ^(ZR)Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. ¹¹ Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ^12 (ZS)Be of good courage, and let us ^(ZT)be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may ^(ZU)the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to ^(ZV)Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. ¹⁶ Then ^[eh]Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond ^[ei]the River, and they came to Helam. And ^[ej]Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. ¹⁷ When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him. ¹⁸ Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand ^(ZW)horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there. ¹⁹ And when all the kings who were servants to ^[ek]Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and ^(ZX)served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the ^(ZY)time when kings go out to battle, that ^(ZZ)David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged ^(AAA)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

² Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed ^(AAB)and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he ^(AAC)saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. ³ So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not ^[el]Bathsheba, the daughter of ^[em]Eliam, the wife ^(AAD)of Uriah the ^(AAE)Hittite?” ⁴ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and ^(AAF)he lay with her, for she was ^(AAG)cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. ⁵ And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

⁶ Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. ⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. ⁸ And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and ^(AAH)wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the ^(AAI)door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

¹¹ And Uriah said to David, ^(AAJ)“The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and ^(AAK)my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

¹² Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him ^(AAL)drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed ^(AAM)with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning it happened that David ^(AAN)wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. ¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the ^[en]hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may ^(AAO)be struck down and die.” ¹⁶ So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men. ¹⁷ Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war, ¹⁹ and charged the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king, ²⁰ if it happens that the king’s wrath rises, and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? ²¹ Who struck ^(AAP)Abimelech the son of ^[eo]Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”

²² So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him. ²³ And the messenger said to David, “Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate. ²⁴ The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing ^[ep]displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”

²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. ²⁷ And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she ^(AAQ)became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done ^(AAR)displeased^[eq] the Lord.

Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession

12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And ^(AAS)he came to him, and ^(AAT)said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. ³ But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. ⁴ And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

⁵ So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this ^[er]shall surely die! ⁶ And he shall restore ^(AAU)fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I ^(AAV)anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! ^9 (AAW)Why have you ^(AAX)despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? ^(AAY)You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. ¹⁰ Now therefore, ^(AAZ)the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ ¹¹ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will ^(ABA)take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ¹² For you did it secretly, ^(ABB)but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

^13 (ABC)So David said to Nathan, ^(ABD)“I have sinned against the Lord.”

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has ^(ABE)put away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord ^(ABF)to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” ¹⁵ Then Nathan departed to his house.

The Death of David’s Son

And the ^(ABG)Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. ¹⁶ David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and ^(ABH)lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷ So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. ¹⁸ Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!”

¹⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”

And they said, “He is dead.”

²⁰ So David arose from the ground, washed and ^(ABI)anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and ^(ABJ)worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. ²¹ Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

²² And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; ^(ABK)for I said, ‘Who can tell whether ^[es]the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ ²³ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go ^(ABL)to him, but ^(ABM)he shall not return to me.”

Solomon Is Born

²⁴ Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So ^(ABN)she bore a son, and ^(ABO)he^[et] called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, ²⁵ and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So ^[eu]he called his name ^[ev]Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

Rabbah Is Captured^(ABP)

²⁶ Now ^(ABQ)Joab fought against ^(ABR)Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply. 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.” ²⁹ So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. ^30 (ABS)Then he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the ^[ew]spoil of the city in great abundance. ³¹ And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Amnon and Tamar

13 After this ^(ABT)Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was ^(ABU)Tamar; and ^(ABV)Amnon the son of David loved her. ² Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her. ³ But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab ^(ABW)the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man. ⁴ And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?”

Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

⁵ So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ” ⁶ Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and ^(ABX)make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷ And David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Now go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” ⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. ⁹ And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, ^(ABY)“Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom. ¹¹ Now when she had brought them to him to eat, ^(ABZ)he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

¹² But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not ^[ex]force me, for ^(ACA)no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this ^(ACB)disgraceful thing! ¹³ And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; ^(ACC)for he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he ^(ACD)forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her ^[ey]exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!”

¹⁶ So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.”

But he would not listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his servant who attended him, and said, “Here! Put this woman out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.” ¹⁸ Now she had on ^(ACE)a robe of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such apparel. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

¹⁹ Then Tamar put ^(ACF)ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and ^(ACG)laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly. ²⁰ And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

²¹ But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. ²² And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon ^(ACH)neither good nor bad. For Absalom ^(ACI)hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

²³ And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom ^(ACJ)had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons. ²⁴ Then Absalom came to the king and said, “Kindly note, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

²⁵ But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.” Then he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him.

²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.”

And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Absalom urged him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

²⁸ Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s ^(ACK)heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and ^[ez]valiant.” ²⁹ So the servants of Absalom ^(ACL)did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on ^(ACM)his mule and fled.

³⁰ And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!” ³¹ So the king arose and ^(ACN)tore his garments and ^(ACO)lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. ³² Then ^(ACP)Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. ³³ Now therefore, ^(ACQ)let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

^34 (ACR)Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked, and there, many people were coming from the road on the hillside behind ^[fa]him. ³⁵ And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.” ³⁶ So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.

³⁷ But Absalom fled and went to ^(ACS)Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. ³⁸ So Absalom fled and went to ^(ACT)Geshur, and was there three years. ³⁹ And ^[fb]King David ^[fc]longed to go to Absalom. For he had been ^(ACU)comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned ^(ACV)about Absalom. ² And Joab sent to ^(ACW)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, ^(ACX)and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead. ³ Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab ^(ACY)put the words in her mouth.

⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa ^[fd]spoke to the king, she ^(ACZ)fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, ^(ADA)“Help, O king!”

⁵ Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”

And she answered, ^(ADB)“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead. ⁶ Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. ⁷ And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him ^(ADC)for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

⁹ And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let ^(ADD)the ^[fe]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, ^(ADE)and the king and his throne be guiltless.”

¹⁰ So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”

¹¹ Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit ^(ADF)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”

And he said, ^(ADG)“As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

¹² Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king.”

And he said, “Say on.”

¹³ So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against ^(ADH)the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring ^(ADI)his banished one home again. ¹⁴ For we ^(ADJ)will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not ^(ADK)take away a life; but He ^(ADL)devises means, so that His banished ones are not ^[ff]expelled from Him. ¹⁵ Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant. ¹⁶ For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the ^(ADM)inheritance of God.’ ¹⁷ Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for ^(ADN)as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in ^(ADO)discerning good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ”

¹⁸ Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.”

And the woman said, “Please, let my lord the king speak.”

¹⁹ So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, and ^(ADP)he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant. ²⁰ To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, ^(ADQ)according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”

²¹ And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”

²² Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and ^[fg]thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.” ²³ So Joab arose ^(ADR)and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but ^(ADS)do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.

David Forgives Absalom

²⁵ Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. ^(ADT)From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. ²⁶ And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. ^27 (ADU)To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.

²⁸ And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, ^(ADV)but did not see the king’s face. ²⁹ Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. ³⁰ So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

³² And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; but ^(ADW)if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.”

³³ So Joab went 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. Then the king ^(ADX)kissed Absalom.

Absalom’s Treason

15 After this ^(ADY)it happened that Absalom ^(ADZ)provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. ² Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a ^(AEA)lawsuit^[fh] came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” ³ Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your ^[fi]case is good and right; but there is no ^[fj]deputy of the king to hear you.” ⁴ Moreover Absalom would say, ^(AEB)“Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” ⁵ And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and ^(AEC)kiss him. ⁶ In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. ^(AED)So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ Now it came to pass ^(AEE)after ^[fk]forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to ^(AEF)Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. ^8 (AEG)For your servant ^(AEH)took a vow ^(AEI)while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”

⁹ And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom ^(AEJ)reigns in Hebron!’ ” ¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men ^(AEK)invited from Jerusalem, and they ^(AEL)went along innocently and did not know anything. ¹² Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, ^(AEM)David’s counselor, from his city—from ^(AEN)Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom ^(AEO)continually increased in number.

David Escapes from Jerusalem

¹³ Now a messenger came to David, saying, ^(AEP)“The hearts of the men of Israel are ^[fl]with Absalom.”

¹⁴ So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us ^(AEQ)flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵ And the king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.” ¹⁶ Then ^(AER)the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ^(AES)ten women, concubines, to keep the house. ¹⁷ And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts. ¹⁸ Then all his servants passed ^[fm]before him; ^(AET)and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^(AEU)six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.

¹⁹ Then the king said to ^(AEV)Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. ²⁰ In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go ^(AEW)I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”

²¹ But Ittai answered the king and said, ^(AEX)“As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”

²² So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. ²³ And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the ^(AEY)wilderness.

²⁴ There was ^(AEZ)Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ^(AFA)ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and ^(AFB)Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. ²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He ^(AFC)will bring me back and show me both it and ^(AFD)His dwelling place. ²⁶ But if He says thus: ‘I have no ^(AFE)delight in you,’ here I am, ^(AFF)let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” ²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a ^(AFG)seer?^[fn] Return to the city in peace, and ^(AFH)your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸ See, ^(AFI)I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹ Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.

³⁰ So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he ^(AFJ)had his head covered and went ^(AFK)barefoot. And all the people who were with him ^(AFL)covered their heads and went up, ^(AFM)weeping as they went up. ³¹ Then someone told David, saying, ^(AFN)“Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, ^(AFO)turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

³² Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the ^(AFP)Archite coming to meet him ^(AFQ)with his robe torn and dust on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become ^(AFR)a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ^(AFS)‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵ And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to ^(AFT)Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Indeed they have there ^(AFU)with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”

³⁷ So Hushai, ^(AFV)David’s friend, went into the city. ^(AFW)And Absalom came into Jerusalem.

Mephibosheth’s Servant

16 When^(AFX) David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was ^(AFY)Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. ² And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?”

So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for ^(AFZ)those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”

³ Then the king said, “And where is your ^(AGA)master’s son?”

^(AGB)And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”

⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”

And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ Now when King David came to ^(AGC)Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^(AGD)Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. ⁶ And he threw 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. ⁷ Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You ^[fo]bloodthirsty man, ^(AGE)you ^[fp]rogue! ⁸ The Lord has ^(AGF)brought upon you all ^(AGG)the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a ^[fq]bloodthirsty man!”

⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this ^(AGH)dead dog ^(AGI)curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”

¹⁰ But the king said, ^(AGJ)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because ^(AGK)the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ ^(AGL)Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how ^(AGM)my son who ^(AGN)came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. ¹² It may be that the Lord will look on ^[fr]my affliction, and that the Lord will ^(AGO)repay me with ^(AGP)good for his cursing this day.” ¹³ And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and ^[fs]kicked up dust. ¹⁴ Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.

The Advice of Ahithophel

¹⁵ Meanwhile ^(AGQ)Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁶ And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, ^(AGR)David’s friend, came to Absalom, that ^(AGS)Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ So Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? ^(AGT)Why did you not go with your friend?”

¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ Furthermore, ^(AGU)whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to ^(AGV)Ahithophel, “Give advice as to what we should do.”

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s ^(AGW)concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you ^(AGX)are abhorred by your father. Then ^(AGY)the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines ^(AGZ)in the sight of all Israel.

²³ Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel ^(AHA)both with David and with Absalom.

The Advice of Ahithophel and Hushai

17 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. ² I will come upon him while he is ^(AHB)weary and weak, and make him ^[ft]afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will ^(AHC)strike only the king. ³ Then I will bring back all the people to you. When all return except the man whom you seek, all the people will be at peace.” ⁴ And the saying pleased Absalom and all the ^(AHD)elders of Israel.

The Advice of Hushai

⁵ Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he ^(AHE)says too.” ⁶ And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken in this manner. Shall we do as he says? If not, speak up.”

⁷ So Hushai said to Absalom: “The advice that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time. ⁸ For,” said Hushai, “you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like ^(AHF)a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people. ⁹ Surely by now he is hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will be, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ ¹⁰ And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will ^(AHG)melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. ¹¹ Therefore I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, ^(AHH)from Dan to Beersheba, ^(AHI)like the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. ¹² So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one. ¹³ Moreover, if he has withdrawn into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city; and we will ^(AHJ)pull it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.”

¹⁴ So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For ^(AHK)the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.

Hushai Warns David to Escape

^15 (AHL)Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so I have advised. ¹⁶ Now therefore, send quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend this night ^(AHM)in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily cross over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ” ^17 (AHN)Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz ^(AHO)stayed at ^(AHP)En Rogel, for they dared not be seen coming into the city; so a female servant would come and tell them, and they would go and tell King David. ¹⁸ Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly and came to a man’s house ^(AHQ)in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down into it. ^19 (AHR)Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known. ²⁰ And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”

So ^(AHS)the woman said to them, “They have gone over the water brook.”

And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ Now it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said to David, ^(AHT)“Arise and cross over the water quickly. For thus has Ahithophel advised against you.” ²² So David and all the people who were with him arose and crossed over the Jordan. By morning light not one of them was left who had not gone over the Jordan.

²³ Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to ^(AHU)his house, to his city. Then he ^[fu]put his ^(AHV)household in order, and ^(AHW)hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴ Then David went to ^(AHX)Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵ And Absalom made ^(AHY)Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab. This Amasa was the son of a man whose name was ^[fv]Jithra, an ^[fw]Israelite, who had gone in to ^(AHZ)Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. ²⁶ So Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ Now it happened, when David had come to Mahanaim, that ^(AIA)Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, ^(AIB)Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and ^(AIC)Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, ²⁸ brought beds and basins, earthen vessels and wheat, barley and flour, parched grain and beans, lentils and parched seeds, ²⁹ honey and curds, sheep and cheese of the herd, for David and the people who were with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty ^(AID)in the wilderness.”

Absalom’s Defeat and Death

18 And David ^[fx]numbered the people who were with him, and ^(AIE)set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ² Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, ^(AIF)one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of ^(AIG)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”

^3 (AIH)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”

⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” ^(AII)And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.

⁶ So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the ^(AIJ)woods of Ephraim. ⁷ The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. ⁸ For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹ Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and ^(AIK)his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰ Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”

¹¹ So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”

¹² But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. ^(AIL)For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ^[fy]‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ ¹³ Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”

¹⁴ Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵ And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.

¹⁶ So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. ¹⁷ And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and ^(AIM)laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel ^(AIN)fled, everyone to his tent.

¹⁸ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a ^[fz]pillar for himself, which is in ^(AIO)the King’s Valley. For he said, ^(AIP)“I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

David Hears of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹ Then ^(AIQ)Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has ^[ga]avenged him of his enemies.”

²⁰ And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.

²² And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But ^[gb]whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”

So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”

²³ “But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.”

So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴ Now David was sitting between the ^(AIR)two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵ Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.

²⁶ Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!”

And the king said, “He also brings news.”

²⁷ So the watchman said, ^[gc]“I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”

And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with ^(AIS)good news.”

²⁸ So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, ^[gd]“All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, ^(AIT)“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”

²⁹ The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.”

³⁰ And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

³¹ Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”

³² And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”

So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³ Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ^(AIU)“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ^(AIV)my son!”

David Returns to Jerusalem

19 And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and ^(AIW)mourning for Absalom.” ² So the victory that day was turned into ^(AIX)mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” ³ And the people ^[ge]stole back ^(AIY)into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. ⁴ But the king ^(AIZ)covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, ^(AJA)“O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

⁵ Then ^(AJB)Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, ⁶ in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you ^[gf]regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. ⁷ Now therefore, arise, go out and speak ^[gg]comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.” ⁸ Then the king arose and sat in the ^(AJC)gate. And they told all the people, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” So all the people came before the king.

For everyone of Israel had ^(AJD)fled to his tent.

David Returns to Jerusalem

⁹ Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our ^(AJE)enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the ^(AJF)Philistines, and now he has ^(AJG)fled from the land because of Absalom. ¹⁰ But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?”

¹¹ So King David sent to ^(AJH)Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? ¹² You are my brethren, you are ^(AJI)my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ ^13 (AJJ)And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? ^(AJK)God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me ^[gh]continually in place of Joab.’ ” ¹⁴ So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, ^(AJL)just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!”

¹⁵ Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to ^(AJM)Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king ^(AJN)across the Jordan. ¹⁶ And ^(AJO)Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷ There were a thousand men of ^(AJP)Benjamin with him, and ^(AJQ)Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king. ¹⁸ Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good.

David’s Mercy to Shimei

Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. ¹⁹ Then he said to the king, ^(AJR)“Do not let my lord ^[gi]impute iniquity to me, or remember what ^(AJS)wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should ^(AJT)take it to heart. ²⁰ For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all ^(AJU)the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.”

²¹ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, ^(AJV)because he ^(AJW)cursed the Lord’s anointed?”

²² And David said, ^(AJX)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? ^(AJY)Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” ²³ Therefore ^(AJZ)the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him.

David and Mephibosheth Meet

²⁴ Now ^(AKA)Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. ²⁵ So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, ^(AKB)“Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?”

²⁶ And he answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,’ because your servant is lame. ²⁷ And ^(AKC)he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, ^(AKD)but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. ²⁸ For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king. ^(AKE)Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to ^[gj]cry out anymore to the king?”

²⁹ So the king said to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba divide the land.’ ”

³⁰ Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.”

David’s Kindness to Barzillai

³¹ And ^(AKF)Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. ³² Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And ^(AKG)he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. ³³ And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”

³⁴ But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵ I am today ^(AKH)eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? ³⁶ Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? ³⁷ Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant ^(AKI)Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”

³⁸ And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.” ³⁹ Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king ^(AKJ)kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.

The Quarrel About the King

⁴⁰ Now the king went on to Gilgal, and ^[gk]Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. ⁴¹ Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and ^(AKK)brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?”

⁴² So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is ^(AKL)a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”

⁴³ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ^(AKM)ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?”

Yet ^(AKN)the words of the men of Judah were ^[gl]fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

The Rebellion of Sheba

20 And there happened to be there a ^[gm]rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said:

² So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the ^(AKQ)men of Judah, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king.

³ Now David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, ^(AKR)his concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in seclusion and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

⁴ And the king said to Amasa, ^(AKS)“Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.” ⁵ So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him. ⁶ And David said to ^(AKT)Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take ^(AKU)your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.” ⁷ So Joab’s men, with the ^(AKV)Cherethites, the Pelethites, and ^(AKW)all the mighty men, went out after him. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸ When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out. ⁹ Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” ^(AKX)And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And ^(AKY)he struck him with it ^(AKZ)in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹ Meanwhile one of Joab’s men stood near Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!” ¹² But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted. ¹³ When he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

¹⁴ And he went through all the tribes of Israel to ^(ALA)Abel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were gathered together and also went after ^[gn]Sheba. ¹⁵ Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they ^(ALB)cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

¹⁶ Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’ ” ¹⁷ When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”

He answered, “I am.”

Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.”

And he answered, “I am listening.”

¹⁸ So she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes. ¹⁹ I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up ^(ALC)the inheritance of the Lord?”

²⁰ And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹ That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.”

So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” ²² Then the woman ^(ALD)in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

David’s Government Officers

²³ And ^(ALE)Joab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²⁴ Adoram was ^(ALF)in charge of revenue; ^(ALG)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ²⁵ Sheva was scribe; ^(ALH)Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; ^26 (ALI)and Ira the Jairite was ^[go]a chief minister under David.

David Avenges the Gibeonites

21 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David ^(ALJ)inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his ^[gp]bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.” ² So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but ^(ALK)of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them ^(ALL)in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.

³ Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless ^(ALM)the inheritance of the Lord?”

⁴ And the Gibeonites said to him, “We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us.”

So he said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

⁵ Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel, ⁶ let seven men of his descendants be delivered ^(ALN)to us, and we will hang them before the Lord ^(ALO)in Gibeah of Saul, ^(ALP)whom the Lord chose.”

And the king said, “I will give them.”

⁷ But the king spared ^(ALQ)Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of ^(ALR)the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. ⁸ So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of ^(ALS)Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of ^[gq]Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she ^[gr]brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; ⁹ and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill ^(ALT)before the Lord. So 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.

¹⁰ Now ^(ALU)Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, ^(ALV)from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

¹¹ And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. ¹² Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of ^(ALW)Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of ^[gs]Beth Shan, where the ^(ALX)Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. ¹³ So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. ¹⁴ They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in ^(ALY)Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that ^(ALZ)God heeded the prayer for the land.

Philistine Giants Destroyed^(AMA)

¹⁵ When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.