2 Samuel 7:4-17

New King James Version

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: ^(A)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house ^(B)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in ^(C)a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have ^(D)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded ^(E)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: ^(F)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And ^(G)I have been with you wherever you have gone, ^(H)and have ^[a]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 ^(I)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; ^(J)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ^11 (K)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 ^[b]tells you ^(L)that He will make you a ^[c]house.

^12 (M)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(N)rest with your fathers, ^(O)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (P)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(Q)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (R)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(S)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[d]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(T)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And ^(U)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[e]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^(V)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ^(W)“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. ^(X)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? ²⁰ Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, ^(Y)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 ^(Z)You are great, ^[f]O Lord God. For ^(AA)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ^(AB)ears. ²³ And who is like Your people, like Israel, ^(AC)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 ^(AD)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? ²⁴ For ^(AE)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; ^(AF)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 ^(AG)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 ^(AH)forever.”

David’s Further Conquests^(AI)

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

² Then ^(AJ)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 ^(AK)servants, and ^(AL)brought tribute.

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

^5 (AP)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 ^(AQ)the Lord preserved David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took ^(AR)the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from ^[j]Betah and from ^(AS)Berothai,^[k] cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

⁹ When ^[l]Toi king of ^(AT)Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ then Toi sent ^[m]Joram his son to King David, to ^[n]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 ^(AU)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 ^[o]Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the ^(AV)Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

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

David’s Administration^(BA)

¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. ^16 (BB)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; ^(BC)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ^17 (BD)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; ^[q]Seraiah was the ^[r]scribe; ^18 (BE)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the ^(BF)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were ^[s]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 ^(BG)show him ^[t]kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

² And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was ^(BH)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 ^(BI)the kindness of God?”

And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is ^(BJ)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 ^(BK)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 ^(BL)Mephibosheth^[u] 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 ^(BM)a dead dog as I?”

⁹ And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, ^(BN)“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 ^(BO)shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had ^(BP)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 ^[v]my table like one of the king’s sons.” ¹² Mephibosheth had a young son ^(BQ)whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, ^(BR)for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he ^(BS)was lame in both his feet.

The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated^(BT)

10 It happened after this that the ^(BU)king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show ^(BV)kindness to Hanun the son of ^(BW)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, ^(BX)at their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ^[w]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 ^(BY)had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired ^(BZ)the Syrians of ^(CA)Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of ^(CB)Maacah one thousand men, and from ^(CC)Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. ⁷ Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of ^(CD)the mighty men. ⁸ Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And ^(CE)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 ^(CF)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 (CG)Be of good courage, and let us ^(CH)be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may ^(CI)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 ^(CJ)Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. ¹⁶ Then ^[x]Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond ^[y]the River, and they came to Helam. And ^[z]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 ^(CK)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 ^[aa]Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and ^(CL)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 ^(CM)time when kings go out to battle, that ^(CN)David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged ^(CO)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

² Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed ^(CP)and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he ^(CQ)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 ^[ab]Bathsheba, the daughter of ^[ac]Eliam, the wife ^(CR)of Uriah the ^(CS)Hittite?” ⁴ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and ^(CT)he lay with her, for she was ^(CU)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 ^(CV)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 ^(CW)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, ^(CX)“The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and ^(CY)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 ^(CZ)drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed ^(DA)with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

¹⁴ In the morning it happened that David ^(DB)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 ^[ad]hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may ^(DC)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 ^(DD)Abimelech the son of ^[ae]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 ^[af]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 ^(DE)became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done ^(DF)displeased^[ag] the Lord.

Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession

12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And ^(DG)he came to him, and ^(DH)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 ^[ah]shall surely die! ⁶ And he shall restore ^(DI)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 ^(DJ)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 (DK)Why have you ^(DL)despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? ^(DM)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, ^(DN)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 ^(DO)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, ^(DP)but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

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

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has ^(DS)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 ^(DT)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 ^(DU)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 ^(DV)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 ^(DW)anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and ^(DX)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; ^(DY)for I said, ‘Who can tell whether ^[ai]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 ^(DZ)to him, but ^(EA)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 ^(EB)she bore a son, and ^(EC)he^[aj] called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, ²⁵ and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So ^[ak]he called his name ^[al]Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

Rabbah Is Captured^(ED)

²⁶ Now ^(EE)Joab fought against ^(EF)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 (EG)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 ^[am]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 ^(EH)Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was ^(EI)Tamar; and ^(EJ)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 ^(EK)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 ^(EL)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, ^(EM)“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, ^(EN)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 ^[an]force me, for ^(EO)no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this ^(EP)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; ^(EQ)for he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he ^(ER)forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her ^[ao]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 ^(ES)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 ^(ET)ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and ^(EU)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 ^(EV)neither good nor bad. For Absalom ^(EW)hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

²³ And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom ^(EX)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 ^(EY)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 ^[ap]valiant.” ²⁹ So the servants of Absalom ^(EZ)did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on ^(FA)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 ^(FB)tore his garments and ^(FC)lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. ³² Then ^(FD)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, ^(FE)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 (FF)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 ^[aq]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 ^(FG)Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. ³⁸ So Absalom fled and went to ^(FH)Geshur, and was there three years. ³⁹ And ^[ar]King David ^[as]longed to go to Absalom. For he had been ^(FI)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 ^(FJ)about Absalom. ² And Joab sent to ^(FK)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, ^(FL)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 ^(FM)put the words in her mouth.

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

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

And she answered, ^(FP)“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 ^(FQ)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 ^(FR)the ^[au]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, ^(FS)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 ^(FT)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”

And he said, ^(FU)“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 ^(FV)the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring ^(FW)his banished one home again. ¹⁴ For we ^(FX)will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not ^(FY)take away a life; but He ^(FZ)devises means, so that His banished ones are not ^[av]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 ^(GA)inheritance of God.’ ¹⁷ Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for ^(GB)as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in ^(GC)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 ^(GD)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, ^(GE)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 ^[aw]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 ^(GF)and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but ^(GG)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. ^(GH)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 (GI)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, ^(GJ)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 ^(GK)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 ^(GL)kissed Absalom.

Absalom’s Treason

15 After this ^(GM)it happened that Absalom ^(GN)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 ^(GO)lawsuit^[ax] 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 ^[ay]case is good and right; but there is no ^[az]deputy of the king to hear you.” ⁴ Moreover Absalom would say, ^(GP)“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 ^(GQ)kiss him. ⁶ In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. ^(GR)So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ Now it came to pass ^(GS)after ^[ba]forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to ^(GT)Hebron and pay the vow which I made to the Lord. ^8 (GU)For your servant ^(GV)took a vow ^(GW)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 ^(GX)reigns in Hebron!’ ” ¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men ^(GY)invited from Jerusalem, and they ^(GZ)went along innocently and did not know anything. ¹² Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, ^(HA)David’s counselor, from his city—from ^(HB)Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom ^(HC)continually increased in number.

David Escapes from Jerusalem

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

¹⁴ So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us ^(HE)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 ^(HF)the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ^(HG)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 ^[bc]before him; ^(HH)and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, ^(HI)six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.

¹⁹ Then the king said to ^(HJ)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 ^(HK)I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”

²¹ But Ittai answered the king and said, ^(HL)“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 ^(HM)wilderness.

²⁴ There was ^(HN)Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ^(HO)ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and ^(HP)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 ^(HQ)will bring me back and show me both it and ^(HR)His dwelling place. ²⁶ But if He says thus: ‘I have no ^(HS)delight in you,’ here I am, ^(HT)let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” ²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a ^(HU)seer?^[bd] Return to the city in peace, and ^(HV)your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸ See, ^(HW)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 ^(HX)had his head covered and went ^(HY)barefoot. And all the people who were with him ^(HZ)covered their heads and went up, ^(IA)weeping as they went up. ³¹ Then someone told David, saying, ^(IB)“Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, ^(IC)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 ^(ID)Archite coming to meet him ^(IE)with his robe torn and dust on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become ^(IF)a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ^(IG)‘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 ^(IH)Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Indeed they have there ^(II)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, ^(IJ)David’s friend, went into the city. ^(IK)And Absalom came into Jerusalem.

Mephibosheth’s Servant

16 When^(IL) David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was ^(IM)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 ^(IN)those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”

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

^(IP)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 ^(IQ)Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^(IR)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 ^[be]bloodthirsty man, ^(IS)you ^[bf]rogue! ⁸ The Lord has ^(IT)brought upon you all ^(IU)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 ^[bg]bloodthirsty man!”

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

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

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how ^(JA)my son who ^(JB)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 ^[bh]my affliction, and that the Lord will ^(JC)repay me with ^(JD)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 ^[bi]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 ^(JE)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, ^(JF)David’s friend, came to Absalom, that ^(JG)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? ^(JH)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, ^(JI)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 ^(JJ)Ahithophel, “Give advice as to what we should do.”

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s ^(JK)concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you ^(JL)are abhorred by your father. Then ^(JM)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 ^(JN)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 ^(JO)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 ^(JP)weary and weak, and make him ^[bj]afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will ^(JQ)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 ^(JR)elders of Israel.