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1 Sha'ul had died, and David had been two days in Ziklag after returning from the slaughter of the 'Amaleki.

2 On the third day, there came a man from Sha'ul's camp with his clothes torn and earth on his head. He approached David, fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

3 David said to him, "Where are you coming from?""I escaped from the camp of Isra'el," he replied.

4 "Tell me, please, how did things go?" asked David. "The people have fled the battle," he answered, "and many of them are wounded or dead. Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son are dead too."

5 David asked the young man who had told him this, "How do you know that Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son are dead?"

6 The young man who had told him said, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa when I saw Sha'ul leaning on his spear. The chariots and cavalry were bearing down on him.

7 He looked behind him, saw me and called to me. I answered, 'Here I am.'

8 He said to me, 'Who are you?' and I answered, 'I'm an 'Amaleki'

9 He said to me, 'I'm in agony, and I'm going to die, but I'm still alive. So please, stand next to me; and kill me.'

10 So I stood next to him and killed him, because I was sure he was so badly wounded that he couldn't live. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and likewise all the men who were with him.

12 They wailed and cried, and they fasted until evening for Sha'ul, for Y'honatan his son, for ADONAI's people and for the house of Isra'el; because they had fallen by the sword.

13 David said to the young man who had told him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I'm the son of a [resident] foreigner, an 'Amaleki."

14 David asked him, "How is it that you weren't afraid to raise your hand to destroy ADONAI's anointed?"

15 David called one of his young men and said, "Go over to him, and kill him." The man struck him down, and he died.

16 David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head. Your own mouth convicted you when you said, 'I killed ADONAI's anointed.'"

17 Then David pronounced this lament over Sha'ul and over Y'honatan his son,

18 in order to teach the people of Y'hudah [not to underestimate] archery (the lament has been written down in the book of Yashar):

19 "Your glory, Isra'el, lies dead on your high places! How the heroes have fallen!

20 Don't speak of it in Gat; don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon; then the daughters of the P'lishtim won't rejoice, the daughters of the uncircumcised won't gloat.

21 "Mountains of Gilboa - may there be on you no dew, no rain, no fields with good crops; because there the shields of the heroes were dishonored, the shield of Sha'ul was no longer rubbed with oil.

22 "From the blood of the dead, from the flesh of heroes, the bow of Y'honatan did not retreat or the sword of Sha'ul return unsatisfied.

23 Sha'ul and Y'honatan, loved and gracious while alive, were not separated even in death; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

24 "Daughters of Isra'el, weep over Sha'ul! He clothed you luxuriously in scarlet and put gold jewelry on your clothing.

25 "How the heroes have fallen in the heat of battle, Y'honatan killed on your high places!

26 I grieve for you, my brother Y'honatan, you meant so much to me! Your love for me was deeper than the love of women.

27 How the heroes have fallen and the weapons of war perished"

1 After this, David consulted ADONAI; he asked, "Should I go up into any of the cities of Y'hudah?"ADONAI said to him, "Go up." David asked, "Where should I go up?" He said, "To Hevron."

2 So David went up there with his two wives Achino'am from Yizre'el and Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel.

3 David brought the men up with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hevron.

4 Then the men of Y'hudah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Y'hudah. They informed David that the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad were the ones who had buried Sha'ul.

5 So David sent messengers to the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad with this message: "May you be blessed by ADONAI, because you showed this kindness to your lord, Sha'ul, and buried him.

6 Now may ADONAI show kindness and truth to you; and I too will show you favor because you have done this.

7 Be strong, and be brave. Sha'ul your lord is dead, but the house of Y'hudah have anointed me king over them."

8 Avner the son of Ner, commander of Sha'ul's army, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, brought him over to Machanayim,

9 and made him king over Gil'ad, the Ashuri, Yizre'el, Efrayim, Binyamin and all Isra'el.

10 Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul was forty years old when he began to rule over Isra'el, and he ruled for two years. But the house of Y'hudah followed David.

11 David was king in Hevron over the house of Y'hudah for seven years and six months.

12 Avner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul went out from Machanayim to Giv'on;

13 while Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and David's servants also went out; and they met together by the pool at Giv'on. One group sat down on one side of the pool and the other on the other side.

14 Avner said to Yo'av, "If it's all right with you, let's have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves, while we watch." Yo'av said, "Yes, let them."

15 So they got up and paired off, twelve for Binyamin and Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, and twelve of David's servants.

16 Each one grabbed his partner by the head and drove his sword into his side, so that they fell down together. For this reason that place was named Helkat-Hatzurim [field of blades]; it is in Giv'on.

17 The battle that day was very fierce; Avner and the men of Isra'el were beaten by David's servants.

18 The three sons of Tz'ruyah were there, Yo'av, Avishai and 'Asah'el. 'Asah'el was as fleet-footed as a gazelle in an open field.

19 'Asah'el chased Avner, going straight for him, veering neither right nor left.

20 Avner looked behind him and asked, "Is that you, 'Asah'el?""Yes, it is," he answered.

21 Avner said to him, "Turn off to your right or your left, catch one of the young men and take his armor." But 'Asah'el wouldn't turn aside and kept following him.

22 Avner said again to 'Asah'el, "Turn aside and stop following me! Why should I kill you? If I did, how could I look your brother Yo'av in the eye?"

23 But he still refused to turn aside; so Avner stabbed him in the groin with the back end of the spear, so that the shaft protruded behind him. He fell down and died on the spot. Everyone who came to the place where 'Asah'el lay dead stopped there.

24 Yo'av and Avishai continued in pursuit of Avner; the sun went down when they arrived at Amah Hill, across from Giach along the Giv'on Desert road.

25 The people of Binyamin gathered themselves together into a phalanx behind Avner and stood on top of a hill.

26 Then Avner called out to Yo'av, "Must the sword go on devouring forever? Don't you know that in the end it can produce only bitterness? How long will it be, then, before you tell the people to quit pursuing their brothers?"

27 Yo'av said, "As God lives, if you hadn't said something, there is no doubt that the people would have kept following their brothers all night long."

28 Then Yo'av sounded the shofar, and with that the people halted. They stopped pursuing Isra'el, and they stopped fighting.

29 Avner and his men went through the 'Aravah all that night; they crossed the Yarden, went through all of Bitron and arrived at Machanayim.

30 Yo'av returned from following Avner. When he brought the troops together for review, nineteen of David's servants were missing, along with 'Asah'el.

31 But David's servants had killed 360 of Avner's men of Binyamin.

32 They took 'Asah'el and buried him in his father's tomb in Beit-Lechem. Then Yo'av and his men marched all night, so that they reached Hevron at daybreak.

1 The war between the house of Sha'ul and the house of David dragged on, but David grew stronger, while the house of Sha'ul became weaker.

2 Sons were born to David in Hevron. His firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Achino'am from Yizre'el;

3 his second, Kil'av, whose mother was Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel; the third, Avshalom, whose mother was Ma'akhah the daughter of Talmai king of G'shur;

4 the fourth, Adoniyah the son of Haggit; the fifth, Sh'fatyah the son of Avital;

5 and the sixth, Yitre'am, whose mother was 'Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hevron.

6 During the war that was going on between the house of Sha'ul and the house of David, Avner strengthened his position in the house of Sha'ul.

7 Sha'ul had had a concubine named Ritzpah, the daughter of Ayah; and [Ish-Boshet] challenged Avner: "Why did you go and sleep with my father's concubine?"

8 These words of Ish-Boshet's enraged Avner. "What am I," he shouted, "[that you treat me with such contempt]? A dog's head in Y'hudah? Till this moment I have shown only kindness to the house of Sha'ul your father, and to his brothers and to his friends; and I haven't handed you over to David. Yet you choose today to pick a fight with me over this woman!

9 May God bring terrible curses on Avner and worse ones yet if I don't accomplish what ADONAI swore to David-

10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Sha'ul and set up the throne of David over Isra'el and Y'hudah, from Dan all the way to Be'er-Sheva!"

11 Ish-Boshet couldn't answer Avner a word, because he was afraid of him.

12 Avner immediately sent envoys to David with this message: "Who is going to control the land? If you make yourself my ally, I will use my power to bring all Isra'el over to you."

13 David sent this reply: "Very well, I will be your ally - on one condition: you will not come into my presence unless at the same time you bring with you Mikhal Sha'ul's daughter."

14 David sent messengers to say to Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, "Give me back my wife Mikhal. I betrothed her to myself for 100 foreskins of the P'lishtim."

15 Ish-Boshet sent and took her from her husband Palti'el the son of Layish.

16 Her husband went with her, crying as he went, and followed her to Bachurim. But when Avner told him, "Go back," he returned.

17 Then Avner conferred with the leaders of Isra'el. He said, "In the past, you wanted David to be king over you.

18 So now, do it. For ADONAI has said of David, 'Through my servant David I will rescue my people Isra'el from the power of the P'lishtim and from the power of all their enemies.'"

19 Avner also spoke with the people of Binyamin. Then Avner went to Hevron and reported to David everything that had been agreed to by Isra'el and the house of Binyamin.

20 When Avner came to David in Hevron he brought twenty men with him. David held a feast for Avner and his men.

21 Avner said to David, "I must get up and go to gather all Isra'el to my lord the king, so that they can make a covenant with you. Then you will be able to rule over everything your heart desires." David sent Avner off, giving him safe conduct.

22 Just then David's men and Yo'av returned from a raid, bringing a lot of plunder with them. But Avner was not with David in Hevron, because he had sent him off under safe conduct.

23 When Yo'av and all his army had arrived, Yo'av was told, "Avner the son of Ner came to the king, but he sent him off, and he has left under safe conduct."

24 Yo'av went to the king and said, "What have you done? Here, Avner came to you, and you sent him away, and now he's gone! Why?

25 You know Avner the son of Ner - he came only to deceive you, to learn what campaigns you're planning and to find out everything you're doing!"

26 After leaving David, Yo'av sent messengers after Avner, and they brought him back from the water cistern at Sirah without David's knowledge.

27 Upon Avner's return to Hevron, Yo'av took him aside into the space between the outer and inner city gates as if to speak with him privately; and there he struck him in the groin, so that he died - thus avenging the death of 'Asah'el his brother.

28 Afterwards, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent of the death of Avner the son of Ner.

29 Let it fall on the head of Yo'av and all his father's family. May Yo'av's family always have someone with a hemorrhage or tzara'at, or who has to walk with a cane, or who dies by the sword or who lacks food."

30 Thus Yo'av and Avishai his brother killed Avner, because he had killed their brother 'Asah'el during the battle in Giv'on.

31 But David said to Yo'av and all those with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Avner." King David himself walked behind the body as it was carried.

32 They buried Avner at Hevron; the king wept aloud at Avner's grave, and all the people wept.

33 The king sang this lament over Avner: "Should Avner have died like a thug?

34 Your hands weren't tied, your feet weren't fettered; you fell like one who falls at the hands of criminals." Then all the people wept over him more than ever.

35 All the people came to David and tried to make him eat some bread while it was still daytime; but David swore, "May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if I taste bread or anything else until the sun goes down."

36 All the people took note of this, and it pleased them; whatever the king did pleased all the people.

37 So that day, all the people and all Isra'el understood that the king had had no part in the killing of Avner the son of Ner.

38 The king said to his servants, "You realize that a leader, a great man, has fallen today in Isra'el.

39 Even though I have just been anointed king, I feel weak today; and these men, the sons of Tz'ruyah, are too brutal for me. May ADONAI repay the criminal as his crime deserves!"

1 When Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul heard that Avner had died in Hevron, his courage failed; and all Isra'el became alarmed.

2 Sha'ul's son had two men who were captains of raiding parties, one called Ba'anah and the other Rekhav, sons of Rimmon the Be'eroti, of the people of Binyamin (for Be'erot is counted as part of Binyamin,

3 even though the Be'erotim fled to Gittayim and have lived as foreigners there to this day).

4 Now Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul's had a son, and he was lame in both legs. He had been five years old when the news about Sha'ul and Y'honatan came from Yizre'el. His nurse had gathered him up and fled; but as she was hurrying to get away, he fell and became lame. His name was M'fivoshet.

5 The sons of Rimmon the Be'eroti, Rekhav and Ba'anah went and arrived during the heat of the day at the home of Ish-Boshet as he was taking his afternoon rest.

6 They went right into the house, as if they were coming to get wheat, and stabbed him in the groin; then Rekhav and Ba'anah his brother escaped.

7 They entered the house as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, stabbed him and killed him; then they beheaded him, took his head and fled all night along the road through the 'Aravah.

8 They brought the head of Ish-Boshet to David in Hevron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul your enemy, who wanted to take your life. Today ADONAI has taken revenge on Sha'ul and his son for the sake of my lord the king."

9 But David answered Rekhav and Ba'anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be'eroti, "As ADONAI lives, who has rescued me from every kind of difficulty,

10 when someone told me, 'Here, Sha'ul is dead,' thinking to himself that he was bringing good news, I didn't reward him for his news but seized him and killed him in Ziklag.

11 How much more, when criminals have killed an innocent man in his own house on his own bed, shouldn't I hold you responsible for his death and rid the earth of you?"

12 David then gave the order to his men, and they put them to death, cutting off their hands and feet and hanging them up next to the pool at Hevron. But they took the head of Ish-Boshet and buried it in Avner's grave at Hevron.

1 Then all the tribes of Isra'el came to David in Hevron and said, "Here, we are your own flesh and bone.

2 In the past, when Sha'ul was king over us, it was you who led Isra'el's military campaigns; and ADONAI said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Isra'el, and you will be chief over Isra'el.'"

3 So all the leaders of Isra'el came to the king in Hevron, and King David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of ADONAI. Then they anointed David king over Isra'el.

4 David was thirty years old when he began his rule, and he ruled forty years.

5 In Hevron he ruled over Y'hudah seven years and six months; then in Yerushalayim he ruled thirty-three years over all Isra'el and Y'hudah.

6 The king and his men went to Yerushalayim to attack the Y'vusi, the inhabitants of that region. They taunted David, "You won't get in here! Even the blind and the lame could fend you off!"- in other words, they were thinking, "David will never get in here."

7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known [now] as the City of David.

8 What David said on that day was, "In order to attack the Y'vusi, you have to climb up [from the spring outside the city] through the water tunnel. Then you can do away with those [so-called] 'lame and blind'" (whom David despises - hence the expression, "The 'blind and lame' keep him from entering the house").

9 David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. Then David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and working inward.

10 David grew greater and greater, because ADONAI the God of Armies was with him.

11 Hiram king of Tzor sent envoys to David with cedar logs, and with them were carpenters and stonemasons; and they built David a palace.

12 David then knew that ADONAI had set him up as king over Isra'el and increased his royal power for the sake of his people.

13 David took for himself more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim after coming from Hevron, so that still more sons and daughters were born to David.

14 Here are the names of those born to him in Yerushalayim: Shamua, Shovav, Natan, Shlomo,

15 Yivchar, Elishua, Nefeg, Yafia,

16 Elishama, Elyada and Elifelet.

17 When the P'lishtim heard that David had been anointed king over Isra'el, all the P'lishtim went up in search of David. On learning of it, David went down to the stronghold.

18 The P'lishtim came and deployed in the Refa'im Valley.

19 David consulted ADONAI, asking, "Should I attack the P'lishtim? Will you hand them over to me?"ADONAI answered David, "Attack; I will certainly hand the P'lishtim over to you."

20 So David went to Ba'al-P'ratzim and defeated them there. He said, "ADONAI has broken through my enemies for me like a river breaking through its banks." This is why he called the place Ba'al-P'ratzim [Lord of breaking through].

21 The P'lishtim had left their idols there, so David and his men took them away.

22 The P'lishtim came up again and deployed in the Refa'im Valley.

23 When David consulted ADONAI, he said, "Don't attack! Circle behind them, and engage them opposite the balsam trees.

24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, advance; because then ADONAI has gone out ahead of you to defeat the army of the P'lishtim."

25 David did exactly as ADONAI had ordered him to do and pursued his attack on the P'lishtim from Geva all the way to Gezer.

1 Again David summoned all the picked troops of Isra'el, 30,000 men.

2 Then David, taking along the entire force he had with him then, set out for Ba'alei-Y'hudah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the Name, the name of ADONAITzva'ot enthroned above the k'ruvim.

3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Avinadav on the hill, with 'Uzah and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the new cart.

4 They led it from the house of Avinadav on the hill, with the ark of God; Achyo walked in front of the ark.

5 David and the whole house of Isra'el celebrated in the presence of ADONAI with all kinds of musical instruments made of cypress-wood, including lyres, lutes, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

6 When they arrived at Nakhon's threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and 'Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God.

7 But ADONAI's anger blazed up against 'Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense, so that he died there by the ark of God.

8 It upset David that ADONAI had broken out against 'Uzah; that place has been called Peretz-'Uzah [breaking-out of 'Uzah] ever since.

9 David was frightened of ADONAI that day; he asked, "How can the ark of ADONAI come to me?"

10 So David would not bring the ark of ADONAI into the City of David; rather, David took it over to the house of 'Oved-Edom the Gitti.

11 The ark of ADONAI stayed in the house of 'Oved-Edom the Gitti for three months; and ADONAI blessed 'Oved-Edom and all his household.

12 King David was told, "ADONAI has blessed the house of 'Oved-Edom and everyone who belongs to him, thanks to the ark of God." So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of 'Oved-Edom into the City of David.

13 When those bearing the ark of ADONAI had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep.

14 Then David danced and spun around with abandon before ADONAI, wearing a linen ritual vest.

15 So David and all the house of Isra'el brought up the ark of ADONAI with shouting and the sound of the shofar.

16 As the ark of ADONAI entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before ADONAI; and she was filled with contempt for him.

17 They brought the ark of ADONAI in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before ADONAI.

18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of ADONAI-Tzva'ot.

19 Then he distributed to all the people of Isra'el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes.

20 When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul came out to meet him and said, "Such honor the king of Isra'el earned for himself today - exposing himself before his servants' slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!"

21 David answered Mikhal, "In the presence of ADONAI- who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over ADONAI's people, over Isra'el - I will celebrate in the presence of ADONAI!

22 I will make myself still more contemptible than that, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, but those slave-girls you mentioned will honor me!"

23 Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul remained childless until the day she died.

1 After the king had been living in his palace awhile and ADONAI had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

2 the king said to Natan the prophet, "Here, I'm living in a cedar-wood palace; but the ark of God is kept in a tent!"

3 Natan said to the king, "Go, do everything that is in your heart, for ADONAI is with you."

4 But that same night the word of ADONAI came to Natan:

5 "Go and tell my servant David that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are going to build me a house to live in?

6 Since the day I brought the people of Isra'el out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle.

7 Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Isra'el, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Isra'el, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Isra'el, asking, "Why haven't you built me a cedar-wood house?"'

8 "Therefore say this to my servant David that this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I took you from the sheep-yards, from following the sheep, to make you chief over my people, over Isra'el.

9 I have been with you wherever you went; I have destroyed all your enemies ahead of you; and I am making your reputation great, like the reputations of the greatest people on earth.

10 I will assign a place to my people Isra'el; I will plant them there, so that they can live in their own place without being disturbed any more. The wicked will no longer oppress them, as they did at the beginning,

11 and as they did from the time I ordered judges to be over my people Isra'el; instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies. "'Moreover, ADONAI tells you that ADONAI will make you a house.

12 When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership.

13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever.

14 I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for me. If he does something wrong, I will punish him with a rod and blows, just as everyone gets punished;

15 nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha'ul, whom I removed from before you.

16 Thus your house and your kingdom will be made secure forever before you; your throne will be set up forever.'"

17 Natan told David all of these words and described this entire vision.

18 Then David went in, sat before ADONAI and said, "Who am I, Adonai ELOHIM; and what is my family, that has caused you to bring me this far?

19 Yet in your view, Adonai ELOHIM, even this was too small a thing; so you have even said that your servant's dynasty will continue on into the distant future. This is [indeed] a teaching for a man, Adonai ELOHIM -

20 what more can David say to you? For you know your servant intimately, Adonai ELOHIM.

21 It is for the sake of your word and in accordance with your own heart that you have done all this greatness and revealed it to your servant.

22 Therefore, you are great, ADONAI, God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you - everything we have heard confirms that.

23 Who can be compared with your people, with Isra'el? What other nation on earth did God set out to redeem and make into a people for himself? You made yourself a reputation by doing for your land things that even for you are great and terrifying, for the sake of your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt and from other nations and from their gods.

24 You set up your people for yourself as your people forever; and you, ADONAI, became their God.

25 So now, ADONAI, God, establish forever the word you have spoken to your servant and his house; do what you have promised.

26 May your name be magnified forever, so that it will be said, 'ADONAI-Tzva'ot is God over Isra'el, and the dynasty of your servant David will be set up in your presence.'

27 You, ADONAI-Tzva'ot, God of Isra'el, have disclosed to your servant, 'I will build you a house.'This is why your servant has the courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 Now, Adonai ELOHIM, you alone are God; your words are truth; and you have made this wonderful promise to your servant.

29 So may it please you to bless the family of your servant and thereby cause it to continue forever in your presence. For you, Adonai ELOHIM, have said it. May your servant's family be blessed forever by your blessing."

1 Some time afterwards, David attacked the P'lishtim and subdued them; David took Meteg-Amah out of the hands of the P'lishtim.

2 He also defeated Mo'av; making them lie down on the ground, he measured them with a length of cord; for every two lengths to be put to death he designated one length to be kept alive. The people of Mo'av became subjects of David and paid tribute.

3 David, on his way to establish his dominion as far as the Euphrates River, also defeated Hadad'ezer the son of Rechov king of Tzovah.

4 David captured 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. He reserved enough horses for 100 chariots and disabled the rest.

5 When people of Aram from Dammesek came to the aid of Hadad'ezer king of Tzovah, David killed 22,000 men of Aram.

6 Then David put garrisons among the people of Aram in Dammesek; Aram became subject to David and paid tribute. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.

7 David took the gold shields which Hadad'ezer's servants were wearing and brought them to Yerushalayim.

8 From Betach and Berotai, cities of Hadad'ezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

9 When To'i king of Hamat heard that David had defeated Hadad'ezer's entire army,

10 To'i sent Yoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadad'ezer, for Hadad'ezer had been at war with To'i. Yoram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold and articles of bronze,

11 which King David dedicated to ADONAI, along with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he conquered -

12 Aram, Mo'av, the people of 'Amon, the P'lishtim, 'Amalek, and the spoil taken from Hadad'ezer son of Rechov, king of Tzovah.

13 David gained more fame on returning from killing 18,000 men from Aram in the Salt Valley.

14 David stationed garrisons in Edom; he put garrisons throughout all of Edom, and all the people of Edom became subject to him. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.

15 David ruled over all Isra'el; David administered law and justice for all his people.

16 Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah was commander of the army, Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud was chief adviser,

17 Tzadok the son of Achituv and Achimelekh the son of Evyatar were cohanim, S'rayah was secretary,

18 B'nayahu the son of Y'hoyada was in charge of the K'reti and P'leti [serving as the king's bodyguards], and David's sons were cohanim.

1 David inquired, "Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha'ul, to whom, for Y'honatan's sake, I can show kindness?"

2 In Sha'ul's household there had been a servant named Tziva, and they summoned him to David. The king asked him, "Are you Tziva?" and he answered, "At your service."

3 The king said, "Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha'ul, to whom I can show God's grace?"Tziva said to the king, "There is still Y'honatan's son with the lame legs."

4 The king said to him, "Where is he?" and Tziva answered, "He's there in the house of Makhir the son of 'Ammi'el, in Lo-D'var."

5 King David sent and took him from the house of Makhir the son of 'Ammi'el in Lo-D'var.

6 M'fivoshet the son of Y'honatan, the son of Sha'ul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. David said, "M'fivoshet!" and he answered, "Here is your servant!"

7 David said to him, "Don't be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y'honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha'ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table."

8 He prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant that makes you pay such attention to a dead dog like me?"

9 The king called to Tziva, Sha'ul's servant, and said to him, "I have given everything Sha'ul and his family owned to your master's [grand]son.

10 You are to work the land for him, you, your sons and your slaves. Harvest the crops, so that your master's [grand]son will have food to feed his family; but M'fivoshet your master's [grand]son will always eat at my table."Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

11 Tziva said to the king, "Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant, although M'fivoshet has been eating at my table as one of the king's descendants."

12 M'fivoshet had a young son whose name was Mikha. Everyone living in Tziva's house was a servant of M'fivoshet.

13 But M'fivoshet lived in Yerushalayim; he always ate at the king's table, and he was lame in both legs.

1 Some time later, when the king of the people of 'Amon died, his son Hanun became king in his place.

2 David said, "I will show grace to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father showed grace to me." So David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father. David's servants entered the territory of the people of 'Amon;

3 but the leaders of the people of 'Amon said to Hanun their lord, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn't David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over, reconnoiter it and overthrow it?"

4 So Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their clothes halfway up, at their buttocks, and then sent them away.

5 On hearing how they had been treated, David sent a delegation to meet them, because the men had been deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Yericho until your beards have grown back, and then return."

6 Aware that they were utterly abhorrent to David, the people of 'Amon sent and hired 20,000 Aram foot soldiers from Beit-Rechov and Tzovah, the king of Ma'akhah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 soldiers from Tov.

7 When David heard of it, he sent Yo'av with his entire army of trained soldiers.

8 The army of 'Amon came out and went into battle formation at the entrance to the city gate; the men of Aram from Tzovah and Rechov and the men of Tov and Ma'akhah were by themselves in the open countryside.

9 When Yo'av saw that he would be fighting on two fronts, ahead and behind, he chose the best troops of Isra'el to deploy against Aram;

10 while the rest of the army he put under the command of Avishai his brother to deploy against the army of 'Amon.

11 He said, "If Aram is too strong for me, you help me; but if the army of 'Amon is too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

12 Take courage, and let's be strong for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. May ADONAI do what seems good to him."

13 So Yo'av and the people with him went to battle Aram, and they fled before him.

14 When the people of 'Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai and retreated into the city. Yo'av returned from the people of 'Amon and went to Yerushalayim.

15 When Aram saw that Isra'el had gotten the better of them, they gathered themselves together.

16 Hadad'ezer sent and brought out the people of Aram who lived beyond the [Euphrates] River. They came to Heilam with Shovakh the commander of Hadad'ezer's army at their head.

17 It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra'el together, crossed the Yarden and came to Heilam. Aram deployed themselves against David and fought him.

18 But Aram fled before Isra'el; David killed 700 chariot-drivers and 40,000 horsemen from Aram, and he struck Shovakh the commander of their army, so that he died there.

19 When all Hadad'ezer's vassal kings saw that they had been defeated by Isra'el, they made peace with Isra'el and became their subjects. So Aram was afraid to help the people of 'Amon any more.

1 In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent out Yo'av, his servants who were with him and all Isra'el. They ravaged the people of 'Amon and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Yerushalayim.

2 Once, after his afternoon nap, David got up from his bed and went strolling on the roof of the king's palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.

3 David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti.

4 David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house.

5 The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, "I am pregnant."

6 David sent this order to Yo'av: "Send me Uriyah the Hitti." Yo'av sent Uriyah to David.

7 When Uriyah had come to him, David asked him how Yo'av was doing, how the people were feeling and how the war was going.

8 Then David said to Uriyah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." Uriyah left the king's palace and was followed by a present of food from the king.

9 But Uriyah slept at the door of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord and didn't go down to his house.

10 When they told David, "Uriyah didn't go down to his house," David said to Uriyah, "Haven't you just arrived from a journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?"

11 Uriyah answered David, "The ark, Isra'el and Y'hudah stay in tents; and my lord Yo'av and the servants of my lord are camping in the countryside. So should I go into my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"

12 David said to Uriyah, "Stay here today also; tomorrow I will let you leave." So Uriyah stayed in Yerushalayim that day and the following day.

13 David summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord's servants and did not go down to his house.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo'av and sent it with Uriyah.

15 In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed."

16 So while Yo'av had the city under siege, he assigned Uriyah to the place where he knew the toughest defenders were.

17 The men of the city went out and fought Yo'av; a number of people fell, including some of David's servants, with Uriyah the Hitti among the dead.

18 Yo'av sent a message to David reporting all the news concerning the war,

19 and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling the king all the news about the war,

20 he may become angry and ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?

21 Didn't you think about the person who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet, that a woman threw an upper millstone down on him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?' If he says this, tell him, 'Your servant Uriyah is dead also.'"

22 So the messenger left, and on arrival he told David all that Yo'av had sent him to say.

23 The messenger said to David, "The men were overpowering us and came out after us into the countryside. But we chased them back all the way to the entrance of the city gate.

24 The archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king's servants are dead; also your servant Uriyah the Hitti is dead."

25 David said to the messenger, "Tell Yo'av, 'Don't let this matter get you down - the sword devours in one way or another. Intensify your battle against the city, and overthrow it.'And encourage him."

26 When the wife of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her husband was dead, she mourned her husband.

27 When the mourning was over, David sent and took her home to his palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But ADONAI saw what David had done as evil.

1 ADONAI sent Natan to David. He came and said to him, "In a certain city there were two men, one rich, the other poor.

2 The rich man had vast flocks and herds;

3 but the poor man had nothing, except for one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared. It had grown up with him and his children; it ate from his plate, drank from his cup, lay on his chest - it was like a daughter to him.

4 One day a traveler visited the rich man, and instead of picking an animal from his own flock or herd to cook for his visitor, he took the poor man's lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to him."

5 David exploded with anger against the man and said to Natan, "As ADONAI lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

6 For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb - and also because he had no pity."

7 Natan said to David, "You are the man. "Here is what ADONAI, the God of Isra'el says: 'I anointed you king over Isra'el. I rescued you from the power of Sha'ul.

8 I gave you your master's house and your master's wives to embrace. I gave you the house of Isra'el and the house of Y'hudah. And if that had been too little, I would have added to you a lot more.

9 "'So why have you shown such contempt for the word of ADONAI and done what I see as evil? You murdered Uriyah the Hitti with the sword and taken his wife as your own wife; you put him to death with the sword of the people of 'Amon.

10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house - because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriyah the Hitti as your own wife.'

11 Here is what ADONAI says: 'I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it.

12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra'el in broad daylight.'"

13 David said to Natan, "I have sinned against ADONAI." Natan said to David, "ADONAI also has taken away your sin. You will not die.

14 However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemed ADONAI, the child born to you must die."

15 Then Natan returned to his house. ADONAI struck the child that Uriyah's wife had borne to David, and it became very ill.

16 David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground.

17 The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn't eat food with them.

18 On the seventh day, the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, because they said, "While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he didn't listen to us; if we tell him now that the child is dead, he may do himself some harm."

19 But when David saw his servants whispering to each other, he suspected that the child was dead. David asked his servants, "Is the child dead?" and they answered, "He is dead."

20 Then David got up off the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes. He went into the house of ADONAI and worshipped; then he went to his own palace; and when he asked for food, they served it to him; and he ate.

21 His servants asked him, "What are you doing? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat food!"

22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; because I thought, 'Maybe ADONAI will show his grace to me and let the child live.'

23 But now that he's dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

24 David comforted his wife Bat-Sheva, came to her and went to bed with her; she gave birth to a son and named him Shlomo. ADONAI loved him

25 and sent through Natan the prophet to have him named Y'didyah [loved by God], for ADONAI's sake.

26 Yo'av fought against Rabbah of the people of 'Amon and took the royal city.

27 Yo'av sent people to David with this message: "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.

28 Therefore, assemble the rest of the people; lay siege to the city; and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city; and it will be named after me!"

29 David assembled all the people, went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it.

30 He took the crown off Malkam's head; it weighed sixty-six pounds, with its gold and precious stones; and it was placed on David's head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the city.

31 In addition, he expelled the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, iron harrows and iron axes, or had them cross over to work in the brick factory. This is what he did to all the cities of the people of 'Amon. Then David and all the people returned to Yerushalayim.

1 Now Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Some time after the previous events, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.

2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.

3 But Amnon had a friend named Yonadav the son of Shim'ah David's brother; and Yonadav was a very shrewd fellow.

4 He asked him, "Why, son of the king, are you growing thinner every day? Won't you tell me?"Amnon answered him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Avshalom's sister."

5 Yonadav said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and have her prepare the food where I can watch. I'll eat what she serves me."

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes here where I can watch, and I'll eat what she serves me."

7 David sent this instruction home to Tamar: "Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare him some food."

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

9 Then she took the pan and turned them out in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Have everyone leave me"; and everyone left him.

10 Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the room, so that I can have you serve me. Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

11 But when she brought them near, so that he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come to bed with me, my sister."

12 "No, my brother," she answered him, "don't force me! Things like this aren't done in Isra'el; don't behave so disgracefully!

13 Where could I go with such shame? And as for you, you will be regarded as one of Isra'el's vulgar brutes. Now therefore, please! Speak to the king, because he won't keep me from you."

14 However, he wouldn't listen to her; and since he was stronger than she, he overpowered her and raped her.

15 But then he was filled with utter revulsion for her - his hatred of her was even greater than the love he had had for her before. Amnon said to her, "Get up, and get out of here!"

16 "No," she objected, "because throwing me out like this is an even worse thing than what you've already done to me!" But he wouldn't listen to her;

17 he called his personal servant and said, "Get rid of this woman for me! Throw her out, and lock the door after her!"

18 She was wearing a long-sleeved robe (this was how they used to dress the king's daughters who were virgins). His servant took her out and locked the door after her.

19 Tamar put ashes on her head, tore her long-sleeved robe that she was wearing, laid her hand on her head and went off, crying aloud as she went.

20 Avshalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now, my sister, keep quiet; because he's your brother. Don't take the matter to heart." But Tamar remained desolate in her brother Avshalom's house.

21 When King David heard about all these things, he became very angry.

22 As for Avshalom, he refused to say a word to Amnon, either good or bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

23 Two years later, when Avshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba'al-Hatzor, near Efrayim, Avshalom invited all the king's sons.

24 Avshalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has sheep-shearers; please let the king and his servants come along with your servant."

25 The king replied to Avshalom, "No, my son, let's not all go - we don't want to be a burden to you."Avshalom pressed him, but he wouldn't go; however he gave him his blessing.

26 Then Avshalom said, "If you won't go, then please let my brother Amnon go with us."The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

27 But Avshalom kept pressing him, so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

28 Avshalom ordered his servants, "Pay close attention: when Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine, and I say to you, 'Kill Amnon,' then strike him down. Don't be afraid - I'm the one ordering you to do it - but take courage, and be bold."

29 Avshalom's servants did to Amnon as Avshalom had ordered. At this, all the king's sons jumped up, mounted their mules and fled.

30 While they were on their way, the news came to David that Avshalom had killed all the king's sons, and not one of them was left alive.

31 The king got up, tore his clothes and lay on the ground, while all his servants stood by with their clothes torn too.

32 But then Yonadav, the son of Shim'ah, David's brother, spoke up; he said, "My lord shouldn't think they have killed all the young men, the king's sons. Only Amnon is dead; for Avshalom has meant to do this ever since the day he raped his sister Tamar.

33 So my lord the king shouldn't take it as seriously as if all the king's sons are dead; only Amnon is dead."

34 However, Avshalom took flight. The young man keeping watch looked up and saw many people coming along the road behind him on the hillside.

35 Yonadav said to the king, "Here, the king's sons have come; it's just as your servant said."

36 The moment he finished speaking, the king's sons came, cried out and wept; and the king too, with all his servants, cried out in great pain.

37 Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of 'Ammihud, king of G'shur. David mourned for his son every day.

38 So Avshalom fled, went to G'shur and stayed there three years.

39 But as King David became reconciled to the death of his son Amnon, he was increasingly filled with longing to see Avshalom.

1 Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah perceived that the king missed Avshalom;

2 so Yo'av sent to T'koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, "Please, pretend you're a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Go in to the king and speak to him in this fashion -" and then Yo'av told her just what to say.

4 When the woman of T'koa spoke to the king, she fell down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself, and said, "King, help!"

5 The king said to her, "What's the trouble?"She answered, "I'm a widow. After my husband died,

6 my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.

7 Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they're saying, 'Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.'They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth."

8 The king said to the woman, "Go back home; I myself will decide what to do about you."

9 The woman of T'koa said to the king, "My lord, king, let the guilt be on me and my father's family; the king and his throne be guiltless."

10 The king answered, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me; and he won't bother you any more."

11 "Please," she said, "let the king swear by ADONAI your God that the blood avengers won't do any more destroying, so they won't destroy my son." He said, "As ADONAI lives, not one of your son's hairs will fall to the ground."

12 Then the woman said, "Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king.""Go on," he replied.

13 The woman said, "Why is it, then, that you have produced a situation exactly like this against God's people? By saying what you have said, the king has virtually incriminated himself - in that the king does not bring home again the son he banished.

14 For we will all die someday; we'll be like water spilled on the ground that can't be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast.

15 Now the reason I came to speak about this matter to my lord the king is that the people were intimidating me; so your servant said, 'I will speak now to the king; maybe the king will do what his servant is asking.

16 For the king will listen and rescue his servant from the hands of those who would destroy me and my son together from our share of God's inheritance.'

17 Then your servant said, 'Please let my lord the king say something that will give me relief; for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good from bad - and may ADONAI your God be with you.'"

18 The king then answered the woman: "I'm going to ask you a question, and please don't hide anything from me."The woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

19 The king asked, "Did Yo'av put you up to this?"The woman answered, "As you live, my lord the king, when my lord the king speaks, no one can avoid the issue by turning either right or left. Yes, it was your servant Yo'av who had me do this, and he put in my mouth every word you have heard your servant say.

20 Your servant Yo'av did this in order to bring about some change in the situation. But my lord is wise, he has the wisdom of an angel of God when it comes to understanding anything going on in the land."

21 The king said to Yo'av, "All right, I am granting this request. Go, and bring back young Avshalom."

22 Yo'av fell to the ground on his face, prostrating himself, and blessed the king; Yo'av said, "Today your servant knows that I have won your favor, my lord, king, because the king has done what your servant requested."

23 Then Yo'av got up, went to G'shur and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim.

24 However, the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence."So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.

25 Now in all Isra'el there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom -there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

26 He would cut his hair only once a year, at the end of the year; and the only reason he cut it then was because it weighed him down. He weighed the hair from his head at 200 shekels (using the royal weight) [about five pounds].

27 To Avshalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

28 Avshalom lived two years in Yerushalayim without appearing before the king.

29 Then Avshalom summoned Yo'av, planning to send him to the king; but he refused to come to him. He summoned him a second time, but he still wouldn't come.

30 So he said to his servants, "See, Yo'av's field is close to mine, and he has barley there; go, and set it on fire." Avshalom's servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Yo'av got up, went to Avshalom at his house and asked him, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"

32 Avshalom answered Yo'av, "Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, 'Why did I come from G'shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.'"

33 Yo'av went to the king and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he went to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Avshalom.

1 Some time later, Avshalom prepared himself a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

2 He would get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate; and if someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Avshalom would call to him and ask, "What city are you from?" and he would answer, "Your servant is from the such-and-such tribe in Isra'el."

3 Avshalom would say to him, "Look, your cause is good and just; but the king hasn't deputized anyone to hear your case."

4 Then Avshalom would continue, "Now if I were made judge in the land, anyone with a suit or other cause could come to me, and I would see that he gets justice!"

5 Moreover, whenever any man came close to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

6 This is how Avshalom behaved toward anyone in Isra'el who came to the king for judgment, and in this way Avshalom stole the hearts of the people of Isra'el.

7 At the end of forty years, Avshalom said to the king, "Please let me go to Hevron and fulfill the vow I made to ADONAI.

8 Your servant made a vow while I was staying at G'shur in Aram to the effect that if ADONAI would bring me back to Yerushalayim, then I would serve ADONAI."

9 The king said to him, "Go in peace."So he set out and went to Hevron.

10 But Avshalom sent spies through all the tribes of Isra'el to say, "The moment you hear the sound of the shofar, then start proclaiming, 'Avshalom is king in Hevron.'"

11 With Avshalom went 200 men from Yerushalayim who had been invited; they went innocently, knowing nothing about the scheme.

12 Avshalom sent for Achitofel the Giloni, David's counselor, to come from his town Giloh and be with him while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew strong, because the number of people favoring Avshalom kept increasing.

13 A messenger came to David saying, "The men of Isra'el have aligned themselves with Avshalom."

14 David said to all his servants with him in Yerushalayim, "Get up! We must flee! Otherwise none of us will escape from Avshalom. Hurry, and leave; or he will soon overtake us, attack us and put the city to the sword."

15 The king's servants said to the king, "Here, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides."

16 So the king set out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women who were concubines to care for the palace.

17 The king set out with all the people after him, but they waited at the last house

18 for all his servants to pass by him in review; all the K'reti and P'leti and all the Gittim (600 men who had accompanied him from Gat) passed in review before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gitti, "You too? Why are you going with us? Go back, and stay with your king, since you are both a foreigner and in exile from your own place.

20 You arrived only yesterday; should I ask you to wander around with us? There's no telling where I may go. Return, and take your kinsmen back with you. Grace and truth be with you."

21 But Ittai answered the king, "As ADONAI lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there too."

22 "Go, move along," said David to Ittai; and Ittai the Gitti moved on, accompanied by all his men and the little ones with him.

23 The whole country wept and wailed as all the people left. When the king crossed Vadi Kidron, all the people crossed, too, heading toward the desert road.

24 Tzadok also came, accompanied by all the L'vi'im bearing the ark for the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, but Evyatar went up until all the people had finished leaving the city.

25 The king said to Tzadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in ADONAI's sight, he will bring me back and show me both it and the place where it is kept.

26 But if he says, 'I am displeased with you,' then - here I am; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."

27 The king then said to Tzadok the cohen, "Do you see? Return to the city in peace, your two sons with you - Achima'atz your own son and Y'honatan the son of Evyatar.

28 I will wait on the desert plains until a message with new information comes from you."

29 So Tzadok and Evyatar carried the ark of God back to Yerushalayim and stayed there.

30 David continued up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up, head covered and barefoot; and all the people with him had their heads covered and wept as they went up.

31 One of them told David, "Achitofel is among the conspirators with Avshalom." David said, "ADONAI, please! Turn Achitofel's advice into foolishness!"

32 When David reached the top of the ascent, where it was customary to worship God, Hushai the Arki came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head.

33 David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will become a burden to me.

34 But if you go back to the city and tell Avshalom, 'King, I will be your servant; just as I was your father's servant in the past, so I will now be your servant'- then you will be able to frustrate Achitofel's advice for me.

35 You have Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim there with you. So whatever you hear from the king's house, you tell to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim.

36 Their two sons, Achima'atz the son of Tzadok and Y'honatan the son of Evyatar, are there with them; through them send me everything you hear."

37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city when Avshalom was about to enter Yerushalayim.

1 When David had gone a little past the summit, there was Tziva, the servant of M'fivoshet, who met him with a pair of donkeys saddled and on them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit and a skin of wine.

2 The king said to Tziva, "What do you mean by these?" Tziva replied, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on; the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat; and the wine is for those who collapse in the desert to drink."

3 The king asked, "Where is your master's [grand]son?"Tziva answered the king, "He's staying in Yerushalayim, because he said, 'Today the house of Isra'el will restore my father's kingship to me.'"

4 The king said to Tziva, "Everything that belongs to M'fivoshet is now yours." Tziva answered, "I bow down before you; may I find favor in your sight, my lord, king."

5 When King David arrived at Bachurim, there came out from there a man from Sha'ul's family named Shim'i the son of Gera; and he came out pronouncing curses

6 and throwing stones at David and all King David's servants; even though all the people, including his bodyguard, surrounded him right and left.

7 When Shim'i cursed, he said, "Get out of here! Get out of here, you killer, you good-for-nothing!

8 ADONAI has brought back on you all the blood of the house of Sha'ul. You usurped his kingship, but ADONAI has handed over the kingdom to Avshalom your son. Now your own evil has overtaken you, because you are a man of blood!"

9 Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah said to the king, "Why allow this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Just let me go over and remove his head!"

10 The king said, "Do you sons of Tz'ruyah and I have anything in common? Let him curse. If ADONAI tells him, 'Curse David,' who has the right to ask, 'Why are you doing it?'"

11 David then said to Avishai and all his servants, "Look, my own son, who came from my own body, seeks my life. So how much more now this Binyamini! Let him alone; and let him curse, if ADONAI told him to.

12 Maybe ADONAI will notice how I'm treating him, and ADONAI will reward me with good instead of his curses."

13 So David and his men went on their way, while on the opposite hillside Shim'i kept pace with him, cursing, throwing stones and flinging dust as he went.

14 The king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, so he rested there.

15 Meanwhile Avshalom and all the people, the men of Isra'el, came to Yerushalayim; Achitofel was with him.

16 Hushai the Arki, David's friend, came to Avshalom and said to him, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"

17 Avshalom asked Hushai, "Is this how you show kindness to your friend? Why didn't you go with your friend?"

18 Hushai replied, "No, but whomever ADONAI and this people and all the men of Isra'el choose, his I will be; and with him I will stay.

19 Moreover, whom should I serve? Shouldn't I serve in the presence of his son? Just as I have served in your father's presence, so will I be in your presence."

20 Avshalom said to Achitofel, "Give your advice as to what we should do."

21 Achitofel answered Avshalom, "Go in, and sleep with your father's concubines, the ones he left to take care of the palace. All Isra'el will hear that your father utterly despises you, and this will strengthen the position of all those who are on your side."

22 So they set up a tent for Avshalom on the roof of the palace; and Avshalom went in to sleep with his father's concubines in the sight of all Isra'el.

23 In those days Achitofel's advice was regarded as highly as if someone had sought out the word of God; it was this way with Achitofel's advice both to David and to Avshalom.

1 Achitofel said to Avshalom, "Let me now choose 12,000 men, and I will pursue David tonight.

2 I'll fall on him unexpectedly when he's tired and powerless. I'll frighten him, all the people with him will flee, and I'll attack only the king.

3 Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace."

4 What he said pleased Avshalom and all the leaders of Isra'el.

5 Then Avshalom said, "Now call also Hushai the Arki, and let's give equal hearing to what he has to say."

6 When Hushai appeared before Avshalom, Avshalom said to him, "Achitofel has said such-and-such. Should we do what he says? If not, you tell us."

7 Hushai said to Avshalom, "The advice Achitofel has given this time is not good.

8 You know," continued Hushai, "that your father and his men are powerful men, and that they are as bitter as a bear deprived of her cubs in the wild. Moreover, your father is a military man, and he won't camp with the rest of the people -

9 right now he's hidden in a pit or somewhere. So what will happen is this: when they begin their attack, and whoever hears about it says, 'A slaughter is taking place among Avshalom's followers,'

10 then even the strongest among them, someone whose courage is that of a lion, will completely collapse! For all Isra'el knows that your father is a powerful man, and those with him are powerful men.

11 Rather, I advise that you summon all Isra'el to come to you, from Dan to Be'er-Sheva, numbering as many as sand grains on the seashore; and then you go to battle, yourself.

12 In this way we'll come upon him wherever he is, and we'll fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; of him and all the men with him we won't leave even one alive.

13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Isra'el will bring up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed until not even a pebble is left."

14 Avshalom and all the men of Isra'el said, "The advice of Hushai the Arki is better than the advice of Achitofel"- for ADONAI had determined to frustrate the good advice of Achitofel, so that ADONAI could bring disaster on Avshalom.

15 Then Hushai said to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim, "Achitofel gave such-and-such advice to Avshalom and the leaders of Isra'el, but I advised so and so.

16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, "Don't stay tonight in the desert plains; but, whatever it takes, move on from there! Otherwise, the king and all the people with him will be engulfed."

17 Y'honatan and Achima'atz were staying at 'Ein-Rogel; a female servant was to go and tell them, and they in turn were to go and tell King David - for it would not do to have them seen entering the city.

18 But a boy saw them and told Avshalom; so both of them took off quickly and came to the house of a man in Bachurim who had a cistern in his courtyard; and they went down into it.

19 His wife spread a covering over the cistern's opening and scattered drying grain on it, so that nothing showed.

20 Avshalom's servants came to the woman at the house and asked, "Where are Achima'atz and Y'honatan?"The woman answered them, "They've crossed the stream."After searching and not finding them, they returned to Yerushalayim.

21 After they had left, the two climbed out of the cistern and went and told King David, "Get up and cross the river, because Achitofel has given such-and-such advice against you."

22 David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Yarden; by dawn every one of them had crossed the Yarden.

23 When Achitofel saw that his advice was not being followed, he saddled his donkey, set out, and went home to his own city. After setting his house in order, he hanged himself; he died and was buried in his father's tomb.

24 David had reached Machanayim by the time Avshalom and all the men of Isra'el crossed the Yarden.

25 Avshalom had put 'Amasa in charge of the army in place of Yo'av. 'Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Yitra the Isra'eli, who had had sexual relations with Avigal the daughter of Nachash, Tz'ruyah's sister and Yo'av's mother.

26 Isra'el and Avshalom pitched camp in the land of Gil'ad.

27 After David had arrived in Machanayim, Shovi the son of Nachash, from Rabbah of the people of 'Amon; Machir the son of 'Ammi'el from Lo-D'var and Barzillai the Gil'adi from Roglim

28 brought beds, basins, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted millet,

29 honey, curdled milk, sheep and cheese made of cow's milk for David and the people with him to eat; because they said, "These people are hungry, tired and thirsty from the desert."

1 David took a census of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

2 Then David dispatched the people, a third of them under the command of Yo'av, a third under Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah, Yo'av's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gitti; and the king said to the people, "I will also go out with you, myself."

3 But the people replied, "Don't go out; because if we flee, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so it is better now that you stay in the city and be ready if we need help."

4 The king answered them, "I will do whatever you think best." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 The king gave orders to Yo'av, Avishai and Ittai, "For my sake, deal gently with young Avshalom."All the people were listening when the king gave all the commanders this order concerning Avshalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Isra'el; the battle took place in the forest of Efrayim.

7 The people of Isra'el were defeated there by David's servants; there was a terrible slaughter that day of 20,000 men.

8 For the battle there was spread all over the countryside; the forest devoured more people that day than did the sword.

9 Avshalom happened to meet some of David's servants. Avshalom was riding his mule, and as the mule walked under the thick branches of a big terebinth tree, his head got caught in the terebinth, so that he was left hanging between earth and sky, as the mule went on from under him.

10 Someone saw it and told Yo'av, "I saw Avshalom hanging in a terebinth."

11 Yo'av asked the man who told him, "Here now, you saw it; so why didn't you strike him to the ground then and there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt besides."

12 The man replied to Yo'av, "Even if I were to get a thousand pieces of silver, I still wouldn't raise my hand against the son of the king! After all, while we were listening, the king ordered you, Avishai and Ittai, 'Be careful that no one touches young Avshalom.'

13 Or, if I had pretended that I didn't know, the king would have known otherwise anyway; and you wouldn't have interceded for me either."

14 Yo'av said, "I can't waste time arguing with you!" He took three darts in his hand and rammed them through Avshalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging from the terebinth.

15 Then Yo'av's ten young armor-bearers surrounded Avshalom, struck him and killed him.

16 Yo'av sounded the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra'el, because Yo'av held back the troops.

17 They took Avshalom and threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled a big heap of stones over him. All Isra'el fled, each one to his tent.

18 In his own lifetime Avshalom had taken and raised for himself the pillar which stands in the King's Valley; because he said, "I don't have a son to preserve the memory of my name." So he named the pillar after himself, and it's called Avshalom's Monument to this day.

19 Then Achima'atz the son of Tzadok said, "Let me run now and bring news to the king that ADONAI has judged in his favor by releasing him from his enemies."

20 Yo'av said to him, "You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king's son is dead."

21 Then Yo'av said to the Ethiopian, "Go, tell the king what you saw."The Ethiopian bowed to Yo'av, then ran off.

22 But Achima'atz the son of Tzadok said again to Yo'av, "Come what may, please let me also run after the Ethiopian." Yo'av answered, "Why do you want to run, my son? You won't receive any reward for bringing the news."

23 "I don't care - whatever happens, I want to run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Achima'atz ran by the road through the desert flats and outran the Ethiopian.

24 David was sitting between the two gates. A watchman went up to the roof of the gate and out onto the wall, raised his eyes, looked, and saw there a man running by himself.

25 The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, "If he's alone, he has good news to tell."As he ran along and came close,

26 the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, "There's another man running by himself."The king said, "He too must have good news."

27 The watchman said, "The first one runs like Achima'atz the son of Tzadok."The king said, "He's a good man, he comes with good news."

28 Achima'atz called to the king, "Shalom," prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, "Blessed be ADONAI your God, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king."

29 The king asked, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?" Achima'atz answered, "When Yo'av sent the king's servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn't know what it was."

30 The king said, "Go, and stand over there." So he went and stood there.

31 Then up came the Ethiopian, and the Ethiopian said, "There's good news for my lord the king, for ADONAI has judged in your favor and rid you of all those who rebelled against you."

32 The king asked the Ethiopian, "Is everything all right with young Avshalom?"The Ethiopian answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you in order to harm you be as that young man is."

33 Trembling, the king went up to the room over the gate, weeping and crying, "Oh, my son Avshalom! My son! My son Avshalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"

1 Yo'av was told, "The king is weeping, mourning for Avshalom."

2 Thus the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieving for his son;

3 so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield.

4 Meanwhile, the king covered his face and cried aloud, "Oh, my son Avshalom! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"

5 Yo'av went inside to the king and said, "Today you made all your servants feel ashamed. They saved your life today, and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and concubines.

6 But you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you said that princes and servants mean nothing to you - for I can see today that it would have pleased you more if Avshalom had lived today, and we had all died!

7 Now get up, go out and speak heart-to-heart with your servants. For I swear by ADONAI that if you don't go out, not one man will stay here with you tonight - and that will be worse for you than all the misfortunes you have suffered from your youth until now."

8 So the king got up and sat in the city gateway; and when all the people were told, "Now the king is sitting in the gate," they came before the king. Meanwhile, Isra'el had fled, each man to his tent;

9 and throughout all the tribes of Isra'el there was dissension among all the people. They were saying, "The king delivered us from the power of our enemies, and he saved us from the power of the P'lishtim; but now he has fled the land to escape Avshalom.

10 However, Avshalom, whom we anointed to rule us, is dead in battle. So now, why doesn't anyone suggest bringing the king back?"

11 King David sent this message to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim: "Ask the leaders of Y'hudah, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace? The king has already heard that all Isra'el wants to return him to his palace.

12 You are my kinsmen, my flesh and bone; so why are you the last to bring back the king?'

13 Also tell 'Amasa, 'You are my flesh and bone. May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if from now on you are not permanent commander of my army instead of Yo'av."

14 Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Y'hudah around as if they were one man, so that they sent a message to the king, "Come back, you and all your servants!"

15 The king started back and arrived at the Yarden, while Y'hudah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king and bring the king over the Yarden.

16 Shim'i the son of Gera, the Binyamini from Bachurim, hurried and came down with the men of Y'hudah to meet King David.

17 There were a thousand men of Binyamin with him, also Tziva the servant of the house of Sha'ul with his fifteen sons and twenty servants; and they rushed into the Yarden ahead of the king

18 to ferry the king's household across and do whatever else the king wanted done. Shim'i the son of Gera fell down before the king when he was ready to cross the Yarden

19 and said to the king, "May my lord not hold me guilty of a crime. Don't remember the wrong your servant did on the day my lord the king left Yerushalayim. May the king not take it to heart!

20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, look - I am the first one of all the house of Yosef to come today and go down to meet my lord the king."

21 Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah answered, "Shouldn't Shim'i be put to death for this? After all, he cursed ADONAI's anointed ruler!"

22 But David said, "What do I have in common with you, you sons of Tz'ruyah? Why have you become my adversaries today? Should anyone in Isra'el be put to death today? Don't I know that today I am king over Isra'el?"

23 Then the king said to Shim'i, "You will not be put to death," and the king swore it to him.

24 M'fivoshet the son of Sha'ul came down to meet the king. He hadn't cared for his legs, trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he came home in peace.

25 When he came to Yerushalayim to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why didn't you go with me, M'fivoshet?"

26 He answered, "My lord king, my servant deceived me. I your servant had said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself to ride on and go with the king,' since your servant is lame.

27 But he slandered me your servant to my lord the king. However, my lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever seems right to you.

28 For all my father's household deserved death at the hand of my lord the king; nevertheless you placed your servant with those who eat at your own table. I deserve nothing more; so why should I come crying any more to the king?"

29 The king said to him, "Why speak any more about these matters of yours? I say: you and Tziva, divide the land."

30 M'fivoshet said to the king, "Indeed, let him take it all; for me it's enough that my lord the king has come home in peace."

31 Barzillai the Gil'adi had come down from Roglim and passed on to the Yarden with the king to bring him across the Yarden.

32 Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; he had provided for the king's needs when he was staying at Machanayim; for he was a wealthy man.

33 The king said to Barzillai, "Come on across with me, and I will provide for your needs with me in Yerushalayim."

34 Barzillai said to the king, "How much longer can I live, that I should go up with the king to Yerushalayim?

35 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell good from bad? Can your servant even taste what he eats or drinks? Can I hear the voice of men and women singing any more? Why should your servant burden my lord the king?

36 Your servant only wants to cross the Yarden with the king; why should the king reward this so generously?

37 Please, just let your servant go back and die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Khimham; let him cross with my lord the king; and do for him whatever seems good to you."

38 The king answered, "Khimham will cross with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you."

39 So all the people crossed the Yarden; and the king crossed too. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him; then he returned to his home.

40 The king crossed over to Gilgal, and Khimham crossed with him. All the people of Y'hudah brought the king across, as did half the people of Isra'el.

41 Now all the men of Isra'el came to the king and said to him, "Why have our kinsmen, the men of Y'hudah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household across the Yarden, and all David's men with him?"

42 All the men of Y'hudah answered the men of Isra'el, "Because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about this? Have we eaten anything at the king's expense? Has any gift been given to us?"

43 The men of Isra'el answered the men of Y'hudah, "We have ten shares in the king; also we have more right in David than you. So why did you despise us? Weren't we the first to suggest bringing our king back?" But the men of Y'hudah spoke more vehemently than the men of Isra'el.

1 There happened to be there a scoundrel whose name was Sheva the son of Bikhri, a Binyamini. He sounded the shofar and said, "We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Yishai; so, Isra'el, every man to his tent!"

2 All the men of Isra'el left off following David and went after Sheva the son of Bikhri. But the men of Y'hudah stuck with their king, from the Yarden to Yerushalayim.

3 When David arrived at his palace in Yerushalayim, the king took the ten women who were his concubines, whom he had left to care for the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs but never slept with them again. They were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living like widows with their husband still alive.

4 The king said to 'Amasa, "Summon the men of Y'hudah to come to me within three days; and you, be here too."

5 'Amasa went to summon the men of Y'hudah but took longer than the time he had been given.

6 David said to Avishai, "Sheva the son of Bikhri is going to do us more harm than Avshalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he won't take over fortified cities and escape us."

7 With him went Yo'av's men, the K'reti, the P'leti and all the experienced soldiers; they left Yerushalayim in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.

8 On arrival at the big rock in Giv'on, 'Amasa came to meet them. Yo'av was wearing his battle clothes, over which he had girded a belt with a sheathed sword; but as he came forward it fell out.

9 Yo'av said to 'Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo'av took 'Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

10 'Amasa took no notice of the sword in Yo'av's hand, so Yo'av stabbed him in the groin. His insides poured out on the ground, and he died without being stabbed a second time. Yo'av and Avishai his brother continued in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.

11 One of Yo'av's young men standing by Yo'av said, "Whoever is on Yo'av's side, whoever is for David - let him follow Yo'av."

12 'Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road; so that as the troops came up, they all halted there. When the man saw that all the people were standing still, he dragged 'Amasa off the road into the field and threw a cloak over him.

13 Once he had been removed from the road, all the troops went on after Yo'av, to pursue Sheva the son of Bikhri.

14 Sheva went through all the tribes of Isra'el, to Avel and Beit-Ma'akhah, and to all the Berim; they assembled and followed him.

15 Yo'av's troops came and put him under siege in Avel of Beit-Ma'akhah - they put up a ramp in the moat against the city wall; and all the people with Yo'av battered the wall in order to bring it down.

16 Then a wise woman in the city shouted, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo'av, 'Come over here, so that I can speak with you.'"

17 He approached her, and the woman asked, "Are you Yo'av?" He answered, "I am." She said to him, "Listen to what your servant has to say." He answered, "I'm listening."

18 Then she said, "In the old days they used to say, 'They will ask advice at Avel'; and that would end the discussion.

19 We are among those in Isra'el who are peaceful and faithful. Why are you destroying a city and a mother in Isra'el? Why swallow up the inheritance of ADONAI?"

20 Yo'av answered, "Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid that I should swallow or destroy anything!

21 That's not how it is. Rather, a man from the hills of Efrayim, Sheva the son of Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Just turn him over to me, and I will leave the city." The woman said to Yo'av, "All right, his head will be thrown to you over the wall."

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. They cut off the head of Sheva the son of Bikhri and threw it out to Yo'av. So he sounded the shofar, and they left the city, sending each man to his tent; while Yo'av returned to the king in Yerushalayim.

23 Once again Yo'av was commander over the whole army of Isra'el, while B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada was over the K'reti and P'leti,

24 Adoram was in charge of forced labor, Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud was secretary of state,

25 Sh'va was recorder, Tzadok and Evyatar were cohanim,

26 and 'Ira the Ya'iri was David's cohen.

1 In David's time there was a famine that lasted three years, and David consulted ADONAI. ADONAI said, "It is because of Sha'ul and his bloodstained house, because he put to death the people of Giv'on."

2 The king summoned the Giv'onim and said to them - these Giv'onim were not part of the people of Isra'el but from the remnant of the Emori; and the people of Isra'el had sworn to them; but Sha'ul, in his zeal for the people of Isra'el and Y'hudah, had sought to exterminate them -

3 David said to the Giv'onim, "What should I do for you? With what should I make atonement, so that you will be able to bless ADONAI's heritage?"

4 The Giv'onim said to him, "Our dispute with Sha'ul can't be resolved with silver or gold; and we don't have the right to put anyone in Isra'el to death." He said, "So, what do you say that I should do for you?"

5 They answered the king, "The man who ruined us, who schemed against us so that we would cease to exist anywhere in Isra'el's territory -

6 have seven of his male descendants handed over to us, and we will put them to death by hanging before ADONAI in Giv'ah of Sha'ul, whom ADONAI chose."The king said, "I will hand them over."

7 But the king spared M'fivoshet, the son of Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul, because of the oath before ADONAI between David and Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul.

8 The king took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she bore to Sha'ul, Armoni and M'fivoshet; and the five sons of Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, whom she bore to Adri'el the son of Barzillai the Mecholati;

9 and handed them over to the Giv'onim, who hanged them on the hill before ADONAI. All seven died; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest season, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

10 Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth, spread it out toward a cliff for herself and stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until water was poured out on the bodies from the sky, not letting the birds land on them during the day or the wild animals at night.

11 David was told what Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, the concubine of Sha'ul, had done.

12 So David went and took the bones of Sha'ul and the bones of Y'honatan his son from the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad, who had stolen them from the open square of Beit-Sh'an, where the P'lishtim had hanged them at the time the P'lishtim had killed Sha'ul at Gilboa;

13 and he brought up from there the bones of Sha'ul and the bones of Y'honatan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.

14 Then they buried the bones of Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son in the territory of Binyamin in Tzela, in the tomb of Kish his father; they did everything the king ordered. Only after that was God prevailed on to show mercy to the land.

15 Once again the P'lishtim made war on Isra'el. David went down with his servants and fought against the P'lishtim, but David began to get tired.

16 Yishbi-B'nov, one of the sons of the giant, said that he would kill David; his spear weighed seven pounds, and he was wearing new armor.

17 But Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah came to David's rescue by striking the P'lishti and killing him. Then David's men swore to him, "You must no longer go out with us to battle, in order not to quench the lamp of Isra'el."

18 A while after this there was again war with the P'lishtim, at Gov. Sibkhai the Hushati killed Saf, one of the sons of the giant.

19 There was more war with the P'lishtim at Gov; and Elchanan the son of Ya'arei-Orgim, the Beit-Lachmi, killed Golyat the Gitti, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's beam.

20 There was again war at Gat, where there was a belligerent man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot - twenty-four in all - and he too was a son of the giant.

21 When he mocked Isra'el, Y'honatan the son of Shim'ah David's brother killed him.

22 These four were sons of the giant in Gat; they fell at the hands of David and his servants.

1 David said the words of this song to ADONAI on the day ADONAI delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the power of Sha'ul.

2 He said: "ADONAI is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,

3 the God who is my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold and my refuge. My savior, you have saved me from violence.

4 I call on ADONAI, who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies.

5 "For death's breakers were closing over me, the floods of B'liya'al terrified me,

6 the ropes of Sh'ol were wrapped around me, the snares of death lay there before me.

7 In my distress I called to ADONAI; yes, I called to my God. Out of his temple he heard my voice, and my cry entered his ears.

8 "Then the earth quaked and shook, the foundations of heaven trembled. They were shaken because he was angry.

9 Smoke arose in his nostrils; and from his mouth, devouring fire, with coals blazing from it.

10 He lowered heaven and came down with thick darkness under his feet.

11 He rode on a keruv and flew, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness his canopy around him, thick clouds in the skies dense with water.

13 From the brightness before him, fiery coals flamed out.

14 "ADONAI thundered from heaven, Ha'Elyon sounded his voice.

15 He sent out arrows and scattered them; with lightning he routed them.

16 The channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were exposed at ADONAI's rebuke, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

17 "He sent from on high, he took me and pulled me out of deep water;

18 he rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I.

19 They came against me on my day of calamity, but ADONAI was my support.

20 "He brought me out to an open place; he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.

21 ADONAI rewarded me for my uprightness, he repaid me because my hands were clean.

22 "For I have kept the ways of ADONAI, I have not done evil by leaving my God;

23 for all his rulings were before me, I did not depart from his regulations.

24 I was pure-hearted toward him and kept myself from my sin.

25 "Hence ADONAI repaid me for my uprightness, according to my purity in his view.

26 With the merciful, you are merciful; with the champion of purity, you are pure;

27 with the honest, you are honest; but with the crooked you are cunning.

28 People afflicted, you save; but when your eyes are on the haughty, you humble them.

29 "For you, ADONAI, are my lamp; ADONAI lights up my darkness.

30 With you I can run through a whole troop of men, with my God I can leap a wall.

31 "As for God, his way is perfect, the word of ADONAI has been tested by fire; he shields all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God but ADONAI, and who is a Rock but our God?

33 "God is my strength and protection; he makes my way go straight.

34 He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stand on my high places.

35 He trains my hands for war until my arms can bend a bow of bronze;

36 You give me your shield, which is salvation; your answers make me great.

37 You lengthen the steps I can take, yet my ankles do not turn.

38 "I pursued my enemies and wiped them out, without turning back until they were destroyed.

39 I destroyed them, crushed them; they can't get up; they have fallen under my feet.

40 "For you braced me with strength for the battle and bent down my adversaries beneath me.

41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, so that I could destroy those who hate me.

42 "They looked, but there was no one to help, even to ADONAI, but he didn't answer.

43 I pulverized them like dust on the ground, pounded and stamped on them like mud in the streets.

44 "You also freed me from the quarrels of my people. You kept me to be the head of the nations; a people I did not know now serve me.

45 Foreigners come cringing to me; the moment they hear of me, they obey me.

46 Foreigners lose heart as they stagger from their fortresses.

47 "ADONAI is alive! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation,

48 the God who gives me vengeance and makes peoples submit to me.

49 He brings me out from my enemies. You raise me over those who rebel against me, you rescue me from violent men.

50 "So I give thanks to you, ADONAI, among the nations; I sing praises to your name.

51 He is a tower of salvation for his king; he displays grace to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever."

1 Here are David's last words: "This is the speech of David the son of Yishai, the speech of the man who has been raised up, the one anointed by the God of Ya'akov, the sweet singer of Isra'el.

2 "The Spirit of ADONAI spoke through me, his word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Isra'el spoke; the Rock of Isra'el said to me, 'A ruler over people must be upright, ruling in the fear of God;

4 like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain.

5 "For my house stands firm with God -he made an everlasting covenant with me. It is in order, fully assured, that he will bring to full growth all my salvation and every desire.

6 "But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them. They cannot be taken in one's hand;

7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft, and then only to burn them where they lie."

8 Following are the names of David's warrior-heroes: Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach'kmoni, chief of the three, also known as 'Adino the 'Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter.

9 After him was El'azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P'lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra'el had gone away.

10 He stood firm and attacked the P'lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn't let go of his sword. ADONAI accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn't return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead.

11 After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P'lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P'lishtim.

12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and ADONAI brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of 'Adulam when a company of P'lishtim had set up camp in the Refa'im Valley.

14 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P'lishtim was in Beit-Lechem

15 David had a craving and said, "I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!"

16 The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P'lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn't drink it. Instead, he poured it out to ADONAI

17 and said, "ADONAI! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.

18 Avishai the brother of Yo'av, the son of Tz'ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three.

19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three

20 B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze'el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo'av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

21 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear

22 These are things that B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes.

23 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.

24 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av was one of the thirty, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,

25 Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Harodi,

26 Heletz the Palti, 'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa,

27 Avi'ezer from 'Anatot, M'vunai the Hushati,

28 Tzalmon the Achochi, Mahrai the N'tofati,

29 Helev the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati, Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, of the people of Binyamin,

30 B'nayahu from Pir'aton, Hiddai from the vadis of Ga'ash,

31 Avi-'Alvon the 'Arvati, 'Azmavet the Barchumi,

32 Elyachba the Sha'alvoni, of the sons of Yashen, Y'honatan,

33 Shammah the Harari, Achi'am the son of Sharar the Arari,

34 Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma'akhati, Eli'am the son of Achitofel from Giloh, thirty-seven in all.

35 Hetzrai from Karmel, Pa'arai the Arbi,

36 Yig'al the son of Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi

37 Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah,

38 'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri, an

39 Uriyah the Hitti

1 The anger of ADONAI blazed up against Isra'el, so he moved David to act against them by saying, "Go, take a census of Isra'el and Y'hudah."

2 The king said to Yo'av the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go systematically through all the tribes of Isra'el, from Dan to Be'er-Sheva; and take a census of the population; so that I can know how many people there are."

3 Yo'av said to the king, "May ADONAI your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?"

4 However, the king's word prevailed against Yo'av and the army officers. So Yo'av and the army officers went out from the king's presence to take a census of the people of Isra'el.

5 They crossed the Yarden and pitched camp in 'Aro'er, to the south of the city in the Vadi of Gad; went on to Ya'zer;

6 came to Gil'ad and continued to the land of Tachtim-Hodshi. Then they arrived at Dan-Ya'an, went around to Tzidon

7 and came to the stronghold of Tzor. They went on to the cities of the Hivi and of the Kena'ani, and finished in the south of Y'hudah, at Be'er-Sheva.

8 When they were done going through all the land, they came back to Yerushalayim; it had taken nine months and twenty days.

9 Yo'av reported the results of the census to the king: there were in Isra'el 800,000 valiant men who could handle a sword, while the men of Y'hudah numbered 500,000.

10 But after he had taken the census, David was conscience-stricken. David said to ADONAI, "I have greatly sinned in what I have done. But now, ADONAI, please! Put aside your servant's sin, for I have done a very foolish thing."

11 When David got up in the morning, this word of ADONAI came to the prophet Gad, David's seer:

12 "Go and say to David that this is what ADONAI says: 'I am giving you a choice of three punishments. Choose one of them, and I will execute it against you."

13 Gad came to David and told him; he said: "Do you want seven years of famine in your land? or do you want to flee before your enemies for three months while they pursue you? or do you want three days of plague in your land? Think about it, and tell me what to answer the one who sent me."

14 David said to Gad, "This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of ADONAI, because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man."

15 So ADONAI sent a plague on Isra'el from that morning until the end of the specified time; 70,000 of the people died between Dan and Be'er-Sheva.

16 But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it, ADONAI changed his mind about causing such distress and said to the angel destroying the people, "Enough! Now withdraw your hand."The angel of ADONAI was at the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y'vusi.

17 David spoke to ADONAI when he saw the angel striking the people; he said, "Here, I have sinned, I have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and against my father's family!"

18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go, set up an altar to ADONAI on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y'vusi."

19 David went up and did what Gad had said, as ADONAI had ordered.

20 Aravnah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. Aravnah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Then Aravnah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy your threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to ADONAI, so that the plague will be lifted from the people."

22 Aravnah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up anything that seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering; you can use the threshing-sledges and the yokes for the oxen as firewood.

23 All this, O king, Aravnah gives to the king."Then Aravnah said to the king, "May ADONAI your God accept you."

24 But the king said to Aravnah, "No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to ADONAI my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels.

25 Then David built an altar to ADONAI there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, ADONAI took pity on the land and lifted the plague from Isra'el.

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