\id 2SA - Wycliffe’s Bible Modern Spelling, Word Files Text Conversion and standardization, A. Camus 05 2019
\ide UTF-8
\h 2ND SAMUEL
\toc1 2ND SAMUEL
\toc2 2nd Samuel
\toc3 2SA
\mt1 2ND SAMUEL
\c 1
\cl CHAPTER 1
\p
\v 1 And it was done, after that Saul was dead, that David turned again from the slaying of Amalek, and he dwelled two days in Ziklag.
\p
\v 2 And in the third day a man appeared, coming from the tents of Saul with a cloth rent, and his head sprinkled with dust; and as he came to David, he felled upon his face, and worshipped \em or honoured him\em*.
\p
\v 3 And David said to him, From whence comest thou? And he said to David, I fled from the tents of Israel.
\p
\v 4 And David said to him, What is the word that is done there; show thou to me. And he said, The people of Israel hath fled from the battle, and many of the people felled, and be dead; but also Saul, and Jonathan, his son, have perished.
\p
\v 5 And David said to the young man, that told to him, Whereof knowest thou, that Saul is dead, and Jonathan, his son?
\p
\v 6 And the young man said, that told to him, By hap I came into the hill of Gilboa, and Saul leaned upon his spear; and chariots and horsemen nighed to him;
\p
\v 7 and he turned behind his back, and saw me, and called. To whom when I had answered, I am present;
\p
\v 8 he said to me, Who art thou? And I said to him, I am a man of Amalek.
\p
\v 9 And he spake to me, Stand thou upon me, and slay me; for anguishes hold me, and yet all my life is in me.
\p
\v 10 And I stood upon him, and I slew him; for I knew that he might not live after the falling; and I took the diadem, that was on his head, and the bie from his arm, and I have brought them hither to thee, my lord.
\p
\v 11 Forsooth David took and rent his clothes, and \add [all]\add* the men that were with him;
\p
\v 12 and they wailed, and wept, and fasted till to eventide, on Saul, and Jonathan, his son, and on the people of the Lord, and on the house of Israel, for they had felled by sword.
\p
\v 13 And David said to the young man, that told to him, Of whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a man comeling, of a man of Amalek.
\p
\v 14 And David said to him, Why dreadest thou not to send thine hand, that thou shouldest slay the christ of the Lord?
\p
\v 15 And David called one of his children \em or young men\em*, and said, Go thou, and fall on him. And he smote that young man, and he was dead.
\p
\v 16 And David said to him, Thy blood be on thine head; for thy mouth spake against thee, and said, I killed the christ or the anointed of the Lord.
\p
\v 17 Forsooth David bewailed such a wailing on Saul, and on Jonathan, his son;
\p
\v 18 and he commanded, that they should teach the sons of Judah the bow, \em that is, the craft of shooting\em*, as it is written in the Book of Just Men.
\p
\v 19 And David said, Israel, behold thou, for these that be dead, be wounded on thine high places; the noble men of Israel be slain upon thine hills. How have fallen \add [the]\add* strong men?
\p
\v 20 do not ye tell \em this\em* in Gath, neither tell ye in the way-lots of Askelon; lest peradventure the daughters of Philis-tines be glad, lest the daughters of uncircumcised men joy.
\p
\v 21 Hills of Gilboa, neither dew, neither rain come upon you, neither be they the fields of first fruits; for the shield of strong men was cast away there, the shield of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oil.
\p
\v 22 Of the blood of slain men, of the fatness of strong men, the arrow of Jonathan went never aback, and the sword of Saul turned not again void.
\p
\v 23 Saul and Jonathan, amiable, and fair in their life, were not parted also in their death; \em they were\em* swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
\p
\v 24 Daughters of Israel, weep ye on Saul, that clothed you with fine red, and in \em other\em* delights, that gave golden ornaments to your attire.
\p
\v 25 How have strong men fallen down in battle? Jonathan was slain in the high places.
\p
\v 26 I make sorrow upon thee, my brother Jonathan, full fair and amiable more than the love of women; as a mother loveth her only son, so I loved thee.
\p
\v 27 How therefore felled down strong men, and arms of battle perished?
\c 2
\cl CHAPTER 2
\p
\v 1 Therefore after these things David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up into one of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go thou up. And David said to the Lord, Whither shall I go up? And the Lord answered to him, Into Hebron.
\p
\v 2 Therefore David went up, and his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
\p
\v 3 But also David led the men that were with him, each man with his house; and they dwelled in the towns of Hebron.
\p
\v 4 And the men of Judah came, and anointed there David, that he should reign upon the house of Judah. And it was told to David, that \add [the]\add* men of Jabesh of Gilead had buried Saul.
\p
\v 5 Therefore David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh of Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that did this mercy with your lord Saul, and buried him.
\p
\v 6 And now soothly the Lord shall yield to you mercy and truth, but also I shall yield thanking, for ye did this word.
\p
\v 7 Your hands be comforted, and be ye the sons of strength; for though your lord Saul is dead, nevertheless the house of Judah hath anointed me king to him.
\p
\v 8 Forsooth Abner, the son of Ner, prince of the host of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and led him about by the castles \add [or tents]\add*,
\p
\v 9 and made him king on Gilead, and on Ashurites, and on Jezreel, and on Ephraim, and on Benjamin, and on all Israel.
\p
\v 10 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was of forty years, when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned two years. Soothly the house alone of Judah pursued \add [or followed]\add* David.
\p
\v 11 And the number of days, by which David dwelled reigning in Hebron on the house of Judah, was of seven years and six months.
\p
\v 12 And Abner, the son of Ner, went out, and the children \em or young men\em* of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, from the castles \add [or tents]\add* in\add [to]\add* Gibeon.
\p
\v 13 And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the children of David, went out, and they came to them beside the cistern of Gibeon. And when they had come together into one place even against either \em other\em*, these sat on one part of the cistern, and they on the tother.
\p
\v 14 And Abner said to Joab, The children rise, and play before us\f + \fr 2:14 \fr*\ft \+em That is, ‘show their strength and nobility’; and here ‘play’ is set for ‘slay’ either ‘fight’\+em*.\ft*\f*. And Joab answered, Rise they up.
\p
\v 15 Then they rose up, and passed forth twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David.
\p
\v 16 And each man, when he had taken his fellow by the head, fixed his sword into the side of his adversary; and they felled down together. And the name of that place was called The Field of Men Slain Together, in Gibeon.
\p
\v 17 And full hard battle rose in that day; and Abner and the sons of Israel were driven \em away\em* of the servants of David.
\p
\v 18 Forsooth three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was a full swift runner, as one of the caprets that dwell in woods.
\p
\v 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and he bowed neither to the right side, nor to the left side, ceasing to pursue Abner.
\p
\v 20 Therefore Abner beheld behind his back, and said, Whether thou art Asahel? Which answered, I am.
\p
\v 21 And Abner said to him, Go thou to the right side, either to the left side; and take one of the young men, and take to thee his spoils. But Asahel would not cease, that not he pursued him.
\p
\v 22 And again Abner spake to Asahel, Go thou away; do not thou pursue me, lest I be compelled to pierce thee into the earth, and I shall not be able to raise then my face to Joab, thy brother.
\p
\v 23 And Asahel despised to hear, and would not bow away. Therefore Abner smote him with the spear turned away, \em that is, turned against him\em*, in the share-bone, \em that is, behind the maw, in the fifth rib, under which be the members of life\em*, and pierced \add [him]\add* through, and he was dead in the same place; and all men that passed by the place, in which \em place\em* Asahel felled down, and was dead, stood still.
\p
\v 24 And while Joab and Abishai pursued Abner fleeing, the sun went down; and they came to the little hill of a water conduit, that is even against the valley, and the way of desert in Gibeon.
\p
\v 25 And the sons of Benjamin were gathered to Abner, and they were gathered together into one company, and they stood in the height of an heap of earth.
\p
\v 26 And Abner cried to Joab, and said, Whether thy sword shall be fierce unto slaying? Whether thou knowest not, that despair is perilous? How long sayest thou not to the people, that it cease to pursue his brethren?
\p
\v 27 And Joab said, The Lord liveth, for if thou haddest spoken \em thus\em* early, the people pursuing his brother had gone away.
\p
\v 28 And Joab sounded with a clarion, and all the host stood still; and they pursued no further Israel, neither began battle.
\p
\v 29 And Abner and his men went \em from thence\em* by the field places of Moab in all that night, and they passed \add [over]\add* Jordan; and when all Bithron was compassed, they came to the castles \add [or tents]\add*.
\p
\v 30 And when Abner was left \em off\em*, Joab turned again, and gathered together all his people; and ten men and nine, besides Asahel, failed of the servants of David.
\p
\v 31 Forsooth the servants of David smited of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred men and sixty, which also were dead.
\p
\v 32 And they took Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men that were with him, went in all that night, and in that morrowtide they came into Hebron.
\c 3
\cl CHAPTER 3
\p
\v 1 Therefore a long strife was made betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul; and David profited and ever\add [more]\add* was stronger than himself, \em in comparison of time passed, for his power increased ever\em*, but the house of Saul decreased each day.
\p
\v 2 And sons were born to David in Hebron; and his first begotten son was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
\p
\v 3 and after him was Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;
\p
\v 4 and the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
\p
\v 5 and the sixth was Ithream, of Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.
\p
\v 6 Therefore when battle was betwixt the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, governed the house of Saul.
\p
\v 7 And to Saul was a concubine, \em that is, a secondary wife\em*, Rizpah by name, the daughter of Aiah; and Abner entered \add [in]\add* to her. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou entered \add [in]\add* to the concubine of my father?
\p
\v 8 And Abner was wroth greatly for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Whether I am the head of a dog against Judah today, and I have done mercy on the house of Saul, thy father, and on his brethren, and neighbours, and I betook not thee into the hands of David, and thou hast sought in me that, that thou shouldest reprove for a woman today?
\p
\v 9 God do these things to Abner, and add these things to him, no but as the Lord swore to David, so I do with him,
\p
\v 10 that the realm be translated from the house of Saul, and the throne of David be raised on Israel and on Judah, from Dan till to Beersheba.
\p
\v 11 And Ishbosheth might not answer anything to Abner, for he dreaded Abner.
\p
\v 12 Therefore Abner sent messengers to David, and they said for him, Whose is the land? and that the messengers should speak \em thus\em*, Make thou friend-ships with me, and mine hand shall be with thee, and I shall bring all Israel to thee.
\p
\v 13 And David said, Best, I shall make friendships with thee; but I ask of thee one thing, and say, Thou shalt not see my face, before that thou bring Michal, the daughter of Saul, and so thou shalt come, and shalt see me.
\p
\v 14 Therefore David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and said, Yield thou my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for an hundred prepuces of Philistines.
\p
\v 15 Therefore Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, Phaltiel, the son of Laish;
\p
\v 16 and her husband pursued \add [or followed]\add* her, and wept till to Bahurim. And Abner said to him, Go thou, and turn again; and he turned again.
\p
\v 17 Also Abner brought in a word to the elder men of Israel, and said, Both yesterday and the third day ago ye sought David, that he should reign upon you.
\p
\v 18 Now therefore do ye; for the Lord spake to David, and said, In the hand of my servant David I shall save my people Israel from the hand of Philistines, and of all his enemies.
\p
\v 19 And also Abner spake to Benjamin; and he went, that he should speak to David, in Hebron, all things that pleased Israel and all Benjamin.
\p
\v 20 And he came to David, in Hebron, with twenty men. And David made a feast to Abner, and to the men that came with him.
\p
\v 21 And Abner said to David, I shall rise up, that I gather all Israel to thee, my lord the king, and that I make bond of peace with thee, and that thou reign on all, as thy soul desireth. Therefore when David had led forth Abner, and he had gone in peace,
\p
\v 22 anon the children of David and Joab came with a full great prey, when the thieves were slain; and Abner was not then with David, in Hebron, for David had let him go, and he went forth in peace.
\p
\v 23 And Joab, and the hosts that were with him, came afterward; therefore it was told to Joab of tellers, Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king, and the king let him go, and he went forth in peace.
\p
\v 24 And Joab entered to the king, and said, What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came to thee; why lettest thou him go, and he went, and departed from thee?
\p
\v 25 Knowest thou not Abner, the son of Ner, for hereto he came to thee, that he should deceive thee, and that he should know thy going out and thine entering, and should know all things which thou doest?
\p
\v 26 Therefore Joab went out from David, and sent messengers after Abner; and led him again from the cistern of Sirah, while David knew not.
\p
\v 27 And when Abner had come again into Hebron, Joab led him asides half to the middle of the gate, that he should speak to him in guile; and he smote Abner there in the share-bone, and he was dead, into vengeance of the blood of his brother Asahel.
\p
\v 28 That when David had heard this thing done, he said, I am clean, and my realm, with God into without end from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner;
\p
\v 29 and come it on the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and fail there not from the house of Joab a man suffering flowing of seed, and a leprous man, \em and a man\em* holding a spindle, and a man falling by sword, and \em a man\em* having need to bread.
\p
\v 30 Therefore Joab, and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner, for he had slain Asahel, their brother, in Gibeon, in battle.
\p
\v 31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that was with him, Rend ye your clothes, and be ye gird with sackcloths, and bewail ye before the hearses, \em either dirge\em*, of Abner. Forsooth king David pursued \add [or followed]\add* the bier.
\p
\v 32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David raised his voice, and wept on the burial of Abner; and certainly all the people wept.
\p
\v 33 And the king bewailed, and be-mourned Abner, and said, Abner, thou diedest not as dreadful men, \em either cowards\em*, be wont to die.
\p
\v 34 Thine hands were not bound, and thy feet were not grieved with stocks, but thou hast fallen down, as men be wont to fall before the sons of wicked-ness. And all the people doubled together, and wept on him.
\p
\v 35 And when all the multitude came to take meat with David, while the day was yet clear, David swore, and said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, if I shall taste bread, either any other thing, before the going down of the sun.
\p
\v 36 And all the people heard \em this\em*; and all things which the king did in the sight of all the people pleased them;
\p
\v 37 and all the common people and all Israel knew in that day, that it was not done of the king, that Abner, the son of Ner, was slain.
\p
\v 38 Also the king said to his servants, Whether ye know not, that the prince and the greatest hath fallen down today in Israel?
\p
\v 39 And I am yet tender, and anointed king; and these sons of Zeruiah be hard to me; the Lord yield to him that doeth evil after his malice.
\c 4
\cl CHAPTER 4
\p
\v 1 And Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had fallen down in Hebron; and his hands were discomfort-ed, and all Israel was troubled.
\p
\v 2 And two men, princes of companies, were to the son of Saul; name to the one was Baanah, and name to the tother was Rechab, the sons of Rimmon \em the\em* Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin; for also Beeroth is areckoned in Benjamin.
\p
\v 3 And men of Beeroth fled into Gittaim; and they were comelings there till to that time.
\p
\v 4 And a son feeble in \em his\em* feet was to Jonathan, the son of Saul; and he was five years eld \add [or old]\add*, when the messenger came from Saul and Jonathan, from Jezreel, \em telling that they were dead\em*. Therefore his nurse took him, and fled; and when she hasted to flee, she felled down, and \em the child\em* was made lame; and the name of the child was Mephibosheth.
\p
\v 5 Therefore Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, came, and entered in the hot day into the house of Ishbosheth, that slept upon his bed at midday; and the woman that kept the doors of the house, \em who had been\em* purging wheat, \em now\em* slept fast.
\p
\v 6 And they came till to the midst of the house, and took wheat; and Rechab, and Baanah, his brother, smote Ishbo-sheth in the share-bone, and fled.
\p
\v 7 Soothly when they had entered into the house, he slept on his bed in a \em bed\em*-closet; and they smited and killed him; and when they had taken \add [off]\add* his head, they went by the way of desert in all that night.
\p
\v 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David, in Hebron, and they said to the king, Lo! the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, that sought thy life; and the Lord hath given today to our lord the king vengeance of Saul, and of his seed.
\p
\v 9 And David answered to Rechab, and Baanah, his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, The Lord liveth, that hath delivered my life from all anguish,;
\p
\v 10 for I held him that told to me, and said, Saul is dead, which man guessed himself to tell prosperities, and I killed him in Ziklag, to whom it behooved me give meed for \em his\em* message;
\p
\v 11 how much more now, when wicked men have slain a guiltless man in his house upon his bed, shall I not seek his blood of your hand, and shall not I do away you from the earth?
\p
\v 12 Therefore David commanded to his servants, and they killed them; and they cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them over the cistern in Hebron. Forsooth they took the head of Ishbosheth, and they buried it in the sepulchre of Abner, in Hebron.
\c 5
\cl CHAPTER 5
\p
\v 1 And all the lineages of Israel came to David, in Hebron, and said, Lo! we be thy bone and thy flesh.
\p
\v 2 But also yesterday and the third day ago, when Saul was king upon us, thou leddest out, and leddest again Israel; forsooth the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be duke upon Israel.
\p
\v 3 Also and the elder men of Israel came to the king, into Hebron; and king David smote with them bond of peace in Hebron, before the Lord; and they anointed David into king upon Israel.
\p
\v 4 David was a son of thirty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years
\p
\v 5 in Hebron; he reigned upon Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years upon all Israel and Judah.
\p
\v 6 And the king went, and all \add [the]\add* men that were with him, into Jerusalem, to Jebusites, the dwellers of the land. And it was said of them to David, Thou shalt not enter hither, no but thou do away blind men and lame, saying, David shall not enter hither.
\p
\v 7 Forsooth David took the tower of Zion; this is the city of David.
\p
\v 8 For David had purposed in that day to have given meed to him, that had smitten Jebusites, and that had touched the gutters of the house roofs, and that had taken away lame men and blind, hating the life of David. Therefore it is said in common speech, A blind man and a lame shall not enter into the temple.
\p
\v 9 And David dwelled in the tower, and called it the city of David; and he builded by compass from Millo, and within.
\p
\v 10 And he entered profiting, and increasing; and the Lord God of hosts was with him.
\p
\v 11 Also Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and craftsmen of wood, and craftsmen of stones to \em make\em* walls; and they builded the house of David.
\p
\v 12 And David knew, that the Lord had confirmed him king upon Israel, and that he had enhanced his realm upon his people Israel.
\p
\v 13 Therefore David took yet \em more\em* concubines, and wives of Jerusalem, after that he came from Hebron; and also other sons and daughters were born to David.
\p
\v 14 And these be the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
\p
\v 15 and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
\p
\v 16 and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
\p
\v 17 Then the Philistines heard, that they had anointed David king upon Israel, and all the \em Philistines\em* went up to seek David. And when David had heard this, he went down into a stronghold.
\p
\v 18 And the Philistines came, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim.
\p
\v 19 And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up to Philistines, and whether thou shalt give them into mine hand? And the Lord said to David, Go thou up, for I shall betake the Philistines, and I shall give them into thine hand.
\p
\v 20 Therefore David came into Baal-perazim, and smote them there, and said, The Lord hath parted mine enemies before me, as waters be parted. Therefore the name of that place was called Baalperazim, \em that is, The Field, either Plain, of Parting\em*.
\p
\v 21 And they left there their sculptures, \em or their images\em*, which David burnt, and his men.
\p
\v 22 And \add [the]\add* Philistines added yet, that they should ascend \add [or go up]\add*, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim.
\p
\v 23 And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up against the Philistines, and whether thou shalt betake them into mine hands? And the Lord answered, Thou shalt not go up against them, but compass thou them behind their back, and thou shalt come to them on the contrary side of the pear trees.
\p
\v 24 And when thou shalt hear the sound of cry going in the tops of pear trees, then thou shalt begin battle; for then the Lord shall go out before thy face, that he smite the tents of Philistines.
\p
\v 25 Therefore David did as the Lord commanded to him; and he smote the Philistines from Geba till they came to Gazer.
\c 6
\cl CHAPTER 6
\p
\v 1 Forsooth David gathered again all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
\p
\v 2 And David rose, and went, and all the people that was with him of the men of Judah, to bring the ark of God, on which the name of the Lord of hosts, sitting in cherubim on that ark, was called.
\p
\v 3 And they putted \add [or put]\add* the ark of God on a new wain, and they took it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new wain.
\p
\v 4 And when they had taken it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah, and kept the ark of God, Ahio went before the ark.
\p
\v 5 And David and all Israel played before the Lord, in all treen instruments of melody, and in harps, and citoles, and tympans, and trumps, and cymbals.
\p
\v 6 Forsooth after that they came to the cornfloor of Nachon, Uzzah held forth his hand to the ark of God, and held it, for the oxen kicked, and bowed it.
\p
\v 7 And the Lord was wroth by indignation against Uzzah, and smote him on the folly; and he was dead there beside the ark of God.
\p
\v 8 And David was sorry, for the Lord had slain Uzzah; and the name of that place was called The Smiting of Uzzah till into this day.
\p
\v 9 And David dreaded the Lord in that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord enter to me?
\p
\v 10 And he would not turn \add [aside]\add* the ark of the Lord to himself into the city of David, but he turned it \add [aside]\add* into the house of Obededom of Gath.
\p
\v 11 And the ark of the Lord dwelled in the house of Obededom of Gath three months; and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his house.
\p
\v 12 And it was told to king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all his things, for the ark of God. And David said, I shall go, and bring the ark with blessing into mine house. Therefore David went, and brought the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy.
\p
\v 13 And when they, that bare the ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, they offered an ox and a ram.
\p
\v 14 And David smote in organs fastened to his arm; and he danced with all \em his\em* strengths before the Lord; and David was clothed with a linen surplice.
\p
\v 15 And David, and all the house of Israel, led forth the ark of \add [the]\add* testament or of \add [the]\add* witnessing of the Lord in hearty song, and in sound of trump.
\p
\v 16 And when the ark of the Lord had entered into the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, beheld by a window, and she saw the king skipping or hopping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
\p
\v 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and setted \add [or put]\add* it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle, which \em tabernacle\em* David had made therefore or had made ready thereto; and David offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable \em sacrifices\em* before the Lord.
\p
\v 18 And when David had ended those \add [or them]\add*, and had offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable \em sacrifices\em*, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
\p
\v 19 And he gave to all the multitude of Israel, as well to man as to woman, to each a cake of bread, and one part roasted of bugle flesh, and flour of wheat fried with oil; and all the people went forth, each into his house.
\p
\v 20 And David turned again to bless his house, and Michal, the daughter of Saul, went out into the coming of David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and he was made naked, as if one of the knaves had been made naked?
\p
\v 21 And David said to Michal, The Lord liveth, for I shall play, \em or I shall dance\em*, before the Lord, that chose me rather than thy father, and rather than all the house of him, and commanded to me, that I should be duke on the people of the Lord of Israel; and I shall play,
\p
\v 22 and I shall be made more vile than I am \em yet\em* made, and I shall be meek in mine eyes, and I shall appear more glorious with those handmaidens, of which thou hast spoken.
\p
\v 23 Therefore a son was not born to Michal, the daughter of Saul, till into the day of her death.
\c 7
\cl CHAPTER 7
\p
\v 1 Forsooth it was done, when king David had sat in his house, and the Lord had given rest to him on each side from all his enemies,
\p
\v 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, Seest thou not, that I dwell in an house of cedar, and the ark of God is put in the midst of skins?
\p
\v 3 And Nathan said to the king, Go thou, and do all thing that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.
\p
\v 4 And it was done in that night, and lo! the word of the Lord, was made to Nathan, \add [saying]\add*,
\p
\v 5 Go thou, and speak to my servant David, The Lord saith these things, Whether thou shalt build to me an house to dwell in?
\p
\v 6 Soothly I have not dwelled in an house from the day in which I led the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt till into this day; but I have gone in a tabernacle and in a tent,
\p
\v 7 by all places, to which I passed with all the sons of Israel? Whether I speaking spake to anyone of the lineages of Israel, to whom I commanded, that he should feed my people Israel, and said, Why builded-est thou not an house of cedar to me?
\p
\v 8 And now thou shalt say these things to my servant David, The Lord of hosts saith these things, I took thee from \add [the]\add* pastures following flocks, that thou shouldest be duke on my people Israel,
\p
\v 9 and I was with thee in all things, wherever thou hast gone, and I have killed all thine enemies from thy face, and I have made to thee a great name, by the name of great men that be in earth;
\p
\v 10 and I shall set a place to my people Israel, and I shall plant him, and I shall dwell with him, and he shall no more be troubled, and the sons of wickedness shall not add to, that they torment him as before,
\p
\v 11 \em like they did\em* from the day in which I ordained judges upon my people Israel; and I shall give rest to thee from all thine enemies. And the Lord before-saith to thee, that he shall make an house to thee;
\p
\v 12 and when thy days be fulfilled, and thou hast slept with thy fathers, \em that is, when thou hast died\em*, I shall raise up thy seed after thee, which shall go out of thy womb, and I shall make steadfast his realm.
\p
\v 13 He shall build an house to my name, and I shall make stable the throne of his realm till into without end;
\p
\v 14 I shall be to him into a father, and he shall be to me into a son; and if he shall do anything wickedly, I shall chastise him in the rod of men, and in the wounds of the sons of men.
\p
\v 15 Forsooth I shall not do away my mercy from him, as I did it away from Saul, whom I removed from my face.
\p
\v 16 And thine house \em shall be\em* faithful, and thy realm \em shall be\em* till into without end before my face, and thy throne shall be steadfast continually.
\p
\v 17 By all these words, and by all this revelation, so Nathan spake to David.
\p
\v 18 Forsooth David the king entered \em into the tabernacle\em*, and he sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
\p
\v 19 But also this is seen little in thy sight, my Lord God; no but thou shouldest speak also of the house of thy servant into long time. For this is the law of Adam, Lord God;
\p
\v 20 what therefore may David add yet, that he speak to thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant;
\p
\v 21 thou hast done all these great things, for thy word, and by thine heart, so that thou madest \em those\em* known to thy servant.
\p
\v 22 Therefore, Lord God, thou art made great, for none is like thee, nor there is no God except thee, in all things which we have heard with our ears.
\p
\v 23 Soothly what folk in earth is as the people of Israel, for which the Lord God went, that he should again-buy it to him into a people, and should set to himself a name, and should do to it great things, and horrible, on \add [the]\add* earth, \em in casting out\em* thereof the folks, and gods thereof, from the face of thy people, which thou again-boughtest to thee from Egypt?
\p
\v 24 And thou hast confirmed to thee thy people Israel into a people ever-lasting, and thou, Lord, art made into God to them.
\p
\v 25 Now therefore, Lord God, raise up without end the word that thou hast spoken upon thy servant, and upon his house, and do as thou hast spoken;
\p
\v 26 and thy name be magnified or be made great till into without end, and be it said, The Lord of hosts is God upon Israel; and the house of thy servant David shall be stablished before the Lord;
\p
\v 27 for thou, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast made revelation to the ear of thy servant, and saidest, I shall build an house to thee; therefore thy servant hath found by his heart, that he should pray thee by this prayer.
\p
\v 28 Now therefore, Lord God, thou art very God, and thy words shall be true; for thou hast spoken these good things to thy servant;
\p
\v 29 therefore begin thou, and bless the house of thy servant, that it be into without end before thee; for thou, Lord God, hast spoken these things, and through thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed without end.
\c 8
\cl CHAPTER 8
\p
\v 1 And it was done after these things, David smote the Philistines, and made low them; and David took away the bridle of tribute from the hand of Philistines.
\p
\v 2 And David smote Moab, and meted them with a cord, and he made them even to the earth; forsooth he meted \em them by\em* two cords, one to slay, and one to quicken. And Moab served David under tribute.
\p
\v 3 And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went forth to be lord over the flood Euphrates.
\p
\v 4 And when a thousand and seven hundred horsemen of his part were taken, and twenty thousand of foot-men, David hocked all \add [the]\add* drawing beasts in chariots; but David left of those \add [or them]\add* an hundred chariots, \em that is, the horses of an hundred chariots\em*.
\p
\v 5 Also Syrians of Damascus came, that it should bear help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah; and David smote of Syrians two and twenty thousand of men.
\p
\v 6 And David setted \add [or put]\add* a strong-hold in Syria of Damascus, and Syria was made serving David under tribute. And the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth.
\p
\v 7 And David took golden armours and bies, which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those \add [or them]\add* into Jerusalem.
\p
\v 8 And of Betah, and of Berothai, the cities of Hadadezer, David \add [the]\add* king took full much brass.
\p
\v 9 Forsooth Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer.
\p
\v 10 And Toi sent Joram, his son, to king David, that he should greet him, and thank, and do thankings, for he had overcome Hadadezer, and had smitten him; for Toi was enemy of Hadadezer; and vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass were in his hand.
\p
\v 11 And the same vessels king David hallowed to the Lord, with the silver and gold, which he had hallowed of all heathen men, which he had made subject
\p
\v 12 of Syria, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, and of Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoils of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
\p
\v 13 Also David made to him a name, when he turned again when Syria was taken, for eighteen thousand men were slain in the valley, where salt was made, and in Helam, to three and twenty thousand\f + \fr 8:13 \fr*\ft See \ft*\xt 2nd Samuel 10:16-19\xt*\ft .\ft*\f*.
\p
\v 14 And he setted keepers in Idumea, and ordained \add [a]\add* stronghold, and all Idumea was made serving to David; and the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth.
\p
\v 15 And David reigned upon all Israel, and David did doom, and rightwise-ness to all his people.
\p
\v 16 And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the host \em of David\em*; and Jehosha-phat, the son of Ahilud, was recorder;
\p
\v 17 and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was a scribe.
\p
\v 18 But Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over Cherethites and Pelethites, \em that is, over archers and arrowblasters\em*; and the sons of David were priests.
\c 9
\cl CHAPTER 9
\p
\v 1 And David said, Whether any man is, that \em is\em* left of the house of Saul, that I do mercy with him for Jonathan?
\p
\v 2 And there was a servant, Ziba by name, of the house of Saul; whom when the king had called to himself, the king said to him, Whether thou art not Ziba? And he answered, I am thy servant.
\p
\v 3 And the king said, Whether any man liveth of the house of Saul, that I do with him the mercy of God? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, feeble in the feet.
\p
\v 4 And the king said, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Lo! he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
\p
\v 5 Therefore king David sent, and took Jonathan’s son from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
\p
\v 6 And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, \add [the]\add* son of Saul, had come to David, he felled into his face, and worshipped. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am present, thy servant.
\p
\v 7 And David said to him, Dread thou not, for I doing shall do mercy to thee for Jonathan, thy father; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread in my table ever\add [more]\add*.
\p
\v 8 Which worshipped him, and said, Who am I, thy servant, for thou hast beheld on a dead dog like me?
\p
\v 9 Therefore the king called Ziba, the child of Saul; and said to him, I have given to the son of thy lord all things, whichever were of Saul, and all the house of him;
\p
\v 10 therefore work thou the land to him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in meats to the son of thy lord, that he be fed; but Mephibosheth, the son of thy lord, shall eat ever bread on my board. And fifteen sons and twenty servants were to Ziba.
\p
\v 11 And Ziba said to the king, As thou, my lord \em the\em* king, hast commanded to thy servant, so thy servant shall do; and Mephibosheth, as one of the sons of the king, shall eat on thy board.
\p
\v 12 And Mephibosheth had a little son, Micha by name; and all the family of the house of Ziba served Mephibosheth.
\p
\v 13 And Mephibosheth dwelled in Jerusalem; for he ate continually of the king’s board, and was crooked, or halt, on either foot.
\c 10
\cl CHAPTER 10
\p
\v 1 Forsooth it was done after these things, that Nahash, \add [the]\add* king of the sons of Ammon, died; and Hanun, his son, reigned for him,.
\p
\v 2 And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father did mercy with me. There-fore David sent comforting \em to\em* him by his servants on the death of the father. And when the servants of David had come into the land of the sons of Ammon,
\p
\v 3 the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, Guessest thou, that for the honour of thy father David hath sent comforters to thee; and not \em rather\em* therefore David sent his servants to thee, that he should espy, and ensearch the city, and destroy it?
\p
\v 4 Therefore Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved half the part of the beard of them, and he cutted away the middle clothes of them, till to the buttocks; and let them go.
\p
\v 5 And when this was told to David, he sent into the coming of them, for the men were shamed full vilely. And David commanded to them, Dwell ye in Jericho, till your beard waxed, and then turn ye again.
\p
\v 6 And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, and they sent, and hired with meed of Bethrehob of Syria, and of Zoba of Syria, twenty thousand of footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob, twelve thousand of men.
\p
\v 7 And when David had heard this, he sent Joab, and all the host of fighters.
\p
\v 8 Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field.
\p
\v 9 Therefore Joab saw, that the battle was made ready against him, both even against him and behind his back; and he chose to himself of all the chosen men of Israel, and ordained battle array against Syrians.
\p
\v 10 Forsooth he betook to Abishai, his brother, the tother part of the people, which dressed battle array against the sons of Ammon.
\p
\v 11 And Joab said, If men of Syria have the mastery against me, thou shalt be to me into help; and if the sons of Ammon have the mastery against thee, I shall help thee;
\p
\v 12 be thou a strong man, and fight we for our people, and for the city of our God; for the Lord shall do that, that is good in his sight.
\p
\v 13 Therefore Joab and the people that was with him, began battle against men of Syria, which fled anon from his face.
\p
\v 14 And the sons of Ammon saw, that \add [the]\add* men of Syria had fled; and they fled also from the face of Abishai, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again from the sons of Ammon, and came into Jerusalem.
\p
\v 15 And \add [the]\add* men of Syria saw that they had fallen before Israel, and they were gathered together.
\p
\v 16 And Hadadezer\f + \fr 10:16 \fr*\ft Also known as Hadarezer.\ft*\f* sent, and led out \add [the]\add* men of Syria that were beyond the flood, and he brought forth the host of them; and Shobach, \add [the]\add* master of the chivalry of Hadadezer, was the prince of them.
\p
\v 17 And when this was told to David, he drew together all Israel, and he passed over Jordan, and came into Helam. And \add [the]\add* men of Syria dressed battle array against David, and fought against him.
\p
\v 18 And Syrians fled from the face of Israel; and David killed of the Syrians \em the men in\em* seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand of horsemen; and he smote Shobach, the prince of the chivalry, the which was dead anon.
\p
\v 19 And all the kings, that were in help of Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome of Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them; and the Syrians dreaded to give help to the sons of Ammon.
\c 11
\cl CHAPTER 11
\p
\v 1 And it was done, when the year turned again, in that time in which kings be wont to go forth to battles, David sent forth Joab, and with him his servants, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah; and David dwelled in Jerusalem.
\p
\v 2 While these things were done, it befelled, that David rose in a day from his bed after midday, and walked in the solar of the king’s house; and he saw a woman washing herself even against \em him\em* upon her solar; and the woman was full fair.
\p
\v 3 Therefore the king sent, and inquired, what woman it was; and it was told to him that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, \em and she was\em* the wife of Uriah \em the\em* Hittite.
\p
\v 4 Then by messengers sent, David took her; and when she entered to him, he slept with her, and anon she was hallowed from her uncleanness\f + \fr 11:4 \fr*\ft \+em That is, from flux of unclean blood that should come till to the child bearing, for she conceived in that lying-by\+em*.\ft*\f*. And she turned again into her house,
\p
\v 5 with a child conceived; and she sent, and told to David, and said, I have conceived.
\p
\v 6 And David sent to Joab, and said, Send thou Uriah \em the\em* Hittite to me; and Joab sent Uriah to David.
\p
\v 7 And Uriah came to David; and David asked, how rightfully Joab did and the people, and how the battle was administered, \em or served\em*.
\p
\v 8 And David said to Uriah, Go into thine house, and wash thy feet. \add [And]\add* Uriah went out from the house of the king, and the king’s meat pursued \add [or followed]\add* him.
\p
\v 9 Soothly Uriah slept before the gate of the king’s house with other servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
\p
\v 10 And it was told to David of men, saying, Uriah went not to his house. And David said to Uriah, Whether thou camest not from the way? why wentest thou not down into thine house?
\p
\v 11 And Uriah said to David, The ark of God, \add [and]\add* Israel, and Judah dwell in tents, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord dwell upon the face of the earth, and shall I go into mine house, to eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By thine health, and by the health of thy soul, I shall not do this thing.
\p
\v 12 Therefore David said to Uriah, Dwell thou here also today, and tomorrow I shall deliver thee. Uriah dwelled in Jerusalem in that day, and the tother.
\p
\v 13 And David called him, that he should eat and drink before him, and David made drunken Uriah; and he went out in the eventide, and slept in his bed with the servants of his lord; and went not down into his house.
\p
\v 14 Therefore when the morrowtide was made, David wrote \add [an]\add* epistle to Joab, and sent by the hand of Uriah,
\p
\v 15 and wrote in the epistle, Put ye Uriah even against the battle, where the battle is strongest, \em that is, where the adversaries be strongest\em*, and forsake ye him, that he be smitten and perish.
\p
\v 16 Therefore when Joab besieged the city, he setted \add [or put]\add* Uriah in the place where he knew that strongest men were.
\p
\v 17 And \add [the]\add* men went out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed of the people of the servants of David, and also Uriah \em the\em* Hittite was dead there.
\p
\v 18 Therefore Joab sent, and told all the words of the battle;
\p
\v 19 and he commanded to the mes-senger, and said, When thou hast fulfilled all the words of the battle to the king,
\p
\v 20 if thou seest, that he is wroth, and saith, Why nighed ye to the wall to fight? whether ye knew not, that many darts, \em or arrows\em*, be sent out from the wall above?
\p
\v 21 who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? whether not a woman sent on him a gobbet of a millstone from the wall, and killed him in Thebez? why nighed ye beside the wall? thou shalt say, Also thy servant, Uriah \em the\em* Hittite, died.
\p
\v 22 Therefore the messenger went, \add [and came]\add*, and told to David all things which Joab had commanded to him.
\p
\v 23 And the messenger said to David, \add [The]\add* Men had the mastery against us, and they went out to us into the field; and with great fierceness we pursued them unto the gate of the city.
\p
\v 24 And \add [the]\add* archers sent darts to thy servants from the wall above, and some of the king’s servants be dead; and also thy servant, Uriah \em the\em* Hittite, is dead.
\p
\v 25 And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, This thing break not thee; for the hap of battle is diverse, and sword wasteth now this man, \add [and]\add* now that man; comfort thy fighters against the city, that thou destroy it, and stir or excite thou them.
\p
\v 26 And the wife of Uriah heard, that Uriah her husband was dead, and she bewailed him.
\p
\v 27 And when the mourning was passed, David sent, and brought her into his house; and she was made wife to him, and she childed a son to him. And this word \em or thing\em* that David had done displeased before the Lord.
\c 12
\cl CHAPTER 12
\p
\v 1 Therefore the Lord sent Nathan to David; and when he had come to David, he said to him, Answer thou a doom to me; two men were in one city; one man \em was\em* rich, and the tother was poor.
\p
\v 2 The rich man had full many sheep, and oxen;
\p
\v 3 and the poor man had utterly nothing, except one little sheep, which he had bought, and nourished, and which had waxed at \em or with\em* him, \em and\em* with his sons, and ate together of his bread, and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom; and it was as a daughter to him.
\p
\v 4 But when a pilgrim came to this rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, that he should make a feast to that pilgrim, that came to him; and he took the sheep of the poor man, and prepared meats to the man that came to him.
\p
\v 5 Certainly David was full wroth with indignation against that man, and he said to Nathan, The Lord liveth, for the man that did this thing is the son of death, \em that is, is worthy of death, for the hideousness of the deed\em*;
\p
\v 6 he shall yield the sheep into four-fold, for he did this word, and spared not.
\p
\v 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art that man, that hast done this thing. The Lord God of Israel saith these things, I anointed thee into king on Israel, and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul,
\p
\v 8 and I gave to thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord in thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel, and of Judah; and if these things be little, I shall add to thee much greater things.
\p
\v 9 Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, that thou didest evils in my sight? Thou hast killed by sword Uriah \em the\em* Hittite, and thou hast taken his wife into wife to thee, and thou hast slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
\p
\v 10 Wherefore a sword shall not go away from thine house till into with-out end; for thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah \em the\em* Hittite, that she should be thy wife.
\p
\v 11 Therefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise upon thee the evil of thine house, and I shall take thy wives in thine eyes or thy sight, and I shall give them to thy neigh-bour, and he shall sleep with thy wives in the eyes of this sun.
\p
\v 12 For thou hast done \em thy sin\em* privily; forsooth I shall do this word in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of this sun.
\p
\v 13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned to the Lord. And Nathan said to David, Also the Lord hath turned away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
\p
\v 14 Nevertheless for thou hast made \add [the]\add* enemies to blaspheme the name of the Lord, for this word the child that is born to thee shall die by death.
\p
\v 15 And Nathan turned again into his house. And the Lord smote the little child, whom the wife of Uriah childed to David, and he despaired.
\p
\v 16 And David prayed to the Lord for the little child; and David fasted by fasting, and entered asides half, and lay on the earth.
\p
\v 17 And the elder men of his house came, and constrained him, that he should rise up from the earth; and he would not, neither he ate meat with them.
\p
\v 18 And it befelled in the seventh day, that the young child died; and the servants of David dreaded to tell to him, that the little child was dead; for they said, Lo! while the little child lived yet, we spake to him, and he heard not our voice; how much more, if we say the child is dead, he shall torment himself?
\p
\v 19 Therefore when David had heard his servants speaking privily, \em either muttering\em*, he understood that the young child was dead; and he said to his servants, Whether the child is dead? Which answered to him, He is dead.
\p
\v 20 Therefore David rose up from the earth, and was washed, and anointed; and when he had changed his clothes, he entered into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and came into his house; and he asked, that they should set bread to him, and he ate.
\p
\v 21 And his servants said to him, What is the word that thou hast done? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while he lived yet; but when the child was dead, thou risedest or hast risen up, and atest bread?
\p
\v 22 And David said, I fasted and wept for the young child, when he lived yet; for I said, Who knoweth, if per-adventure the Lord give him to me, and the young child live?
\p
\v 23 But now for he is dead, why fast I? whether I shall be able to again-call him more? I shall go more to him, but he shall not turn again to me.
\p
\v 24 And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife; and he entered \add [in]\add* to her, and slept with her. And she engendered a son, and \em David\em* called his name Solomon; and the Lord loved him.
\p
\v 25 And he sent him in the hand of Nathan, the prophet; and he called his name Amiable to the Lord, for the Lord loved him.
\p
\v 26 Then Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and he fought against the king’s city.
\p
\v 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and the city of waters shall be taken.
\p
\v 28 Now therefore gather thou the tother part of the people, and besiege thou the city, and take thou it, lest when the city is wasted of me, the victory be areckoned to my name.
\p
\v 29 Therefore David gathered together all the people, and he went forth against Rabbah; and when he had fought \em against that city\em*, he took it.
\p
\v 30 And he took the diadem of the king of them\f + \fr 12:30 \fr*\ft \+em That is\+em*, ‘the crown \+em of the idol of them’, which is called Malcham or Milcom, that is interpreted ‘the king of them’\+em*.\ft*\f* from his head, by weight \add [of]\add* a talent of gold, \em and\em* having precious pearls; and it was put on the head of David; but also David bare away full much prey of the city.
\p
\v 31 And he led forth the people thereof, and sawed \em them\em*, and did about them iron instruments of torment, and parted with knives, and led over by the likeness of tilestones; so he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David turned again, and all his host, into Jerusalem.
\c 13
\cl CHAPTER 13
\p
\v 1 And it was done after these things, that Amnon, the son of David, loved the fairest sister, Tamar by name, of Absalom, the son of David.
\p
\v 2 And Amnon perished greatly for her, so that he was sick for her love. For since she was a virgin, it seemed hard to him, that he should do any-thing unhonestly with her.
\p
\v 3 But there was a friend to Amnon, Jonadab by name, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David; and \em Jonadab was\em* a full prudent \add [or a full sly]\add* man.
\p
\v 4 Which said to Amnon, Son of the king, why art thou made feeble so by leanness, by all days? why showest thou not to me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.
\p
\v 5 And Jonadab answered to him, Lie thou on thy bed, and feign thou sickness; and when thy father cometh, that he visit thee, say thou to him, I pray, come Tamar, my sister, that she give meat to me, and make a stew, that I eat it of her hand.
\p
\v 6 Therefore Amnon lay down, and feigned to be sick. And when the king had come to visit him, Amnon said to the king, I beseech, come Tamar, my sister, that she make two suppings before my eyes, and that I take of her hand the meat made ready.
\p
\v 7 Therefore David sent to the house of Tamar, and said, Come thou into the house of Amnon, thy brother, and make thou a stew to him.
\p
\v 8 And Tamar came into the house of Amnon, her brother. And he lay down; and she took meal, and mixed together, and made moist before his eyes, and seethed \add [the]\add* suppings;
\p
\v 9 and she took that, that she had sodden, and poured \em it\em* out, and set it before him, and he would not eat. And Amnon said, Put ye out all men from me. And when they had put out all men,
\p
\v 10 Amnon said to Tamar, Bear the meat into the \em bed\em*-closet, that I eat of thine hand. Therefore Tamar took the suppings which she had made, and brought in to Amnon, her brother, in the \em bed\em*-closet.
\p
\v 11 And when she had proffered the meat to him, he took her, and said, Come thou, my sister, lie thou with me.
\p
\v 12 And she answered to him, My brother, do not thou, do not thou oppress me, for this is not leaveful in Israel; do not thou do this folly.
\p
\v 13 For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the unwise men in Israel; but rather speak thou to the king, and he shall not deny me to thee.
\p
\v 14 Soothly he would not assent to her prayers; but he was stronger in mights, and oppressed her, and lay with her.
\p
\v 15 And then, with full great hatred Amnon hated her, so that the hatred was greater, by which he hated her, than the love by which he loved her before. And Amnon said to her, Rise thou, and go.
\p
\v 16 And she answered to him, This evil is more which thou doest now against me, and puttest me out, than that, that thou didest before. And he would not hear her;
\p
\v 17 but when the child was called, that ministered to him, he said, Put thou out this woman from me, and close thou the door after her.
\p
\v 18 And she was clothed with a coat down to the heel; for the king’s daughters \em who were\em* virgins used such clothes. Then the servant of Amnon put her out, and closed the door after her.
\p
\v 19 And she sprinkled ashes onto her head, and when her long coat was rent, and her hands put on her head, she went entering \add [in]\add* and crying.
\p
\v 20 And Absalom, her brother, said to her, Whether Amnon, thy brother, hath lain with thee? But now, sister, be still; he is thy brother, and torment thou not thine heart for this thing. Therefore Tamar dwelled mourning in the house of Absalom, her brother.
\p
\v 21 Forsooth when king David had heard these words, he was full sorry, and he would not make sore the spirit of Amnon, his son; for he loved Amnon, for he was his first begotten son.
\p
\v 22 And Absalom spake not to Amnon, neither evil nor good; for Absalom hated Amnon, for he had defouled Tamar, his sister.
\p
\v 23 And it was done after the time of two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim. And Absalom called all the sons of the king.
\p
\v 24 And he came to the king, and said to him, Lo! the sheep of thy servant be shorn; I pray, come the king with his servants to his servant.
\p
\v 25 And the king said to Absalom, Do not thou, my son, do not thou pray, that all we come, and charge thee. And when he constrained David, and he would not go, he blessed Absalom.
\p
\v 26 And Absalom said to David, If thou wilt not come, I beseech thee, come namely Amnon, my brother, with us. And the king said to him, It is no need, that he go with thee.
\p
\v 27 Therefore Absalom constrained him; and he delivered with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king.
\p
\v 28 And Absalom had made a feast as the feast of a king. And Absalom \add [had]\add* commanded to his children, and said, Espy ye, when Amnon is drunken of wine, and \em when\em* I say to you, Smite ye, and slayeth him. Do not ye dread, for I am that command to you; be ye strengthened, and be ye strong men.
\p
\v 29 Therefore the children of Absalom did against Amnon, as Absalom had commanded to them; and all the sons of the king rose up, and ascended \add [or went]\add* each upon his mule, and fled.
\p
\v 30 And when they went yet in the way, \em the\em* fame came \em thereof\em* to the king, and it was said, Absalom hath slain all the sons of the king, and namely not one \em is\em* left of them.
\p
\v 31 Therefore the king rose up, and rent his clothes, and felled down on the earth; and all his servants that stood nigh to him, rent their clothes.
\p
\v 32 But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, brother of David, answered and said, My lord the king, guess thou not, that all the young men, and sons of the king, be slain; Amnon alone is dead, for he was set in hatred to Absalom, from the day in which he oppressed Tamar, his sister.
\p
\v 33 Now therefore, my lord the king, set not this word on his heart, and say, All the sons of the king be slain; for Amnon alone is dead.
\p
\v 34 Forsooth Absalom fled. And a child, espyer, raised \add [up]\add* his eyes, and beheld, and lo! much people came by a way out of the common way, by the side of the hill.
\p
\v 35 And Jonadab said to the king, Lo! the sons of the king come; after the word of thy servant, so it is done.
\p
\v 36 And when he had ceased to speak, also the sons of the king appeared; and they entered, and raised up their voice, and wept; but also the king and all his servants wept with full great weeping.
\p
\v 37 Forsooth Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Therefore David bewailed his son Amnon in many days.
\p
\v 38 Forsooth Absalom, when he had fled, and had come into Geshur, was there three years.
\p
\v 39 And \add [king]\add* David ceased to pursue Absalom, for he was comforted upon the death of Amnon.
\c 14
\cl CHAPTER 14
\p
\v 1 Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, understood, that the heart of the king was turned to Absalom;
\p
\v 2 and he sent to Tekoah, and took from thence a wise woman, and he said to her, Feign thee to mourn, and be thou clothed with a cloth of dole, and be thou not anointed with oil, that thou be as a woman by mourning now in full much time a dead man.
\p
\v 3 And thou shalt enter to the king, and thou shalt speak to him such \em manner\em* words. And Joab put the words in her mouth.
\p
\v 4 Therefore when the woman of Tekoah had entered to the king, she felled before him on the earth, and worshipped, and said, O! king, keep thou me.
\p
\v 5 And the king said to her, What hast thou of cause? And she answered, Alas! I am a woman widow, for mine husband is dead;
\p
\v 6 and twain \add [or two]\add* sons were of thine handmaid, which debated against themselves in the field, and none was that might forbid them, and the one smote the tother, and killed him.
\p
\v 7 And lo! all the kindred riseth against thine handmaid, and saith, Give thou him \em to us\em* that killed his brother, that we slay him, for the life of his brother whom he killed, and that we do away the heir; and they seek to quench my spark that is left, that the name dwell not to mine husband, and that remnants \em be not to him\em* on earth.
\p
\v 8 And the king said to the woman, Go into thine house, and I shall command for thee.
\p
\v 9 And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord the king, this wicked-ness be on me, and on the house of my father; forsooth the king and his throne be innocent or guiltless.
\p
\v 10 And the king said, Bring thou him to me, that against-saith thee, and he shall no more add to, that he touch thee.
\p
\v 11 And she said, The king have mind on his Lord God, and the next \em kins\em*-men of blood to take vengeance be not multiplied, and they shall not slay my son. And the king said, The Lord liveth, for none of the hairs of thy son shall fall upon the earth.
\p
\v 12 Therefore the woman said, Thine handmaid speak a word to my lord the king. And the king said, Speak thou.
\p
\v 13 And the woman said, Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? and the king spake this word, that he do sin, and bring not again his \em son who is\em* cast out?
\p
\v 14 All we die, and as waters that shall not turn again, we slide into the earth; and God will not that a soul perish, but he withdraweth, and thinketh, lest he perish utterly, which is cast away.
\p
\v 15 Now therefore come thou, that I speak to my lord the king this word, while the people is present; and thine handmaid said, I shall speak to the king, if in any manner the king do the word of his handmaid.
\p
\v 16 And the king heard the words, that he should deliver his handmaid from the hands of all men, that would do away me, and my son together, from the heritage of the Lord.
\p
\v 17 Therefore thine handmaid say, that the word of my lord the king be made as sacrifice, \em that is, that the sentence given of him be pleasant to God, as sacrifice pleaseth God\em*; for as an angel of the Lord, so is my lord the king, that he be not moved by blessing neither by cursing. Wherefore and thy Lord God is with thee.
\p
\v 18 And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide thou not from me the word which I ask thee. And the woman said to him, Speak thou, my lord the king.
\p
\v 19 And the king said, Whether the hand of Joab is with thee in all these things? The woman answered, and said, By the health of thy soul, my lord the king, neither to the left side neither to the right side is \em anything\em* of all these things, which my lord the king hath spoken. For thy servant Joab himself commanded to me, and he putted \add [or put]\add* all these words into the mouth of thine handmaid,
\p
\v 20 that I should turn the figure of this word; for thy servant Joab commanded this thing. Forsooth thou, my lord the king, art wise, as an angel of God that hath wisdom, that thou understand all things on earth.
\p
\v 21 And the king said to Joab, Lo! I am pleased, and I have done thy word; therefore go thou, and again-call thou the child Absalom.
\p
\v 22 And Joab felled upon his face to the earth, and he worshipped, and blessed the king; and Joab said, Thy servant hath understood today, that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord king, for thou hast done the word of thy servant.
\p
\v 23 Therefore Joab rose up, and went into Geshur, and brought Absalom into Jerusalem.
\p
\v 24 And the king said, Turn he again into his house, and see not he my face. Therefore Absalom turned again into his house, and saw not the face of the king.
\p
\v 25 Soothly no man in all Israel was so fair as Absalom, and full comely; from the step of the foot unto the top, there was no wem in him;
\p
\v 26 and inasmuch as he clipped more his hairs, by so much the more they waxed; but he was clipped once in the year, for his hair grieved him. And when he clipped the hairs, he weighed the hairs of his head by two hundred shekels by common weight.
\p
\v 27 And three sons, and a daughter, Tamar by name, of seemly shape, \em or excellent form\em*, were born to Absalom.
\p
\v 28 And Absalom dwelled in Jerusalem two years, and he saw not the face of the king.
\p
\v 29 Therefore he sent to Joab, that he should send him to the king; and Joab would not come to him. And when he had sent the second time, and Joab would not come,
\p
\v 30 Absalom said to his servants, Ye know the field of Joab beside my field having ripe barley; therefore go ye, and burn ye it \add [up]\add* with fire. Therefore the servants of Absalom burnt the corn with fire.
\p
\v 31 And Joab rose up, and came to Absalom into his house, and said, Why have thy servants burnt \add [up]\add* my corn with fire?
\p
\v 32 And Absalom answered to Joab, I sent to thee, and besought that thou shouldest come to me, and that I should send thee to the king, that thou shouldest say to him, Why came I from Geshur? It was better to me to have been there; therefore I beseech, that I see the face of the king, that if he is mindful of my wickedness, slay he me.
\p
\v 33 Joab entered to the king, and told to him. And Absalom was called, and he entered to the king, and he worshipped on the face of \add [the]\add* earth before him, and the king kissed Absalom.
\c 15
\cl CHAPTER 15
\p
\v 1 Therefore after these things, Absalom made a chariot to him, and \em had\em* knights and fifty men, that should go before him.
\p
\v 2 And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the entering of the gate in the way; and Absalom called to him each man, that had a cause \add [or a need]\add* that he should come to the doom of the king, and Absalom said, Of what city art thou? Which answered, and said, Of one lineage of Israel I am, thy servant.
\p
\v 3 And Absalom answered to him, Thy words seem to me good and just, but none is ordained of the king to hear thee.
\p
\v 4 And Absalom said, Who shall ordain me judge on the land, that all men that have \em a\em* cause \add [or need]\add* come to me, and I deem justly \add [or right-wisely]\add*?
\p
\v 5 But when a man came to Absalom to greet him, he held forth his hand, and took, and kissed that man;
\p
\v 6 and Absalom did this to all Israel, that came to doom to be heard of the king; and Absalom stole the hearts of \add [the]\add* men of Israel.
\p
\v 7 But after four years, Absalom said to king David, I shall go, and shall yield my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Hebron;
\p
\v 8 for thy servant vowing vowed, when he was in Geshur of Syria, and said, If the Lord bringeth again me \add [or me again]\add* into Jerusalem, I shall make sacrifice to the Lord.
\p
\v 9 And the king said to him, Go thou in peace. And Absalom rose up, and went into Hebron.
\p
\v 10 Forsooth Absalom sent spyers into all the lineage\add [s]\add* of Israel, and said, Anon as ye hear the sound of \add [the]\add* clarion, say ye, Absalom shall reign in Hebron.
\p
\v 11 And two hundred men called \em out\em* of Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, and went with simple heart, and utterly they knew not the cause.
\p
\v 12 Also Absalom called \em for\em* Ahithophel of Giloh, the counsellor of David, from his city Giloh. And when he offered sacrifices, a strong swearing together was made, and the people running together was increased with Absalom.
\p
\v 13 Therefore a messenger came to David, and said, With all \add [the]\add* heart all Israel followeth Absalom,
\p
\v 14 And David said to his servants that were with him in Jerusalem, Rise ye up, and flee we; for none escaping shall be to us from the face of Absalom; therefore haste ye to go out, lest he come, and occupy us, and fulfill upon us his falling, and smite the city with sharpness of \add [the]\add* sword.
\p
\v 15 And the servants of the king said to him, We thy servants shall perform gladly all things, whatever our lord the king shall command.
\p
\v 16 Then the king went out, and all his house, upon their feet; and the king left ten women concubines, \em that is, secondary wives\em*, to keep the house.
\p
\v 17 And the king went out, and all Israel, upon their feet, and the king stood far from the house.
\p
\v 18 And all his servants went beside him, and the legions of Cherethites and of Pelethites, and all the strong fighting men of Gath, six hundred men, that pursued \add [or followed]\add* him from Gath, went on foot before the king.
\p
\v 19 And the king said to Ittai of Gath, Why comest thou with us? Turn thou again, and dwell with the \em new\em* king, for thou art a pilgrim, and wentest out from thy place.
\p
\v 20 Thou camest yesterday, and today thou art compelled to go out with us. Soothly I shall go, whither I shall go; turn again, and lead again thy brethren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and truth with thee, for thou hast showed \em to me\em* grace and faith.
\p
\v 21 And Ittai answered to the king, and said, The Lord liveth, and my lord the king liveth, for in whatever place thou shalt be, my lord the king, either in death either in life, there thy servant shall be.
\p
\v 22 And David said to Ittai, Come thou, and pass forth. And Ittai of Gath passed forth, and the king, and all men that were with him, and the tother multitude.
\p
\v 23 And all men wept with great voice, and all the people passed forth; and the king went over the strand \add [or stream]\add* of Kidron, and all the people went against the way of the olive trees, that beholdeth to the desert.
\p
\v 24 Forsooth and Zadok the priest came, and all the deacons \add [or Levites]\add* with him, and they bare the ark of \add [the]\add* bond of peace of God, and they setted \add [or set]\add* down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, till all the people was passed forth that went out of the city.
\p
\v 25 And the king said to Zadok, Bear again the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the Lord, he shall lead me again, and he shall show to me that ark, and his tabernacle.
\p
\v 26 Soothly if the Lord saith, Thou pleasest not me; I am ready, do he that, that is good before himself.
\p
\v 27 And the king said to Zadok, the priest, O! thou seer, \em that is, prophet\em*, turn again into the city, with peace; and Ahimaaz, thy son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you.
\p
\v 28 Lo! I shall be hid in \add [the]\add* field places of the desert, till word come from you, and show to me.
\p
\v 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar bare again the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they dwelled there.
\p
\v 30 Forsooth David went up upon the hill of olive trees, going up and weeping, with his head covered, and with bare feet passing forth; but also all the people that was with him, went up with their heads covered, and wept.
\p
\v 31 And it was told to David, that Ahithophel was in the swearing together with Absalom; and David said, Lord, I beseech, make thou fond \add [or folly]\add* the counsel of Ahithophel.
\p
\v 32 And when David went up into \add [the]\add* highness of the hill, in which he should worship the Lord, lo! Hushai of Archi, with \em his\em* cloth rent, and with \em his\em* head full of earth, came to him.
\p
\v 33 And David said to him, If thou comest with me, thou shalt be to me \em a\em* charge;
\p
\v 34 soothly if thou turnest again to the city, and sayest to Absalom, I am thy servant, O king, suffer thou me to live; as I was the servant of thy father, so I shall be thy servant; thou shalt destroy the counsel of Ahithophel.
\p
\v 35 And thou hast with thee Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; and what-ever word thou shalt hear in the house of the king, thou shalt show it to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar.
\p
\v 36 And their two sons be with them, Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar; and ye shall send by them to me each word that ye shall hear.
\p
\v 37 Therefore when Hushai, friend of David, came into the city, also Absalom entered into Jerusalem.
\c 16
\cl CHAPTER 16
\p
\v 1 And when David had passed a little the top of the hill, Ziba, the child of Mephibosheth, appeared into his coming, with twain \add [or two]\add* asses, that were charged with two hundred loaves, and with an hundred bundles of dried grapes, and with an hundred gobbets of pressed figs, and with two vessels of wine.
\p
\v 2 And the king said to Ziba, What will \em or mean\em* these things to themselves? And Ziba answered, My lord the king, the asses be to the menials of the king, that they sit \em on them\em*; and the loaves and the pressed figs be to thy children to eat; forsooth the wine is, that if any man fail in desert, he \em may\em* drink.
\p
\v 3 And the king said, Where is the son of thy lord? And Ziba answered to the king, He dwelled \add [still]\add* in Jerusalem, and said, Today the Lord of the house of Israel shall restore to me the realm of my father.
\p
\v 4 And the king said to Ziba, All things that were of Mephibosheth be thine. And Ziba said, I pray, find I grace before thee, my lord the king.
\p
\v 5 Therefore king David came to Bahurim, and lo! a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei by name, \add [the]\add* son of Gera, went out from thence; he went forth going out, and cursed.
\p
\v 6 And he sent stones against David, and against all the servants of king David; and all the people, and all the fighting men went at the right side and at the left side of the king.
\p
\v 7 And Shimei spake thus, when he cursed the king, Go out, go out, thou man of bloods, \em that is, the shedder out of much guiltless blood\em*, and man of Belial!
\p
\v 8 The Lord hath yielded to thee all the blood of the house of Saul, for thou hast ravished the realm from him; and the Lord hath given the realm into the hand of Absalom, thy son; and lo! thine evils oppress thee, for thou art a man of bloods.
\p
\v 9 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Why curseth this dog, that shall die, my lord the king? I shall go, and I shall gird off his head.
\p
\v 10 And the king said, Ye sons of Zeruiah, what is \em it\em* to me and to you? Suffer ye him, that he curse; forsooth the Lord hath commanded to him, that he should curse David; and who is he that dare say, Why did he so?
\p
\v 11 And the king said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Lo! my son, that went out of my womb, seeketh my life; how much more now this son of Benjamin? Suffer ye him, that he curse \em me\em* by \add [the]\add* commandment of the Lord;
\p
\v 12 if in hap the Lord behold my tormenting, and yield good to me for this day’s cursing.
\p
\v 13 Therefore David went forth, and his fellows, by the way with him; but Shimei went aside by the slade of the hill against David; and cursed \em David\em*, and threw stones against him, and sprinkled earth.
\p
\v 14 And so king David came, and all the people weary with him, and they were refreshed there.
\p
\v 15 And Absalom, and all the people of Israel entered into Jerusalem, but also Ahithophel with him.
\p
\v 16 And when Hushai of Archi, the friend of David, had come to Absalom, he said to him, Hail, king! hail, king!
\p
\v 17 To whom Absalom said, This is thy grace to thy friend; why wentest thou not with thy friend?
\p
\v 18 And Hushai answered to Absalom, Nay, for I shall be the \em servant\em* of him, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel; and I shall dwell with him.
\p
\v 19 But that I say also this, to whom shall I serve? whether not to the son of the king? as I obeyed to thy father, so I shall obey to thee.
\p
\v 20 And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Take ye counsel, what we owe to do.
\p
\v 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Enter thou \add [in]\add* to the concubines of thy father, which he left to keep the house; that when all Israel heareth, that thou hast defouled thy father’s \em bed\em*, the hands of them be strengthened with thee.
\p
\v 22 Therefore they stretched out \em for\em* Absalom a tabernacle in the solar, and he entered \add [in]\add* to the concubines of his father before all Israel.
\p
\v 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man had counselled with God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.
\c 17
\cl CHAPTER 17
\p
\v 1 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, I shall choose to me twelve thousand of men, and I shall rise up, and pursue David in this night.
\p
\v 2 And I shall fall on him, for he is weary, and with unbound hands I shall smite him. And when all the people fleeth that is with him, I shall smite the king left alone.
\p
\v 3 And I shall lead again all the people, as one man is wont to be turned again; for thou seekest one man, and all the people shall be in peace.
\p
\v 4 And the words of Ahithophel pleased Absalom, and all the greater men in birth of Israel.
\p
\v 5 And Absalom said, Call ye also Hushai of Archi, and hear we what also he saith.
\p
\v 6 And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, Ahith-ophel hath spoken such a word; owe we \em to\em* do thereafter, either nay? what counsel givest thou?
\p
\v 7 And Hushai said to Absalom, This is not good counsel, that Ahith-ophel hath given in this time.
\p
\v 8 And again Hushai said, Thou knowest, that thy father, and the men that be with him, be most strong, and in bitter soul, as if a she bear is fierce in the forest, when her whelps be ravished \em from her\em*; but also thy father is a man warrior, and he shall not dwell with the people.
\p
\v 9 In hap now he is hid, \em either lurketh\em*, in ditches, either in one place, in which he will \em hide him\em*; and when any man falleth in the beginning, whoever shall hear \em it\em*, he shall hear, and shall say, Vengeance is done in the people that pursued Absalom.
\p
\v 10 And each full strong man, whose heart is as \em the heart\em* of a lion, shall be discomforted for dread; for all the people of Israel knoweth, that thy father is strong, and that all the men be strong, that be with him.
\p
\v 11 But this seemeth to me to be rightful \add [or right]\add* counsel; all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan till to Beersheba, unnumberable as the sand of the sea; and thou shalt be in the midst of them.
\p
\v 12 And we shall fall upon him, in whatever place he is found, and we shall cover him, as dew is wont to fall on the earth; and we shall not leave of the men that be with him, soothly not one.
\p
\v 13 That if he entereth into any city, all Israel shall compass that city with ropes, and we shall draw it into the strand \add [or stream]\add*, yea that nothing be found, soothly not a little stone thereof.
\p
\v 14 And Absalom said, and all the men of Israel, The counsel of Hushai of Archi is better than the counsel of Ahithophel; and the profitable counsel of Ahithophel was destroyed by God’s will, that the Lord should bring in evil on Absalom.
\p
\v 15 And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, Ahithophel gave counsel to Absalom, and to the elder men of Israel in this and this manner, and I gave such and such counsel.
\p
\v 16 Now therefore send ye soon, and tell ye to David, and say ye, Dwell thou not this night in \add [the]\add* field places of the desert, but pass thou \add [over]\add* without delay; lest peradventure the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him.
\p
\v 17 And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stood beside the well of Rogel; \em and\em* an handmaid went, and told to them, and they went forth to tell the message to king David; for they might not be seen, neither enter into the city.
\p
\v 18 And a child saw them, and he showed \em it\em* to Absalom; and they entered with swift going into the house of a man in Bahurim, that had a pit \em or well\em* in his place, and they went down into that pit.
\p
\v 19 And a woman took, and spread abroad a covering over the mouth of the pit, as \em if\em* drying barley with the peel taken away, and so the thing was hid.
\p
\v 20 And when the servants of Absalom had come into the house, they said to the woman, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman answered to them, They passed the river of waters, \em that is, Jordan\em*. And when they that sought them had not found them, they turned again into Jerusalem.
\p
\v 21 And when they had gone forth, they went up from the pit; and they went, and told to king David, and said, Rise ye up, and passeth soon \add [over]\add* the flood, for Ahithophel hath given such counsel against you.
\p
\v 22 Therefore David rose up, and all the people that was with him, and they passed \em over\em* Jordan, till it was clear day, before that the word was published; and soothly not one was left, that passed not \em over\em* the flood.
\p
\v 23 And Ahithophel saw, that his counsel was not done, and he saddled his ass, and rose up, and went into his house, and into his city; and when his house was disposed, he perished by hanging himself, and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
\p
\v 24 And David came into the castles, and Absalom passed \add [over]\add* Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
\p
\v 25 And Absalom ordained Amasa for Joab upon \em his\em* host; and Amasa was the son of a man that was called Ithra of Jezreel, the which entered to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, \em and\em* the sister of Zeruiah, that was the mother of Joab.
\p
\v 26 And Israel setted tents with Absalom in the land of Gilead.
\p
\v 27 And when David had come into the castles \em or Mahanaim\em*, Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and Machir, the son of Ammiel, of Lodebar, and Barzillai, of Gilead, of Rogelim,
\p
\v 28 brought to him beddings, and tapets, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and flour, and beans, and lentils or vetches, and fried chickpeas,
\p
\v 29 and honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves. And they gave \em those\em* to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat; for they supposed the people to be made faint for hunger and thirst in desert.
\c 18
\cl CHAPTER 18
\p
\v 1 Therefore David, when he had beheld his people, ordained chieftains of thousands, and of hundreds, upon them.
\p
\v 2 And he gave the third part of the people under the hand of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Ittai, that was of Gath. And the king said to the people, Also I shall go out with you.
\p
\v 3 And the people answered, Thou shalt not go out; for whether we flee, it shall not pertain to them by great work of us; whether half the part fall down of us, they shall not reckon enough, for thou art reckoned for ten thousand; therefore it is better, that thou be to us in the city in strong succour.
\p
\v 4 And the king said to them, I shall do that, that seemeth rightful \add [or right]\add* to you. Therefore the king stood beside the gate, and the people went out by their companies, by hundreds, and by thousands.
\p
\v 5 And the king commanded to Joab, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding to all the princes for Absalom.
\p
\v 6 Therefore the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was made in the forest of Ephraim.
\p
\v 7 And the people of Israel was slain there of the host of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand was made in that day.
\p
\v 8 And the battle was scattered there upon the face of all the land, and many more were of the people which the forest wasted, than they which the sword devoured in that day.
\p
\v 9 Soothly it befelled, that Absalom, sitting on a mule, came against the servants of David; and when the mule had entered under a thick oak, and great, the head of Absalom cleaved to the oak; and when he was hanged betwixt heaven and earth, the mule, on which he sat, passed \em forth\em*.
\p
\v 10 And some man saw this, and told it to Joab, and said, I saw Absalom hanged on an oak.
\p
\v 11 And Joab said to the man that told to him, If thou saw \em him\em*, why piercedest thou not him through to the earth, and I should have given to thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle?
\p
\v 12 And he said to Joab, Though thou paidest in mine hands a thousand plates of silver, I would not send \add [or put]\add* mine hand into the son of the king; for while we heard, the king commanded to thee, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom.
\p
\v 13 But and though I had done fool hardily against my life, this might not be hid from the king, and thou wouldest stand on the contrary side.
\p
\v 14 And Joab said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall assail him before thee. Therefore Joab took three spears in his hand, and fixed those \add [or them]\add* in the heart of Absalom. And when he sprawled, yet cleaving in the oak,
\p
\v 15 ten young squires of Joab ran, and smote, and killed him.
\p
\v 16 And Joab trumped with a clarion, and held with him the people, lest it pursued Israel fleeing, and he would spare the multitude.
\p
\v 17 And they took Absalom, and casted forth him into a great ditch in the forest, and bare together a full great heap of stones on him; and all Israel fled into their tabernacles.
\p
\v 18 Forsooth Absalom, while he lived yet, had raised to him a memorial, which is in the valley of the king; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be the mind of my name; and he called the memorial by his name, and it is called The Hand, \em that is, the Work\em*, of Absalom, till to this day.
\p
\v 19 And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell to the king, that the Lord hath made doom to him of the hand of his enemies.
\p
\v 20 To whom Joab said, Thou shalt not be a messenger in this day, but thou shalt tell in another day; I will \em or desire\em* not that thou tell this today, for the son of the king is dead.
\p
\v 21 And Joab said to Cushi, Go thou, and tell to the king those things that thou hast seen. Cushi worshipped Joab, and ran forth.
\p
\v 22 And again Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab, What hindereth, if also I run after Cushi? And Joab said to him, What wilt thou run, my son? Come thou hither, thou shalt not be a bearer of good message.
\p
\v 23 The which answered, But what if I shall run? And Joab said to him, Run thou. Therefore Ahimaaz ran by the way of shortness, and speed, and passed Cushi.
\p
\v 24 And David sat betwixt two gates; soothly the espyer, that was in the highness of the gate on the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man alone running;
\p
\v 25 and the espyer cried, and showed to the king. And the king said to him, If he is alone, good message is in his mouth. But while he hasted, and nighed near,
\p
\v 26 the espyer saw another man run-ning; and the espyer cried on high, and said, Another man running alone appeareth to me. And the king said to him, And this man is a good mes-senger.
\p
\v 27 Soothly the espyer said, I behold the running of the former, as the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and he cometh bringing a good message.
\p
\v 28 And Ahimaaz cried, and said to the king, Hail king! And he worshipped the king lowly before him to the earth, and said, Blessed be thy Lord God, that hath enclosed altogether the men, that raised their hands against my lord the king.
\p
\v 29 And the king said, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw, \em that is, I heard\em*, a great noise, when Joab, thy servant, thou king, sent me, thy servant; I know none other thing.
\p
\v 30 To whom the king said, Pass thou, and stand here. And when he had passed, and stood,
\p
\v 31 Cushi appeared; and he came and said, My lord the king, I bring good message; for the Lord hath deemed today for thee of the hand of all men that rised against thee.
\p
\v 32 And the king said to Cushi, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? To whom Cushi answered, and said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all men that rise against him into evil, be made as the child.
\p
\v 33 Therefore the king was sorry, and went up into the solar of the gate, and he wept, and spake thus going, My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son! who giveth to me, that I die for thee? Absalom, my son! my son, Absalom!
\c 19
\cl CHAPTER 19
\p
\v 1 Forsooth it was told to Joab, that the king wept, and bewailed his son;
\p
\v 2 and the victory in that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard, that it was said in that day, The king maketh sorrow on his son.
\p
\v 3 And the people eschewed to enter into the city in that day, as the people turned and fleeing from \add [the]\add* battle is wont to bow away.
\p
\v 4 And the king covered his head, and cried with great voice, My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son!
\p
\v 5 Therefore Joab entered to the king into the house, and said, Thou hast shamed today the cheers of all thy servants, that have made safe thy life, and the life of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy secondary wives.
\p
\v 6 Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee; and thou hast showed today that thou reckest not of thy dukes and of thy servants; and verily I have known now, that if Absalom lived, and all we had been dead, then it should please thee.
\p
\v 7 Now therefore rise up, and go thou forth, and speak thou, and make satisfaction to thy servants; for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou shalt not go forth, soothly not one man shall dwell with thee in this night; and this shall be worse to thee, than all the evils that came \add [up]\add* on thee from thy young waxing age till into \em this\em* present time.
\p
\v 8 Therefore the king rose up, and sat in the gate; and it was told to all the people, that the king sat in the gate, and all the multitude came before the king. Forsooth Israel fled into their tabernacles.
\p
\v 9 And all the people strived in all the lineages of Israel, and said, The king delivered us from the hand of all our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of Philistines; and now he hath fled from the land for Absalom.
\p
\v 10 Certainly Absalom, whom we anointed upon us, is dead in battle; how long be ye still, and bring not again the king? And the counsel of all Israel came to the king.
\p
\v 11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, and said, Speak ye to the greater men in birth of Judah, and say ye, Why came ye the last to bring again the king into his house? Soothly the word of all Israel came to the king, that they would bring him again into his house. For the king said, Ye shall say these things to the people,
\p
\v 12 Ye be my brethren, ye be my bone and my flesh; why the last bring ye again the king?
\p
\v 13 And say ye to Amasa, Whether thou art not my bone and my flesh? God do these things to me, and add these things too, if thou shalt not be master of chivalry, before me in all time after Joab.
\p
\v 14 And David bowed \em to him\em* the heart of all \add [the]\add* men of Judah as of one man; and they sent to the king, and said, Turn thou again, and all thy servants.
\p
\v 15 And the king turned again, and came till to Jordan; and all Judah came till into Gilgal to meet the king, and to lead him over \em the\em* Jordan.
\p
\v 16 But Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, hasted, and came down with the men of Judah into the meeting of king David,
\p
\v 17 with a thousand men of Benjamin; and Ziba, the child of the house of Saul, and fifteen sons of him, and twenty servants were with him; and they brake into \em the\em* Jordan, before the king,
\p
\v 18 and they passed \em over\em* the fords, that they should lead over the house of the king, and do by the behest of the king. Soothly Shimei, the son of Gera, kneeled before the king, when he had passed now Jordan,
\p
\v 19 and said to the king, My lord the king, areckon thou not wickedness to me, neither have thou mind of the wrongs of thy servant in the day, in which thou, my lord the king, wentest out of Jerusalem, neither set thou, king, those wrongs in thine heart;
\p
\v 20 for I thy servant acknowledge my sin; and therefore today I came the first of all the house of Joseph, and I came down into the meeting of my lord the king.
\p
\v 21 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said, Whether Shimei, that cursed the christ of the Lord, shall not be slain for these words?
\p
\v 22 And David said, What is \em it\em* to me and to you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Why be ye made to me today into Satan, \em that is, adversary\em*? Therefore whether a man shall be slain today in Israel? Whether I know not me made king today on Israel?
\p
\v 23 And the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die; and the king swore to him.
\p
\v 24 Also Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down with unwashed feet, and with his beard unclipped, into the coming of the king. And Mephibosheth had not washed his clothes, from the day in which the king went out of Jerusalem till to the day of his coming again in peace.
\p
\v 25 And when at Jerusalem he had come to the king, the king said to him, Mephibosheth, why camest thou not with me?
\p
\v 26 And he answered and said, My lord the king, my servant despised me; and I thy servant said to him, that he should saddle the ass to me, and I should ascend, and I should go with the king; for I thy servant am crooked.
\p
\v 27 Moreover and he accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king; but thou, my lord the king, art as the angel of God; do thou that, that is pleasant \add [or pleasing]\add* to thee.
\p
\v 28 For the house of my father was no but guilty to \add [the]\add* death to my lord the king; soothly thou hast set \add [or puttest]\add* me thy servant among the guests of thy board; what therefore have I of just complaint, either what may I more cry to the king?
\p
\v 29 And the king said to him, What speakest thou more? that that I have spoken is steadfast; thou and Ziba part the possessions.
\p
\v 30 And Mephibosheth answered to the king, Yea, take he all things, after that my lord the king turned again peaceably into his house.
\p
\v 31 Also Barzillai of Gilead, a full eld \add [or old]\add* man, came down from Rogelim, and led the king over Jordan, ready also to pursue \add [or follow]\add* him over the flood.
\p
\v 32 And Barzillai of Gilead was full eld \add [or old]\add*, that is, of fourscore years; and he gave meats to the king, when the king dwelled in castles; for Barzillai was a full rich man.
\p
\v 33 And so the king said to Barzillai, Come thou with me, that thou rest securely with me in Jerusalem.
\p
\v 34 And Barzillai said to the king, How many be the days of \add [the]\add* years of my life, that I go up with the king into Jerusalem?
\p
\v 35 I am of fourscore years today; whether my wits be quick to deem sweet thing either bitter, either meat and drink may delight thy servant, either may I hear more the voice of singers either of singsters? Why is thy servant to \em be a\em* charge to my lord the king?
\p
\v 36 I thy servant shall go forth a little from \em the\em* Jordan with thee, I have no need to this yielding;
\p
\v 37 but I beseech \em thee\em*, that I thy servant turn again, and die in my city, and be buried beside the sepulchre of my father and of my mother; forsooth \em my son\em* Chimham is thy servant, my lord the king, go he with thee, and do thou to him that that seemeth good to thee.
\p
\v 38 Therefore the king said to Bar-zillai, Chimham go forth with me; and I shall do to him whatever thing pleaseth thee, and thou shalt get all thing, that thou askest of me.
\p
\v 39 And when all the people and the king had passed \add [over]\add* Jordan, the king abode; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he turned again into his place.
\p
\v 40 Then the king passed forth into Gilgal, and Chimham with him. And all the people of Judah had led the king over, and the half part only of the people of Israel was present.
\p
\v 41 Therefore all the men of Israel came together to the king, and said to him, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee, and have led the king and his house over Jordan, and all the men of David with him?
\p
\v 42 And each man of Judah answered to the men of Israel, For the king is near \em of kin\em* to me; why art thou wroth upon this thing? Whether we have eaten anything of the king’s, either gifts be given to us?
\p
\v 43 And a man of Israel answered to the men of Judah, and said, I am greater by ten parts to the king, and David pertaineth more to me than to thee; why hast thou done wrong to me, and it was not told to me the former, that I should bring again my king? Forsooth the men of Judah answered harder to the men of Israel.
\c 20
\cl CHAPTER 20
\p
\v 1 Also it befelled, that a man of Belial was there, Sheba by name, the son of Bichri, a man of the generation of Benjamin; and he sounded with a trump, and said, No part is to us in David, neither heritage in the son of Jesse; thou Israel, turn again into thy tabernacles.
\p
\v 2 And all Israel was parted from David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; and the men of Judah cleaved to their king, from Jordan till to Jerusalem.
\p
\v 3 And when the king had come into his house in Jerusalem, he took \add [the]\add* ten women, his secondary wives, which he had left to keep the house, and he betook them into keeping, and gave meat to them; and he entered not \add [in]\add* to them; but they were enclosed till to the day of their death, and lived in widowhood.
\p
\v 4 And David said to Amasa, Call thou together to me all the men of Judah into the third day, and be thou present.
\p
\v 5 Therefore Amasa went forth, that he call together the people of Judah; and he dwelled over the covenanted time, which the king had set to him.
\p
\v 6 And David said to Abishai, Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, shall torment us more than Absalom \em did\em*; therefore take the servants of thy lord, and pursue him, lest in hap he find strengthened cities, and escape us.
\p
\v 7 Therefore the men of Joab went out with Abishai, and Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the strong men, went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.
\p
\v 8 And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came, and ran to them; and Joab was clothed with a strait coat at the measure of his shape, and he was girded above with a sword hanging down unto his entrails in a sheath; and it went out, and felled down.
\p
\v 9 And so Joab said to Amasa, Hail, my brother! And Joab held with his right hand the chin of Amasa, as kissing him.
\p
\v 10 Forsooth Amasa took not keep of the sword, which sword Joab had, and Joab smote Amasa in the side, and shedded out his entrails into the earth, and Amasa was dead; and Joab added not the second wound. And Joab, and Abishai, his brother, pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri.
\p
\v 11 In the meantime, when some of the children of David, of the fellows of Joab, had stood beside the dead body of Amasa, they said, Lo! he that would be the fellow of David, \em be\em* for Joab.
\p
\v 12 And Amasa was besprinkled with blood, and lay in the middle of the way. Some man saw this, that all the people abode to see Amasa, and he removed Amasa from the way into the field, and he covered Amasa with a cloth, lest men passing \em by\em* should abide \add [still]\add* for him.
\p
\v 13 Therefore when he was removed from the way, each man passed forth, pursuing \add [or following]\add* Joab to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.
\p
\v 14 Forsooth Sheba had passed by all the lineages of Israel till into Abel, and into Bethmaacah; and all the chosen men were gathered to him.
\p
\v 15 Therefore they came, and fought against him in Abel, and in Beth-maacah, and encompassed the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the company, that was with Joab, enforced \em or endeav-oured\em* to destroy the walls.
\p
\v 16 And a wise woman of the city cried on high, Hear ye! hear ye! say ye to Joab, Nigh thou hither, and I shall speak with thee.
\p
\v 17 And when he had nighed to her, she said to him, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. To whom she spake thus, Hear thou the words of thine handmaid. Joab answered, I hear.
\p
\v 18 And again she said, A word was said in eld \add [or old]\add* proverb, They that ask, ask in Abel; and so they profited.
\p
\v 19 Whether I am not, that answer truth to Israel? and seekest thou to destroy a city, and to do away a mother city in Israel\f + \fr 20:19 \fr*\ft \+em The woman speaketh in the person of the city, as if she said, ‘This city held ever truth and faith to the king’; and therefore in Hebrew it is thus, ‘I am one of peaceable and true’, that is, one of the number of cities that be peaceable and true to the king\+em*.\ft*\f*? why castedest or throwest thou down the heritage of the Lord?
\p
\v 20 And Joab answered, and said, Far be, far be this from me; I cast not down, neither I destroy.
\p
\v 21 The thing hath not so itself; but a man of the hill of Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by surname, raised his hand against king David; betake ye him alone \em to us\em*, and we shall go away from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Lo! his head shall be sent to thee by the wall.
\p
\v 22 Then the woman went in to all the people, and she spake to them wisely; and they threw \em out\em* to Joab the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, girded off. And Joab sounded with a trump, and they departed from the city, each man into his tabernacles; and Joab turned again to Jerusalem to the king.
\p
\v 23 Therefore Joab was on all the host of Israel; forsooth Benaiah, \add [the]\add* son of Jehoiada, was on Cherethites and Pelethites;
\p
\v 24 and Adoram was upon the tributes; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was chancellor;
\p
\v 25 and Sheva was scribe; but Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
\p
\v 26 and Ira of Jairites was the priest of David.
\c 21
\cl CHAPTER 21
\p
\v 1 And hunger was made \em in the land of Israel\em* in the days of David, by three years continually. And David counselled the answer of the Lord, \em that is, asked counsel of the Lord in the answering place\em*; and the Lord said, \em It is\em* for Saul, and for his house, and for \add [the]\add* blood, for he killed the men of Gibeon.
\p
\v 2 Therefore when \add [the]\add* Gibeonites were called, the king said to them; soothly Gibeonites be not of the sons of Israel, \em but they be\em* the relics \em or remnants\em* of Amorites; and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, \em that they should not slay them\em*, and Saul would smite them for \em his\em* fervent love, as for the sons of Israel and of Judah;
\p
\v 3 therefore David said to Gibeonites, What shall I do to you, and what shall be your amends, that ye bless the heritage of the Lord?
\p
\v 4 And Gibeonites said to him, No question is to us upon gold and silver, but against Saul, and against his house; neither we will, that a man of Israel be slain. To whom the king said, What therefore will ye, that I do to you?
\p
\v 5 And they said to the king, We owe so to do away the man, that defouled and oppressed us wickedly, that not one soothly be left of his generation in all the coasts of Israel.
\p
\v 6 Seven men of his sons be given to us, that we crucify them to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, sometime the chosen man of the Lord. And the king said, I shall give them to you.
\p
\v 7 And the king spared Mephibo-sheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, for the oath of the Lord, that was betwixt David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.
\p
\v 8 And so the king took two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, which she childed to Saul, Armoni, and Mephibosheth; and \em he took\em*\add [the]\add* five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul, which she engendered to Adriel, the son of Barzillai, that was of Meholathites.
\p
\v 9 And he gave them into the hands of Gibeonites, and they did those seven sons upon \em a\em* cross in an hill before the Lord; and these seven fell down slain together in the days of the first reaping, when the reaping of barley began.
\p
\v 10 Forsooth Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, took an hair-shirt, and arrayed to herself \em a place\em* above the stone or laid it under her upon a stone, from the beginning of harvest till water dropped on them from heaven; and she suffered not birds to tear them by day, neither beasts by night.
\p
\v 11 And those things which Rizpah, the secondary wife of Saul, the daughter of Aiah, had done, were told to David.
\p
\v 12 And David went, and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son, from the men of Jabesh of Gilead; which had stolen those bones from the street of Bethshan, in which Philistines had hanged them, when they had slain Saul in Gilboa.
\p
\v 13 And David bare out from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were crucified,
\p
\v 14 and they buried those \add [or them]\add* with the bones of Saul and of Jonathan, his son, in the land of Benjamin, in the side of the sepulchre of Kish, the father of Saul. And they did all things, whatever the king commanded \em them\em*; and the Lord did mercy to the land after these things.
\p
\v 15 Forsooth battle of the Philistines was made again against Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. Soothly when David failed,
\p
\v 16 Ishbibenob, that was of the kin of Harapha, \em that is\em*, the father \em of the giants\em*, and the iron of his spear weighed three hundred ounces, and he was girded with a new sword, enforced \em or endeavoured\em* to smite David.
\p
\v 17 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, was in help to David; and he smote and killed the Philistine. Then the men of David swore, and said, Now thou shalt not go out with us into battle, lest thou quench the lantern of Israel.
\p
\v 18 Also the second battle was in Gob against \add [the]\add* Philistines; then Sibbechai of Hushathites smote Saph, of the gen-eration of Harapha, of the kin of giants.
\p
\v 19 Also the third battle was in Gob against \add [the]\add* Philistines; in which battle a man given of God, the son of a forest, and an embroiderer, a man of Bethlehem, smote \em the brother of\em* Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was as a beam of webs \em or a weaver\em*.
\p
\v 20 The fourth battle was in Gath; wherein was an high man, that had six fingers in his hands and \em six toes\em* in his feet, that is, four and twenty \em digits\em*; and he was of the kin of Harapha, \em that is, the father of the giants\em*;
\p
\v 21 and he blasphemed Israel; and Jonathan, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, killed him.
\p
\v 22 These four were born of Harapha in Gath, and they felled down in the hand of David, and of his servants.
\c 22
\cl CHAPTER 22
\p
\v 1 Soothly David spake to the Lord the words of this song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
\p
\v 2 And David said, The Lord is my stone, and my strength or my strong-hold, and my saviour;
\p
\v 3 my God, my strength, I shall hope into him; my shield, and the horn of mine health, my raiser \em up\em*, and my refuge; my saviour, thou shalt deliver me from wickedness, \em that is, hast delivered\em*.
\p
\v 4 I shall inwardly call the Lord, worthy to be praised; and I shall be safe from mine enemies.
\p
\v 5 For the sorrows of death com-passed me; the strands \add [or streams]\add* of Belial made me afeared.
\p
\v 6 The cords of hell encompassed me; the snares of death have gone before me.
\p
\v 7 In tribulation I shall call thee, Lord, \em that is, I have called thee, Lord\em*, and I shall cry to my God; and he heard from his holy temple my voice, and my cry shall come to his ears.
\p
\v 8 The earth was moved, and trembled; the foundaments of hills were smitten and shaken together, for the Lord was wroth to them.
\p
\v 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and fire of his mouth shall devour; coals were kindled of it.
\p
\v 10 And he bowed heavens, and came down; and mist under his feet.
\p
\v 11 And he went upon cherubim, and flew; and he slid \add [up]\add* on the pens \em or wings\em* of the wind.
\p
\v 12 He put darkness \em a\em* hiding place in his compass, and riddled or winnowed waters from the clouds of heavens;
\p
\v 13 for brightness in his sight coals of fire were kindled.
\p
\v 14 The Lord shall thunder from heavens; and \add [the]\add* high \em God\em* shall give his voice.
\p
\v 15 He sent his arrows, and scattered them; \em and sent\em* lightnings, and wasted them.
\p
\v 16 And the sheddings out of the sea appeared, and the foundaments of the world were showed; from the blaming of the Lord, from the breathing of the spirit of his strong vengeance.
\p
\v 17 He sent from heaven, and took me; and drew me out of many waters.
\p
\v 18 He delivered me from my might-iest enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were stronger than I.
\p
\v 19 They came before me in the day of my tormenting; and the Lord was made my steadfastness.
\p
\v 20 And he led me out into largeness, and he delivered me; for I pleased him.
\p
\v 21 The Lord shall yield to me after my rightwiseness; and he shall yield to me after the cleanness of mine hands.
\p
\v 22 For I \add [have]\add* kept the ways of the Lord; and I did not \em turn\em* wickedly from my God.
\p
\v 23 For all his dooms \em were\em* in my sight; and I did not away from me his behests.
\p
\v 24 And I shall be perfect with him; and I shall keep me from my wicked-ness.
\p
\v 25 And the Lord shall restore to me after my rightwiseness; and after the cleanness of mine hands in the sight of his eyes.
\p
\v 26 With the holy thou shalt be holy, and with the strong, \em that is, to suffer adversities patiently\em*, thou shalt be perfect;
\p
\v 27 and with a chosen man thou shalt be chosen, and with a wayward man thou shalt be made wayward\f + \fr 22:27 \fr*\fqa For when wayward men be justly punished of God, they say that God doeth waywardly with them.\fqa*\f*.
\p
\v 28 And thou shalt make safe a poor people; and with thine eyes thou shalt make low them that be high.
\p
\v 29 For thou, Lord, art my lantern, and thou, Lord, shalt lighten my darkness.
\p
\v 30 For I girded, \em that is, made ready to battle\em*, shall run in thee, \em that is, in thy strength\em*; and in my God I shall skip over the wall.
\p
\v 31 God, his way is without wem; the speech of the Lord is examined with fire, \em that is, is pure and clean as metal proved in the furnace\em*; he is a shield of all men hoping in him.
\p
\v 32 For who is God, except the Lord; and who is strong, except our God?
\p
\v 33 God, that hath girded me with strength, and hath made plane my perfect way;
\p
\v 34 and he hath made even my feet with harts’, and hath set me upon mine high things;
\p
\v 35 and he taught mine hands to battle, and a brazen bow was granted to mine arms.
\p
\v 36 Thou hast given to me the shield of thine health; and thy mildness hath multiplied me.
\p
\v 37 Thou shalt alarge my steps under me; and mine heels shall not fail.
\p
\v 38 I shall pursue mine enemies, and I shall all-brake \em them\em*; and I shall not turn again, till I waste them.
\p
\v 39 I shall waste them, and I shall break \em them\em*, that they rise not; they shall fall under my feet.
\p
\v 40 Thou hast girded me with strength to battle; thou hast bowed under me them that stood against me.
\p
\v 41 Thou hast given mine enemies’ aback to me, men hating me; and I shall destroy them.
\p
\v 42 They shall cry, \em that is, to idols either to men’s help\em*, and none shall be that shall save \em them\em*; \em they shall\em* cry to the Lord, and he shall not hear them.
\p
\v 43 I shall do away them as the dust of \add [the]\add* earth; I shall pound them, and I shall do \add [them]\add* away as the clay, or the fen, of streets.
\p
\v 44 Thou shalt save me from \add [the]\add* against-sayings of my people; thou shalt keep me into the head of folks; the people, whom I know not, shall serve me.
\p
\v 45 Alien sons shall \em not\em* against-stand me; by hearing of \add [the]\add* ear, they shall obey to me.
\p
\v 46 Alien sons floated away; and they shall be drawn together in their enclosings.
\p
\v 47 The Lord liveth, and my God is blessed; and the strong God of mine health shall be enhanced.
\p
\v 48 God, that givest vengeances to me, and hast cast down peoples under me.
\p
\v 49 Which leadest me out from mine enemies, and raisest me from men against-standing me; thou shalt deliver me from the wicked man.
\p
\v 50 Therefore, Lord, I shall acknowl-edge to thee in heathen men; and I shall sing to thy name.
\p
\v 51 That he maketh great the healths of his king; and doeth mercy to his christ, David, and to his seed till into without end.
\c 23
\cl CHAPTER 23
\p
\v 1 Forsooth these be the last words, which David, the son of Jesse, said. The \em words that the\em* man said, to whom it is ordained of Christ, of the God of Jacob, the noble psalm-maker of Israel;
\p
\v 2 The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word by my tongue.
\p
\v 3 \em David\em* said, God of Israel spake to me, the strong \em help\em* of Israel, the just \add [or rightwise]\add* Lord of men, \em is\em* Lord in the dread of God.
\p
\v 4 As the light of the morrowtide, when the sun riseth early, is bright without clouds; and as an herb cometh forth of the earth by rains.
\p
\v 5 And mine house is not so great with God, that he should make with me everlasting covenant, steadfast and made strong in all things; for all mine health \em is of him\em*, and all my will, \em that is, all my desire, goeth into him\em*, and nothing is thereof, that maketh not fruit\f + \fr 23:5 \fr*\fqa And this is done, when all thing that cometh forth of the will, either of advisement, is done into the glory of God.\fqa*\f*.
\p
\v 6 Forsooth all trespassers shall be drawn out as thorns, that be not taken with hands.
\p
\v 7 And if any man will touch those \add [or them]\add*, he shall be armed with iron, and with a \em piece of\em* wood formed into a spear; and the thorns shall be kindled, and shall be burnt till to nought.
\p
\v 8 These be the names of the strong men of David. David sitteth in the chair, the wisest prince among \em the\em* three; he is as a most tender worm of a tree, that killed eight hundred with one fierceness.
\p
\v 9 After him was Eleazar, the son of his father’s brother, Ahohite; \em he was\em* among \add [the]\add* three strong men, that were with David, when they said shame to the Philistines, and were gathered thither into battle. And when the men of Israel had gone up,
\p
\v 10 he/Eleazar stood \em in battle, when his fellows went aback\em*, and smote the Philistines, till that his hand failed, and was stark with \em or fixed to\em* the sword. And the Lord made great health \em or victory\em* in that day; and the people that fled turned again, to draw away the spoils of \add [the]\add* slain men.
\p
\v 11 And after him was Shammah, the son of Agee, of Hararites. And Philistines were gathered in the station; and there was a field full of lentils, \em or vetches\em*; and when the people \em of Israel\em*\add [had]\add* fled from the face of Philistines,
\p
\v 12 he stood in the midst of the field, and beheld it, \em for he defended the field\em*; and he smote the Philistines, and the Lord made there \add [a]\add* great health.
\p
\v 13 Also and three men went down before, that were princes among \em the\em* thirty, and came to David in the time of reaping into the den of Adullam. And the tents of Philistines were set in the valley of giants.
\p
\v 14 And David was in a stronghold; and the station of Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
\p
\v 15 Then David desired water of the well, and said, If any man would give to me drink of the water of the cistern, which is in Bethlehem, beside the gate.
\p
\v 16 Therefore \em the\em* three strong men brake into the tents of Philistines, and drew water of the cistern of Beth-lehem, that was beside the gate, and they brought it to David; and he would not drink, but offered it to the Lord,
\p
\v 17 and said, The Lord be merciful to me, that I do not this; whether I shall drink the blood of these men, that went forth, and the peril of their lives? Therefore he would not drink. \em The\em* Three full strong men did these things.
\p
\v 18 Also Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was prince of \add [the]\add* three; he it is that raised his spear against three hundred men, which he killed; \em he was\em* named among \add [the]\add* three,
\p
\v 19 and was the nobler among \em the\em* three, and he was the prince of them; but he came not to the three first men.
\p
\v 20 And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the strongest man of great works, of Kabzeel, he smote \add [the]\add* two lions of Moab, \em that is, two knights hardy as lions or two strong hardy knights\em*; and he went down, and smote a lion in the middle \em of a\em* cistern in the days of snow.
\p
\v 21 Also he killed a man of Egypt, a man worthy of beholding, having a spear in his hand; and so when he had gone down with a rod to that man, by might he wrung out the spear from the hand of the man of Egypt, and killed him with his own spear.
\p
\v 22 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, did these things; and he was named among \add [the]\add* three strong men,
\p
\v 23 that were among the thirty nobler men; nevertheless he came not to the \em first\em* three. And David made him a counsellor of private to himself.
\p
\v 24 Asahel, the brother of Joah, was among the thirty men; Elhanan, the son of his father’s brother, of Bethlehem;
\p
\v 25 Shammah, of Harodites; Elika, of Harodites;
\p
\v 26 Helez, of Paltites; Ira, the son of Ikkesh, of Tekoa;
\p
\v 27 Abiezer, of Anathoth; Mebunnai, of Hushathites;
\p
\v 28 Zalmon, of Ahohites; Maharai, of Netophah;
\p
\v 29 Heleb, the son of Baanah, and he was of Netophah; Ittai, the son of Ribai, of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin;
\p
\v 30 Benaiah, of Pirathon; Hiddai, of the strand \add [or stream]\add* of Gaash;
\p
\v 31 Abialbon, of Arabah; Azmaveth, of Barhumites;
\p
\v 32 Eliahba, of Shaalbonites; the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, and Jashen;
\p
\v 33 Shammah, of Hararites; Ahiam, the son of Sharar, of Hararites;
\p
\v 34 Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, the son of Maachathite; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, of Giloh;
\p
\v 35 Hezrai, of Carmel; Paarai, of Arbites;
\p
\v 36 Igal, the son of Nathan, of Zobah; Bani, of Gadites;
\p
\v 37 Zelek, of Ammonites; Nahari, of Beeroth, the squire of Joab, the son of Zeruiah;
\p
\v 38 Ira, of Ithrites; Gareb, and he was of Ithrites;
\p
\v 39 Uriah of Hittites; all these were seven and thirty men.
\c 24
\cl CHAPTER 24
\p
\v 1 And the strong vengeance of the Lord added to be wroth against Israel, and he stirred against them David, saying to Joab, Go thou, and number thou Israel and Judah.
\p
\v 2 And the king said to Joab, the prince of his host, Go thou by all the lineages of Israel, from Dan till to Beersheba, and number thou the people, that I know the number thereof.
\p
\v 3 And Joab said to the king, Thy Lord God increase to this people, how great it is now, and again multiply he it an hundredfold in the sight of my lord the king; but what will \em or mean\em* my lord the king to himself in such a thing?
\p
\v 4 But the word of the king overcame the words of Joab, and of the princes of the host; and Joab went out, and the princes of the knights, from the face of the king, that they should number the people of Israel.
\p
\v 5 And when they had passed \add [over]\add* Jordan, they came into Aroer, to the right side of the city that is in the valley of Gad; and they passed forth by Jazer
\p
\v 6 into Gilead, and into the lower land of Hodshi, and they came into the woody places of Dan; and they went about beside Sidon,
\p
\v 7 and passed nigh the walls of Tyre, and nigh all the land of Hivites, and of Canaanites; and they came to the south of Judah, in\add [to]\add* Beersheba.
\p
\v 8 And when all the land was com-passed, they came after nine months and twenty days into Jerusalem.
\p
\v 9 And so Joab gave the number of \add [the]\add* describing of the people to the king. And of Israel were found nine hundred thousand of strong men, that drew out sword; and of Judah five hundred thousand of fighters.
\p
\v 10 And the heart of David smote him, \em that is, his conscience reproved him\em*, after that the people was numbered; and David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in this deed; but, Lord, I pray, that thou turn away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done full follily.
\p
\v 11 Therefore David rose early; and the word of the Lord was made to Gad, the prophet and seer, and said,
\p
\v 12 Go thou, and speak to David, The Lord saith these things, The choice of three things is given to thee; choose thou one, which thou wilt of these, that I do to thee.
\p
\v 13 And when Gad had come to David, he told to him, and said, Either hunger shall come to thee in thy land seven years; either three months thou shalt flee thine adversaries, and they shall pursue thee; either certainly three days pestilence shall be in thy land; now therefore deliver thou, \em either advise or examine thou\em*, and see, what word I shall answer to him that sent me.
\p
\v 14 And David said to Gad, I am constrained on each side greatly; but it is better that I fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies be many, than into the hands of men.
\p
\v 15 And the Lord sent pestilence into Israel from the morrowtide till to the time ordained; and seventy thousand of men were dead of the people from Dan till to Beersheba.
\p
\v 16 And when the angel of the Lord had held forth his hand over Jerusalem, that he should destroy it, the Lord had mercy on the tormenting; and said to the angel smiting the people, It sufficeth now; withhold thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was beside the cornfloor of Araunah \em the\em* Jebusite.
\p
\v 17 And David said to the Lord, when he had seen the angel slaying the people, I am \em he\em* that have sinned, and I have done wickedly; what have these \add [or they]\add* done, that be sheep? I beseech, thine hand be turned against me, and against the house of my father.
\p
\v 18 Forsooth Gad, the prophet, came to David in that day, and said to him, Go thou up, and ordain an altar to the Lord in the cornfloor of Araunah \em the\em* Jebusite.
\p
\v 19 And David went up, after the word of Gad, which the Lord had commanded to him.
\p
\v 20 And Araunah beheld, and per-ceived, that the king and his servants passed over to him; and he went out, and worshipped the king with low cheer to the earth;
\p
\v 21 and said, What is the cause, that my lord the king cometh to his servant? To whom David said, That I buy of thee the cornfloor, and build an altar to the Lord, and the slaying cease, that is cruel in the people.
\p
\v 22 And Araunah said to David, My lord the king take, and offer, as it pleaseth to him; thou hast oxen into burnt sacrifice, and a wain and yokes of oxen into uses of wood.
\p
\v 23 Araunah gave, \em that is, would give\em*, all things to the king. And Araunah said to the king, Thy Lord God receive thy vow.
\p
\v 24 To whom the king answered, and said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall buy \em it\em* of thee for price, and I shall not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices given freely. Therefore David bought the cornfloor \em for six hundred shekels of gold\em*\f + \fr 24:24 \fr*\ft As written in the \+bd first book\+bd* of \+bd Chronicles\+bd*, Chapter 21.\ft*\f*, and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
\p
\v 25 And David builded there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable sacrifices; and the Lord did mercy to the land, and the vengeance was refrained from Israel.
\rem cat ✡cat*