^And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the groin, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28And afterward when David heard it, he said: 'I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Ab- ner the son of Ner; 29let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that f alleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.' 30So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
81And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: 'Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Ab- ner/ And king David followed the bier. ^And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice, and -wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. ^And the king lamented for Abner, and said: Should Abner die as a churl dieth? MThy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters; As a infl.rt falleth before the chil- dren of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again over him. 35And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying: 'God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down/ 36And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; whatsoever the king did, pleased all the people. 37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner. 38And the king said unto his servants: 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? 39And I am this day weak, and just anointed 'king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for mej the LORD reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness/ A And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were affrighted. 2And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benja- min; for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin* 3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been so- journers 'there until this day.
4Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him, up, and fled; and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
SECOND SAMUEL 5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon. 6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him in the groin; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bed-chamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night. 8And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king: 'Be- hold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord ^the king this day of Saul, and of his seed/ 9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them: 'As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10when one told me, say- ing: Behold, Saul is dead, and he was in his own eyes as though he brought good tidings, I took hold of him^ and slew him in Ziklag, instead of giving a reward for his tidings. uHow much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?7 ^And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut on their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron. K Then came all the tribes of Israel ^ to David unto Hebron, and spoke, saying: 'Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that didst lead out and bring in Israel; and the LORD said to thee: Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.' 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel.
4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 6In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
6And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying: 'Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither'; think- ing: 'David cannot come in hither.' Nevertheless David took the strong- hold of Zion; the same is the city of David. 8And David said on that day: 'Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutter, and [taketh away] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul —.' Where- fore they say: 'There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.' 9And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. 10And David waxed greater and greater; for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.
uAnd Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. ^And David perceived that the Lord had estab- lished him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake.
SECOND SAMUEL SECOND SAMUEL ^And David took him more conhim, and smote the Philistines from cubines and wives out of Jerusalem, Geba until thou come to Gezer.
after he was come from Hebron; anc £ And David again gathered totaere were yet sons and daughters u gether all the chosen men of Dorn to David. 14And these are the Israel, thirty thousand. 2And David lames of those that were born untc arose, and went with all the people iim in. Jerusalem: Shammua, and that were with him, from Baale- Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, judah, to bring up from thence the L5and Ibhar, and Ehshua, and Nepheg.
ark of God, whereupon is called the and Japhia; 16and Elishama, and EHada, and Eliphelet.
Name, even the name of the LORD of hosts that sitteth upon the cheru- 17 And when the Philistines heard bim. 3And they set the ark of God hat David was anointed king over upon a new cart, and brought it out [srael, all the Philistines went up to of the house of Abinadab that was in seek David; and David heard of it, the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the and went down to the hold. 18Now sons of Abinadab, drove the new he Philistines had come and spread cart. 4And they brought it out of the ihemselves in the valley of Rephaim.
house of Abinadab, which was in 9And David inquired of the LORD, the hill, with the ark of God, and saying: 'Shall I go up against the Ahio went before the ark. 5And Dhilistines? wilt Thou deliver them David and all the house of Israel nto my hand?' And the LORD said played before the LORD with all into David: 'Go up; for I will manner of instruments made of jertainly deliver the Philistines into cypress-wood, and with harps, and hy hand.' 20And David came to with psalteries, and with timbrels, and 3aal-perazim, and David smote them with sistra, and with cymbals.
here; and he said: 'The LORD hath 6And when they came to the thresh- )roken mine enemies before me, like ing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth he breach of waters/ Therefore his hand to the ark of God, and took he name of that place was called hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
7And the anger of the LORD was mages there, and David and his men kindled against Uzzah; and God look them away.
smote him there for his error; and ^And the Philistines came up yet there he died by the ark of God. 8And Lgain, and spread themselves in the David was displeased, because the ralley of Rephaim. ^And when David LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; aquired of the LORD, He said: l Thou and that place was called bPerezhalt not go up; make a circuit beuzzah, unto this day. 9And David lind them, and come upon them over was afraid of the LORD that day; and gainst the mulberry-trees. ^And le said: 'How shall the ark of the b shall be, when thou nearest the LORD come unto me?7 10So David ound of marching in the tops of would not remove the ark of the LORD le mulberry-trees, that then thou unto him into the city of David; but halt bestir thyself; for then is the David carried it aside into the house of ;ORD gone out before thee to smite Obed-edom the Gittite. t "^And the tie host of the Philistines.' ^And ark of the LORD remained in the house )avid did so, as the LORD commanded of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: • That is, The possessor of breaches. *> That is, The breach o] Uzzah C5AlYLUJbL,Jb and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.
12And it was told king David, say- ing: 'The LOBD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God.' And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy. 13And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a f atling. 14Aiid David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn.
16And it was so, as the ark^ of the LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. 17And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, in the midst 01 the tent that David had pitched for it; and David ^ offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings be- fore the LORD. 18And when David had made an end of offering the burnt- offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. 19And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and.women, to every one a cake of bread, and a cake made in a pan, and a sweet cake. So all the people departed every one to his house.
20Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said: 'How did the king of Israel get him honour to-day, who un- covered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!' aAnd David said unto Michal: 'Before the LORD, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the LORD, over Israel, before the LORD will I make merry. ^And I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and with the hand- maids whom thou hast spoken of, with them will I get me honour.' ^And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. n And it came to pass, when the 1 king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about, Hhat the king said unto Nathan the prophet: 'See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within cur- tains.' 3And Nathan said to the king: 'Go, do all that is in thy heart; for the LORD is with thee.' 4And it came to pass the same night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying: 5'Go and tell My servant David: Thus saith the LORD: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in? ^ or I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7In all places wherein I have walked among all the children of Israel, spoke I a word with any of the tribes of Is- rael, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying: Why have^ye not built Me a house of cedar? 8Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto My servant David: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I took theefrom the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over My people, over Israel. 9And I have SECOND SAMUEL been with thee whithersoever thou didst go, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first, ueven from the day that I com- manded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover the LORD telleth thee that the LOKD will make thee a house. ^When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy body, and I will establish his king- dom. 13He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son; if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; 15but My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.' 17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
18Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said: 'Who am I, 0 Lord GOD, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me thus far? "And this was yet a small thing in Thine eyes, 0 Lord GOD; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come; and this too after the manner of great men, 0 Lord GOD. 20And what can David say more unto Thee? for Thou knowest Thy servant, 0 Lord GOD. 21For Thy word's sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou wrought all this greatness, to make Thy servant know it. ^There- fore Thou art great, 0 LORD God; for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, ac- cording to all that we have heard with our ears. 23And who is like Thy people, like Israel, a nation one in the earth, whom God went to redeem unto Himself for a people, and to make Him a name, and to do for Thy land great things and tremendous, even for you, [in driving out] from before Thy people, whom Thou didst redeem to Thee out of Egypt, the nations and their gods? ^And Thou didst estab- lish to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever; and Thou, LORD, becamest their God. 25And now, 0 LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm Thou it for ever, and do as Thou hast spoken. 26And let Thy name be magnified for ever, that it may be said: The LORD of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of Thy servant David shall be established before Thee. 27For Thou, 0 LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house; therefore hath Thy servant taken heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. 28And now, 0 Lord GOD, Thou alone art God, and Thy words are truth, and Thou hast promised this good thing unto Thy servant; 29now therefore let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee; "or Thou, 0 Lord GOD, hast spoken it; and through Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.'
SECOND SAMUEL Q And after this it came to pass, 0 that David smote the Philis- tines, and subdued them; and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
42And he smote Moab, and measured tKem -with the line, making them to he down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.
3David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to establish his dominion at the river Euphrates. 4And David took from him a thousand and seven hun- dred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. 5And when the Arameans of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Arameans two and twenty thousand men. ^hen David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus; and the Arameans be- came servants to David, and brought presents. And the LORD gave vic- tory to David whithersoever he went. 7And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
9And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 10then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him — be- cause he had -fought against Hadad- ezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi — and he brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass. uThese also did king David dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued: ^of Aram, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 13And David got him a name when he returned from smiting the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men. "And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites be- came servants to David. And the LORD gave victory to David whither- soever he went.
15And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people. 16And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17and Za- dok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe; 18and Bena- iah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers. Q And David said: 'Is there yet u any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?' 2Now there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him: 'Art thou Ziba?J And he said: 'Thy servant is he.' 3And the king said* 'Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame on his feet.' 4And the king said unto him: 1 Where is he?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo- SECOND SAMUEL SECOND SAMUEL debar/ JThen king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machii the son, of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. 6And Mephibosheth, the son oJ Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and prostrated himself. And David said ' Mephibosheth!7 And he answered: * Behold thy servant!' 7And David said unto him: 'Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.1 8And he bowed down, and said: 'What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?'
sThen the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him: 'All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son. 10And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread con- tinually at my table.' Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. uThen said Ziba unto the king: 'Ac- cording to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do; but Mephibosheth eateth at my table as one of the king's sons,' ^Now Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. Aiid all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. ^But Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet.
*| A And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon ^died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. 2And David said: 'I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me.' So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort hirn concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children'of Ammon. 3But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord: 'Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sen-t his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?' 4So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the mid- dle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 6When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said: 'Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then re- turn.'
6And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth- rehob, and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand ^ footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand inen. 7And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 8And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Arameans of Zobah, and of Elehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, /were by themselves in the field.
9Now when Joab -saw that the Battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Arameans; 10and the rest SECOND SAMUEL of the people he committed into the hand of "Abishai his brother, and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. uAnd he said: 'If the Arameans be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ajnmon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. 12Be of good courage, and let us prove strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do that which seemeth Him good.' 13So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Arameans; and they fled before him. 14And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Am- mon, and came to Jerusalem.
15And when the Arameans saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves to- gether. 16And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Arameans that were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer at their head 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans set them- selves in array against David, and fought with him. 18And the Arameans fled before Israel; and David slew of the Arameans seven hundred drivers of chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there. 19And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
1 "j And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings David sent out to battle, that loab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they de- stroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.
2And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said: 'Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' 4And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house. 5And the woman con- ceived; and she sent and told David, and said: 'I am with child/