6And David sent to Joab [, saying]: 'Send me Uriah the Hittite/ And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the peo- ple fared, and how the war prospered. 8And David said to Uriah. 'Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet.' And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king. 9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10And when they had told David, saying: 'Uriah went not down unto his house', David said unto Uriah: 'Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?' nAnd Uriah said unto David: 'The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants » Heb. Abshai* SECOND SAMUEL of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul hveth, I will not do this thing.' 12And David said to Uriah: 'Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart.' So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk; and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14And it came to pass in the morn- ing, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15And he wrote in the letter, saying: 'Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.' 16And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people, even of the serv- ants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19and he charged the messenger, saying: 'When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king, 20it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee: Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? awho smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say: Thy serv- ant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' i MSo the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.^ ^And the messenger said unto David: 'The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate. ^And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' ^hen David said unto the messenger: 'Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth in one manner or another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage thou him.'
26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son But the thing that Da- vid had done displeased the LORD 1 O And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto H-m, and said unto him: 'There were two men in one city: the one rich, and the other poor. 2The rich man had ex- ceeding many flocks and herds; 3but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared; and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4And •there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and- of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.' 6And SECOND SAMUEL David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Na- than: ' As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this deserveth to die; 6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.'
7 And Nathan said to David: 'Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that were too little, then would I add unto thee so much more. 9Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the LORD, to do that which is evil in My sight? Uriah the Hittite thou hast smitten with the sword, and his wife thou hast taken to be thy wife, and him thou hast slain with the sword of the children of Anxmon. "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. "Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. ^For thou didst it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and be- fore the sun.' 13And David said unto Nathan: 'I have sinned against the LORD. ' And Nathan said unto David: 'The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast greatly blasphemed the enemies of the LORD, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.' 15And Nathan de- parted unto his house.
And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick. 16David therefore be- sought God for the child; and David fasted, and as often as he went in, he lay all night upon the earth. 17And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said: 'Be- hold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice; how then shall we tell him that the child is dead, so that he do himself some harm?' 19But when David saw that his servants whispered together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said unto his servants: ' Is the child dead?' And they said: 'He is dead/ 20Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of the LORD, and wor- shipped; then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21Then said his servants unto him: 'What thing is this that thou hast done? f thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread/ ^Andhesaid. 'While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said: Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live? ^But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'
^And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and SECOND SAMUEL called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him; ^and He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name aJedidiah, for the LORD'S sake.
26Now Joab fought against Kab- bah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27And Joab sent messengers to David, and said: 'I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters. 28Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called after my name/ 29And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 80And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was & talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; ana it was set on David's head. Ajid he brought forth ioil of the city, exceeding much.
^And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln; and thus did he unto all the cities of the chil- dren of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem. •J O And it came to pass after this, •*• that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2And Amnon was so dis- tressed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do any thing unto her. 3But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4And he said unto him: ^Why, O son of the king, art thou thus becoming leaner from day to day? wilt thou That is, Beloved of the LORD.
not tell me?' And Amnon said unto him: 'I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.' 6And Jonadab said unto him: 'Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him: Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food hi my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.' 6So Amnon lay down, and feigned him- self sick; and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king: 'Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand/ 7Then David sent home to Tamar, saying: 'Go now to thy brother Am- non's house, and dress him food.' 8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. 9And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said: 'Have out all men from me/ And they went out every man from him. 10And Amnon said unto Tamar: ' Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat of thy hand/ And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11And when she had brought them near unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her: 'Come lie with me, my sister/ wAnd she answered him: 'Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this wanton deed. 13And I, whither shall I carry my shame? and, as for thee, thou wilt be as one of the base men in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee/ SECOND SAMUEL 14Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her. * 15Then Amnon hated her with ex- ceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her: 'Arise, be gone.' 16And she said un- to him: 'Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that thou didst unto me.' But he would not hearken unto her. 17Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said: ' Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her/ — 18Now she had a garment of many colours upon her; for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. — And his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. 19And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of many colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
20And Absalom her brother said un- to her: 'Hath 'Amnon thy brother been with thee? but now hold thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart.' So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. ^But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. ^And Absalom spoke unto Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, be- cause he had forced his sister Tamar.
MAnd it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheep- shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king's sons. MAnd Absalom came to the _ and said: 'Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant.7 26And the king said to Absalom: 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome unto thee.' And he pressed him; how- beit he would not go, but blessed him. ^Then said Absalom: 'If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us.' And the king said unto him: 'Why should he go with thee?' 27But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28And Absalom command- ed his servants, saying: 'Mark ye now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I say unto you: Smite Amnon, then Mil him, fear not; have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.' 29And the servants of Absalom did unto Am- non as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule, and fled.
30And it came to pass, while they were in the way; that the tidings came to David, saying: 'Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.' aThen the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said: 'Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the ap- pointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Ta.rn.ar. ^New there- fore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.'
wBut Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and,^ behold, there came much people in a round- » Heb. Aminon.
SECOND SAMUEL about way by the hill-side. 35And Jonadab said unto the king: 'Be- hold, the king's sons are come; as thy servant said, so it is.' 36And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.
37But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day.
38So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39And the soul of king David failed with longing for Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Arrmon, seeing he was dead.
1 A. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. 2And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her: 'I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourn- er, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead; 8and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.7 So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and prostrated herself, and said: 'Help, O king.' 5And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead. 6And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove to- gether in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him. 7And, be- hold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said: De- liver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.'
8And the king said unto the woman: 'Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.' 9And ^the woman of Tekoa said unto the king: 'My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.' 10And the king said: ' Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.' "Then said she: 'I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.' And he said: 'As the LORD hveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.'
the woman said: 'Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king ' And he said: 'Say on.' 13And the woman said: 'Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one. 14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person; but let him devise means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him. 15Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy handmaid said: I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16For the king SECOND SAMUEL will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. 17Then thy handmaid said: Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for my comfort; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and the LORD thy God be with thee.'
18Then the king answered and said unto the woman: 'Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee/ And the woman said: 'Let my lord the king now speak.3 19And the king said: 'Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' And the woman answered and said: 'As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid; 20to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing; and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth/ ^And the king said unto Joab: 'Behold now, I have granted this request; go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back/ 22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and prostrated himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said: 'To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of tny servant/ ^So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ^And the king said: 'Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face/ So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26And when he polled his head — now it was at every year's end that he polled it; because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it — he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight. 27And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the " "ng's face. 29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30Therefore he said unto his servants: 'See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire/ And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. ^Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him: 'Where- fore have thy servants set my field on fire?' ^And Absalom answered Joab: 'Behold, I sent unto thee, say- ing: Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say: Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still; now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me/ ^So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed.tarn self on his face to the ground before the king; and the ting kissed Absalom.
£ And it came to pass after this, c^ that Absalom prepared him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2And Absalom used to rise up early, and stand beside the SECOND SAMUEL way of the gate; and it was so, that when any man had a suit which should come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: 'Of what city art thou?' And he said: 'Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel/ 3And Absalom said unto him: 'See, thy matters are good and right, but there is no man de- puted of the king to hear thee/ 4Absalom said moreover: 'Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!' 6And it was so, that when any man came nigh to prostrate himself before him, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him. 6And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said unto the king: I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. 8For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Aram, saying: If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD/ 9And the king said unto him: 'Go in peace/ So he arose, and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: ' As soon as ye hear the sound of the horn, then ye shall say: Absalom is king in Hebron/ uAnd with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they knew not any thing. ^And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased con- tinually with Absalom.
13And there came a messenger to David, saying: ' The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom/ 14And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem: 'Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom; make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword/ 15And the king's servants said unto the king: 'Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall choose/ 16And the king went forth, and all his house- hold after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house. 17And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak. 18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the JPele- thites, and all the Gittites, six hun- dred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite: 'Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and also an exile from thine own place. 20Whereas thou earnest but yester- day, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may? return thou, and take back thy brethren with thee in kindness and truth/ 21And Ittai answered the king, and said: 'As the LORD liveth, and a3 my lord the king hveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will thy servant be/ ^And David said to Ittai: 'Go and pass over/ And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that SECOND SAMUEL were with him. ^And all the country wept with a loud voice, as all the people passed over; and as the king passed over the brook Kidron, all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
^And, lo, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God — but Abiathar went up — until all the people had done passing out of the city. ^And the king said unto Zadok: 'Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back, and show me both it, and His habitation; 26but if He say thus: I have no de- light in thee; behold, here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.* 27The king said also unto Zadok the priest: 'Seest thou? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jon- athan the ^ son of Abiathar. 28See, I will tarry in the plains of the wilder- ness, until there come word from you to announce unto me.' 29Zadok there- fore and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they abode there.
30And David went up by the ascent of the mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot; and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. 81And one told David, saying: 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Ab- salom.' And David said: '0 LORD, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.' ^And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was wont to be worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to