Now therefore so say unto my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, 'I took thee out of a shepherd's cote from following sheep to be a ruler over my people Israel.

And what can David say more unto thee, seeing thou knowest thy servant, Lord Jehovah?

And let thy name be great forever, that men may say, 'The LORD of Hosts is the God of Israel.' And let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

if he begin to fume and say unto thee, 'Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city to fight? Wist ye not that men would hurl and shoot from the walls?

Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbosheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from off the walls, that he died in Thebes? Why then went ye nigh the walls?" Then say thou, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

Then said David unto the messenger, "Thus wise say unto Joab, 'Let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage, Joab."

Then said Jonadab unto him, "Lie on thy bed and feign thyself sick. And when thy father is come to see thee, say unto him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me meat and dress it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it of her hand."

And go to the king and speak of thus manner unto him." And so Joab taught her what she should say.

And then said the king, "If any man say ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall no more trouble thee."

Then the woman said, "Let thine handmaid speak one word more unto my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, "Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king say on."

And Absalom said to Joab, "Behold, I sent for thee desiring thee to come; because I would have sent thee to the king, for to say wherefore I am come from Geshur. It had been as good for me to have bidden there still. Now therefore let me come to the king's presence, or else if there be any trespass in me, kill me."

Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as ye hear the voice of the trumpet blow, say, 'Absalom reigneth king in Hebron.'"

But and if the Lord thus say - 'I have no pleasure in thee' - behold, here am I, let him do with me what seemeth best in his eyes."

And if thou return to the city: then shalt thou say unto Absalom, 'I will be thy servant O king: thus long have I been thy father's servant, and now I am thine,' and destroy me the counsel of Ahithophel.

And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse: for the LORD hath bid him curse David. And who dare presume to say wherefore doth he so?"

And the victory was turned that day into mourning unto all the people. For the people heard say that day, how the king sorrowed for his son,

And king David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah and say, 'Why should ye be the last that should bring again the king to his house, seeing that such tidings is come from all Israel unto the king, even to his house?

And say to Amasa, 'Art thou not my bone and my flesh? And God do so to me and so thereto: except thou be captain of the host to me forever in the room of Joab.'"

And the Gibeonites said unto him, "We have no matter of silver or of gold with Saul or with his house: neither have we any man that we would kill in Israel." Then he said, "What say ye that I shall do for you?"

But the king had compassion on Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them: that is to say, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

"Go and say unto David, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: I offer thee three things, choose which of them I shall do to thee.'"