Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, which clothed you in purple and garments of pleasure, and bordered your raiment with ornaments of gold.

And the time which David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

Then there arose and went over: twelve of Benjamin by number, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David.

And they caught each his fellow that came against him, by the head and thrust his sword in his side, and so fell down all at once. Wherefore the place was called Helkathhazzurim which is in Gibeon.

And there was three sons of Zeruiah there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel - which Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild roe -

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal which I married with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

And when Joab was come out from the king, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah - unwitting to David.

And the people wist it, and it pleased them, as well as all other good things which the king did in the sight of the people.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David, to Hebron and said to the king, "Behold there the head of Ishbosheth Saul's son, thine enemy, which sought thy soul. But the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed."

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, "As surely as the LORD liveth, which hath delivered my soul out of all adversities:

Nevertheless David took the hold of Zion, which is in the city of David.

and arose and went, with all the folk that were with him of the men of Judah, to fetch away the Ark of God: upon which is called the name of the LORD of Hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

Then David returned to salute his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out against him, and said, "Oh how glorious was the king of Israel today, which stripped himself today before the eyes of the maidens of his servants, as a light-brained fellow is wont to strip himself."

But David said again to Michal, "I thought to dance before the LORD - which chose me, rather thy father and all his kin, and commanded me to be ruler over all the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

And therefore will I play before the LORD, and will yet be more vile than so, and I will be meek in mine own sight: and of the very same maidservants which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour."

In any way where I went among the children of Israel, spake I one word with any of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: why build ye not me a house of cedar trees?'

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou laid to rest with thy fathers, then I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy body, and will establish his kingdom.

And what one people in the earth is like thy people Israel? Which God went and delivered to be his people, and to make him a name, and to show them great and terrible things in the earth, before thy people which thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, even from the people and from their gods.

he sent Joram his son unto king David to salute him with peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and beaten him - for Toi kept war with Hadadezer - which son brought vessels of silver, gold and of brass with him.

And them also King David did dedicate unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he consecrated of all nations which he subdued:

And there was, of the household of Saul, a servant named Ziba which was called unto David. And the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is the man."

Then said the king, "Remaineth there yet any man of the kindred of Saul, whom I may show the mercy of God upon?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Jonathan hath yet a son which is lame on both feet."

And the rest of the people he delivered in the hand of Abishai his brother, which put them in array against the children of Ammon.

And forthwith Joab proceeded, and the people that was with him, into battle against the Syrians: which fled before him.

But the poor had nothing, save one little lamb which he bought and nourished up. And it grew up with him and his children, and did eat of his own meat and drank of his own cup, and slept in his bosom, and was as dear unto him as his daughter.

Thus sayeth the LORD, 'Behold, I will stir up evil against thee even of thine own house and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, which shall sleep with them in the sight of the sun.

And he took the king's crown from off his head, which weighed a hundred weight of gold, and was set with precious stones. And David wore it on his head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in exceeding great abundance.

But Amnon had a companion called Jonadab, the son of Shimeah the brother of David: which Jonadab was a very wise man.

Then said Amnon unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat it of thine hand." And Tamar took the fritters which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother,

And then Amnon hated her exceedingly: so that the hate wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he before loved her. And he said unto her, "Up, and away."

And thy handmaid had two sons which fought together in the fields where was no man to go between them, and the one slew the other.

And behold, the whole kindred arose against thy handmaid and said, 'Deliver us him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soul of his brother whom he slew: for he will destroy the heir also.' And so they shall quench my sparkle which is left that he shall stir up neither name or issue upon the earth unto my husband."

For we must needs die, and perish as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again: and God will not take away the life, but find the means that the banished be not utterly expelled from him.

And this Absalom had three sons born him and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fair woman to look upon.

And Joab went to the king and told him. And he sent for Absalom; which, when he was come, fell to the ground on his face before the king. And the king kissed him.

Then Absalom said moreover, "Oh, that I were a judge in the land, and that all men which have pleas and matter in the law, should come to me. For I would do them justice."

And at forty years' end Absalom said unto the king, "Let me go, I pray thee, to Hebron; and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the LORD.

And all his servants went by his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Hittites, even six hundred men which were come afoot from Gath, went before the king.

And thou hast there with thee, Zadok and Abiathar the priests, unto which thou shalt show all that thou canst hear out of the king's house.

And behold, ye have there with you their two sons: Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son, by which ye shall send me all that ye can hear."

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Behold, my son which came out of mine own bowels seeketh my life. How much more may this son of Benjamin do it? Suffer him therefore to curse, for the LORD hath bidden him.

And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Get thee in unto thy father's concubines which he hath left to keep the house. For when all Israel shall hear that thou hast made thy father to stink, then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong."

And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counseled in those days, was as a man had asked counsel of God: even so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both unto David and also unto Absalom.

and will bring again all the people unto thee. And when all these men which thou seekest are turned to thee, all the people shall have rest."

By the reason whereof, the best men thou hast whose hearts are as the hearts of lions, shall shrink thereat. For all Israel knoweth that thy father is a man, and that they which be with him be children of activity.

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said that the counsel of Hushai the Archite was better than the counsel of Ahithophel - For it was even the LORD's determination to destroy the counsel of Ahithophel, which was good, that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

Nevertheless there was a lad saw them, which told it to Absalom. But they went both of them away quickly and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his yard, into which they went down.

And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host in the stead of Joab, which Amasa was a man's son named Ithra a Jezreelite that went into Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

And it chanced Absalom to come before the servants of David riding upon a mule which carried him under the thick boughs of a great oak. And his head caught in the oak, and he was left between heaven and earth, and the mule that was under him went his way.

And this Absalom, yet in his lifetime, took and reared up a pillar, which is yet in King's Dale. For he said, "I have no male child. And therefore, to keep my name in remembrance do I it." And he called the pillar after his own name. And it is called unto this day, Absalom's pillar.

And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "Good tidings," and bowed himself to the earth upon his face before the king and said, "Blessed be the LORD thy God which hath shut up all the men that lifted up their hands against my Lord the king."

And Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and daughters, and the lives of thy wives and concubines:

And Shimei the son of Gera the son of Benjamin which was of Bahurim, hasted and came with the men of Judah against king David,

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, "Shall Shimei not die for that cause: which cursed the LORD's anointed?"

which Barzillai was a very aged man, even four score year old, and had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substance.

And there happened to be an unthrifty fellow named Sheba, the son of Bichri a man of Benjamin which blew a trumpet and said, "We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse, O Israel.

And Amasa went to gather the men of Judah together: but tarried longer than the time which was appointed him.

And Amasa took no heed to the knife that was in Joab's hand, with which Joab smote him in the short ribs, and shed out his bowels to the ground and smote him but one stroke, and he died. And then Joab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the son of Bichri.

The matter is not so: But there is a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, which hath lifted up his hand against king David. Deliver us him only, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said unto Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown through the wall to thee."

But he took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah which she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Miphiyboseth, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul which she bare to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite,

and delivered them unto the hands of the Gibeonites, which hanged them in the hill before the LORD. And they fell all seven together in the first days of harvest: even in the beginning of barley harvest.

he went and took the bones of Saul, and of Jonathan his son, and of the men of Jabesh in Gilead, which they had stolen from the street of Bet-Shean, where the Philistines had hanged them in the days when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.

And there was yet, after this, battle with the Philistines at Nob, in which Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph of the sons of Haraphah.

And thou deliveredst me from the dissension of my people, and keepest me to be a head over nations, for the people which I knew not became my servants.

These be the last sayings of David. David the son of Jesse said: and the man which is lifted up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob and pleasant Psalmist of Israel said,

shall be as the morning light, when the sun shineth in a morning in which are no clouds to let the brightness; and as the grass of the earth is by the virtue of the rain.'

when the unthrifty men are all of them as thorns taken out of their places, which cannot be taken with hands.

These be the names of the mighty men that were about David: Josheb of Shebeth the Tahchemonite, first of three, otherwise called Adino the Eznite, which slew eight hundred at one time.

And next to him, Eleazar the son of Dodi the son of Ahohi, one of the three principal that were with David, which - when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together in battle, and the men of Israel were gone up -

After him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite, which - when the Philistines were gathered together in Lehi, where was a parcel of land full of rice, and the people were fled for fear of the Philistines -

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man, which had a spear in his hand. And Benaiah went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and slew him with his own spear.

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