I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. But your servant said, 'I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant asks.

Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land."

But the king said, "Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face." So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king's face.

But 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.

Absalom resided in Jerusalem two years but never saw the king.

Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, - If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening.

So the king left, and all his household with him. But the king left behind ten women who were concubines to take care of the house (palace).

Whereas thou camest but yesterday, 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: mercy and truth be with thee.

But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether dead or alive, there I will be as well!"

But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

But David went up by the ascent of the Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

Now, David, had passed on but a little from the summit, when lo! Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, met him, - with a couple of asses saddled, and, upon them, two hundred cakes of bread, and one hundred cakes of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.

But the king said, "What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because the Lord has said to him, 'Curse David!', who can say to him, 'Why have you done this?'"

So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them.

But Absalom asked Hushai, "So this is how you demonstrate your loyalty to your closest friends? Why didn't you leave with your friend?"

And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

And furthermore, unto whom shall I do service but even to his son? And as I was servant before with thy father, even so shall I be with thee."

"I'll catch him while he is still tired and weak. I'll frighten him so all his people with him desert him. But I'll only kill the king.

Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you [are] seeking [will be dead], but all the people will be safe."

But Absalom said, "Call for Hushai the Arkite, and let's hear what he has to say."

But he will certainly have taken cover now in some hole or secret place; and if some of our people, at the first attack, are overcome, then any hearing of it will say, There is destruction among the people who are on Absalom's side.

But my suggestion is that all Israel, from Dan as far as Beer-sheba, comes together to you, a great army like the sands of the sea in number; and that you yourself go out among them.

But, if, into a city, he withdraw, then will all Israel bring up unto that city, ropes, - and we will drag it down unto the ravine, until there be not found in that place, so much as a small stone.

Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "{Thus and so} Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but {thus and so} I have advised.

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz [the priests’ sons] were staying at En-rogel, and a maidservant [appearing to go for water] would go and tell them [what was happening], and they would go [secretly] and inform King David; for they could not [allow themselves to] be seen coming into the city [of Jerusalem].

Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

When the servants of Absalom approached the woman at her home, they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" The woman replied to them, "They crossed over the stream." Absalom's men searched but did not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

But the soldier replied to Joab, "I wouldn't have touched the king's son even if you dropped 1,000 pieces of silver right into my hands, because we heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, "Watch how you treat the young man Absalom!'

But, Absolom, had taken, and raised up for himself, in his lifetime, the pillar that is in the king's vale, for he said, I have no son, to keep in remembrance my name, so he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absolom's monument unto this day.

And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

Then was the king deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept, - and, thus, he said as he went - O my son Absolom, my son - my son - Absolom! could, I, but have died in thy stead, O Absolom, my son - my son!

But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!

But now arise, go forth, and speak consolingly to thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that would be worse to thee than all the evil that has befallen thee from thy youth until now.

But the Israelite soldiers had all fled to their own homes.

All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.

But Absalom, whom we anointed as our king, has died in battle. So now why do you hesitate to bring the king back?"

But the ferry-boat kept crossing, to bring over the household of the king, and to do what was good in his eyes. And, Shimei, son of Gera, fell down before the king, when he had passed over the Jordan;

For your servant knows that I have sinned. But look! Today I am the first one of the entire house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?

But David said, "What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? You are like my enemy today! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Don't you realize that today I am king over Israel?"

He said, “My lord the king, my servant [Ziba] betrayed me; for I said, ‘Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ for your servant is lame [but he took the donkeys and left without me].

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

But Mephibosheth told the king, "Let him take all of it, now that your majesty the king has returned safely to his palace."

But Barzillai was very old -- eighty years old, in fact -- and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I yet to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

Just a little way, will thy servant pass over the Jordan with the king, - but wherefore should the king recompense me with this reward?

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.

And then the king went to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. Now all the men of Judah were at the bringing over of the king, and but half the men of Israel.

Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, "Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan -- and not only him but all of David's men as well?"

Then all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative to us. So why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has anything been taken for us?”

The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, "We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want to curse us? Weren't we the first to suggest bringing back our king?" But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.

Then she said, “In the past people used to say, ‘They will certainly ask advice at Abel,’ and so they settled the dispute.

I am a peaceful person, one of the faithful in Israel, but you’re trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why would you devour the Lord’s inheritance?”

But Joab replied, "No way! No way! I'm not here to devour or destroy!

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

So the woman came unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it out unto Joab. And he blew with a horn, and they dispersed themselves from the city, every man to his home; but, Joab, returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took the sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock at the beginning of the harvest until water gushed forth on them from heaven, but she did not allow the birds of heaven to rest on them by day nor the animals of the field by night.

The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother smote him.

These four, had been born to the giant in Gath, - but they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.

But I had all his laws in my sight, and I turned my face from none of his ordinances.

But was pure unto him ward, and kept myself from wickedness.

You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless, but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.

And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

“For who is God, besides the Lord?
And who is a rock, besides our God?

I wasted them and so clouted them, that they could not arise: but fell under my feet.

They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

But the sons of Belial are all of them as thorns thrust away, Because they cannot be taken with hands;

But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

And, after him, Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, - in the hero-class of mighty men, with David, when they reproached the Philistines, they were gathered together there to battle, but the men of Israel had gone up;

but Eleazar stood his ground and attacked the Philistines until his hand was tired and stuck to his sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops came back to him, but only to plunder the dead.

And, after him, Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite, - and, when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils, but, the people, having fled from the face of the Philistines,

But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

And the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; however he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah.

Was he not most honourable of three? and he was their captain; but he did not attain to the first three.

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

Such things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and was the noblest of thirty: But not like to any of the three in facts of war.

He was honoured above the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David set him in his council.