And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here am I.

And David took hold on his garments, and tore them. And likewise all the men with him did so.

And David said, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?

And David called one of the young men and said, Go near; fall on him. And he struck him so that he died.

And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

And David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's wife.

But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

And each one lay hold on the head, of his companion and thrust his sword in his companion's side, so that they fell together. And one called that place The Field of Rocks, which is in Gibeon.

And Joab blew a ram's horn, and all the people stood still and did not pursue after Israel any more, nor did they fight any more.

And Joab returned from following Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men and Asahel were missing from David's servants.

But the servants of David had stricken three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, who died.

And the sixth was Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

So may God do to Abner, and more also, if I do not do to David as Jehovah has sworn,

And he said, Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but one thing I ask of you, saying, You shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and so that you may reign over all that your heart desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Let it whirl about the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. And let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls on the sword, or who lacks bread.

Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him.

And all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was still day; David swore, saying, So let God do to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else until the sun is down.

And Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron. And his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, of the sons of Benjamin. For Beeroth also was counted to Benjamin;

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And as she made haste to flee he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David saw that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that He had made his kingdom sure for His people Israel's sake.

And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him. And he struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

And when they came to Nachon's threshing-floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen upset it.

And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the ram's horn.

And it happened as the ark of Jehovah came to the city of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah. And she despised him in her heart.

the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.

Go and tell My servant David, So says Jehovah, Shall you build Me a house for My dwelling?

And now so shall you say to My servant David, So says Jehovah of Hosts: I took you from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more. Neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them any more, as before.

And even from the time that I commanded judges to be over My people of Israel, so will I cause you to rest from all your enemies. Also Jehovah tells you that He will make you a house.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God. But You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God?

And what can David say more to You? For You, O Lord Jehovah, know Your servant.

For Your Word's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things to make Your servant know.

And he struck Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground. Even with two lines he measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, bringing gifts.

And he put garrisons in Edom. He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the men of Edom became David's servants. And Jehovah preserved David wherever he went.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

And David said, Is there still any that is left from the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

And the king said, Is there not still any of the house of Saul, so that I may show the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.

And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father. And you shall eat bread at my table forever.

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

And you shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants. And you shall bring in the fruits so that your master's son may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's son, shall eat bread always at my table. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

And Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so shall your servant do. And Mephibosheth was eating at my table like one of the king's sons.

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem. For he always sat at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him for his father, by the hand of his servants. And David's servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon.

And Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, to their buttocks, and sent them away.

And the sons of Ammon saw that they had begun to stink before David. And the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and from King Maacah a thousand men, and from Ishtob twelve thousand men.

And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind. And he chose from all the choice ones of Israel, and put them in order against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, so that he might set in order against the sons of Ammon.

And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, then they fled also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And Joab returned from the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

And the Syrians saw that they were beaten before Israel, and they gathered together.

And all the kings, the servants of Hadarezer, saw that they were beaten before Israel, and they made peace with Israel and served them. And the Syrians feared to help the sons of Ammon any more.

And it happened one evening, David arose from his bed and walked on 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.

And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah left the king's house. And a gift from the king went out after him.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and draw back from him so that he may be stricken and die.

and if it be so that the king's wrath arise, and he say to you, Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerub-besheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? And you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

And the shooters shot from off the wall upon your servants, and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

Then David said to the messenger, So you shall say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city and overthrow it. And you encourage him.

And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the traveler that had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man who had come to him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die.

And Nathan said to David, You are the man! So says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that was too little, I would have given to you such and such things besides.

So says Jehovah, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor. And he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

And Nathan left to go to his house. And Jehovah struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick.

But David saw that his servants whispered. And David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, Is the boy dead? And they said, He is dead.

And he said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell if God will be gracious to me so that the child may live?

And he took the king's crown from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, and a precious stone in it. And it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them to the saw, and to sharp tools of iron, and to axes of iron. And he made them go over into the brick-kiln. And so he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin. And Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her.

And Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. And Jonadab was a very crafty man.

And he said to him, Why are you, the king's son, lean from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

And Jonadab said to him, Lay down on your bed and make yourself sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight so that I may see and eat it at her hand.

And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king had come to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat at her hand.

And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him.

And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. And he had lain down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the room so that I may eat out of your hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

And she had a robe of many colors upon her, for the king's virgin daughters were clothed with such robes. And his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.

And it happened after two full years Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, beside Ephraim. And Absalom invited all the king's sons.

But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, And watch when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, you shall kill him. Do not fear. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be brave.

And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. And all the king's sons arose. And they each got on his mule and fled.

And it happened while they were in the way, news came to David, saying, Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.

And Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah answered and said, Let not my lord think that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons. For only Amnon is dead. For by the mouth of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.

And now do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead.

And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons come; as your servant said, so it is.

And it happened as soon as he had made an end of speaking, behold, the king's sons came. And they lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept with a great weeping.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah saw that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

And behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid. And they said, Deliver him who struck his brother so that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed. And we will destroy the heir also. And so they shall put out my coal which is left, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me and on my father's house. And may the king and his throne be without guilt.

Then the woman said, Please let your handmaid speak one more word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on!

For we must all die, and we are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take a life, but has devised plans so that the outcast is not cast out from Him.

And your handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comforting. For as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to see what is good and bad. And Jehovah your God will be with you.