And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.

And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?

And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

And David said to the young man who told him, From where are you? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

The beauty of Israel is slain upon your high places! How are the mighty fallen!

How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places.

How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead. And he said to them, Blessed are you of Jehovah, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.

And Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am.

And afterward David heard, and said, My kingdom and I are guiltless before Jehovah forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

And I am weak this day, though anointed king. And these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. Jehovah shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

And all the tribes of Israel came to David, to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

These are the names of those to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

And when your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall come out of your bowels. And I will make his kingdom sure.

Therefore You are great, O Jehovah God. For there is none like You, neither is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And now, O Lord Jehovah, You are that God, and Your Words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And they called him to David, and the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, Your servant.

And they told David, and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards are grown, and return.

And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me. But if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents. And my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are camped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.

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.

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 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 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.

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 Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate. And it was so, if any man had a suit to come before the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him and said, What city are you from? And he said, Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absalom said to him, See! Your matters are good and right. But no listener from the king will hear you.

And a messenger came to David saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you also go with us? Return to your place, and stay with the king. For you are a stranger, and also an exile.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you. Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

And the king said to Ziba, What are these to you? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride upon. And the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. And the wine is so that the ones who are faint in the wilderness may drink.

Jehovah has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. And Jehovah has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. And behold, you are taken in your mischief, because you are a man of blood!

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, that he left to keep the house. And all Israel shall hear that you are abhorred by your father. And the hands of all who are with you will be strong.

And I will bring back all the people to you, when all return, except the man whom you are seeking. All the people shall be in peace.

For, Hushai said, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are bitter of soul, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not stay the night with the people.

And also he, the son of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and they who are with him are mighty men.

And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him like the dew falls upon the ground. And of all the men that are with him, not even one shall be left.

And when Absalom's servants came to the woman, to the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

and honey and butter and sheep and cheese from cows, for David and for the people with him to eat. For they said, The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.

But the people answered, You shall not go forth. For if we run away, they will not set their heart on us, even if half of us die. For now you are worth ten thousand of us. And now it is better that you remain to help us from the city.

And the people went up secretly into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

By loving your enemies and hating those who love you, you have declared today that there are neither commanders nor servants to you. For I know that today if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you very much!

And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? For the word of all Israel has come to the king, to his house.

You are my brothers, and my flesh and my bone. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?

And you say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me all the days instead of Joab.

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near to us. Why then are you angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost? Or has he given us any gift?

And Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

And when he had come near her, the woman said, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am. And she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. And he answered, I hear.

And You will save the afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the proud, whom You bring low.

For You are my lamp, O Jehovah. And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.

And these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said:

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief of the three; he was called Adino the Eznite, because of the eight hundred he killed at one time.

And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah, for His mercies are great. And do not let me fall into the hand of man.