And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.

And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan ne'er drew back, - and, the sword of Saul, ne'er returned, empty.

Now, therefore, let your hands be made firm, and become ye sons of valour, for your lord Saul is dead, - and, me, moreover have the house of Judah anointed, to be king over them.

And Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

And, Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out from Hebron and met, by the pool of Gibeon, together, - and they sat down, these, by the pool, on the one side, and, those, by the pool, on the other side.

And Asahel pursued Abner, - and turned not, in going, to the right hand or to the left, from pursuing Abner.

Then Abner said to him - Turn thee aside, to thy right hand, or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him.

And Abner said, yet again, unto Asahel, Turn thee aside from pursuing me, - wherefore should I smite thee to the earth? how then should I lift up my face unto Joab, thy brother?

then Abner cried aloud unto Joab, and said - To the uttermost, must the sword devour? Dost thou not well know that, bitter, shall it be, in the latter end? How long, then, wilt thou not bid the people turn back from pursuing their own brethren?

Then said Joab - As God liveth, surely, if thou hadst not spoken, then in the morning, the people would of themselves have gone up, every man from pursuing his brother.

And, Joab, returned from pursuing Abner, and, when he had gathered together all the people, there were missing of the servants of David - nineteen men, and Asahel;

by turning over the kingdom from the house of Saul, - and establishing the throne of David, over Israel and over Judah, from Dan, even unto Beer-sheba.

So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, - from Paltiel, son of Laish.

And lo! the servants of David, and Joab, came in from a raid, and, great spoil, brought they in with them; but, Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had let him go, and he had departed in peace.

And, when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the well of Sirah, - but, David, knew it not.

Let it be hurled upon the head of Joab, and against all his father's house, - and let there not fail from the house of Joab - one that hath an issue, or a leper, or one that leaneth on a crutch, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

And, Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son, lame of his feet, - five years old, was he, when tidings came in of Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, so his nurse took him up, and fled, and it came to pass, when she started up to flee, that he fell and was lamed, and, his name, was, Mephibosheth.

So then David dwelt in the citadel, and called it, The City of David, - and David built round about, from Millo and inwards.

And David took him yet more concubines and wives, out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron, and there were, yet further, born unto David, sons and daughters.

And David did so, as Yahweh had commanded him, - and smote the Philistines, from Gibeon until thou enterest Gezer.

Then David, and all the people that were with him, arose and went beyond Baale Judah, - to bring up from thence, the ark of God, the name whereof is called by the name of Yahweh of hosts, who inhabiteth the cherubim thereupon.

And it came to pass, when the king had taken up his abode in his house, - and Yahweh had given him rest round about, from all his enemies,

Now, therefore, thus, shalt thou say unto my servant, unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I myself, took thee away from the pasture, from after the flock, - to become leader over my people, over Israel;

and was with thee, whithersoever thou didst go, and have cut off all thine enemies, from before thee, - and will make thee a name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth;

even from the day when I put judges in charge over my people Israel, thus will I give thee rest from all thine enemies. And Yahweh must tell thee that, a house, will Yahweh make for thee.

And it shall be that, when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, then will I raise up thy seed after thee, which proceedeth from thine own body, - and I will establish his kingdom.

But, my lovingkindness, shall not depart from him, - as I caused it to depart from Saul, whom I caused to depart from before thee.

And David captured from him, a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, - and David destroyed all the chariots, but reserved of them, a hundred chariots.

also, from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, did King David take bronze, exceeding much.

Them also, did King David hallow unto Yahweh, - with the silver and the gold which he had hallowed from all the nations which he had subdued:

from Syria, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek, - and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David made a name, when he returned from his smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, - eighteen thousand.

Then sent King David, - and fetched him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

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

And it came to pass that, at eventide, David arose from his couch, and walked to and fro on the roof of the king's house, when, from the roof, he saw a woman bathing herself, - the woman being exceeding beautiful to look upon.

And David sent messengers, and fetched her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, she having purified herself from her uncleanness, - and she returned unto her own house.

Then said David unto Uriah, Go down unto thy house, and bathe thy feet. And, when Uriah went out of the house of the king, there followed him, a present from the king.

And it was told David, saying, Uriah went not down, unto his own house. So David said unto Uriah - Was it not, from a journey, thou didst come? why, then, hast thou not been down unto thine own house?

and he wrote in the letter, saying, - Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he be smitten and die.

then shall it be, if the king's anger arise, and he say unto thee, Why came ye near unto the city, to fight? Knew ye not, that they would shoot from off the wall?

Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not, a woman, cast on him an upper millstone from off the wall, that he died, in Thebez? Wherefore came ye near unto the wall? Then shalt thou say - Moreover, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.

Then did the archers shoot upon thy servants, from off the wall, and there died some of the servants of the king, - moreover also, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.

Now, therefore, the sword shall not depart from thy house, unto age-abiding times, - because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

And the elders of his house stood up over him, to raise him from the ground, - but he would not, neither would he eat food with them.

Then David arose from the ground, and bathed and anointed, and changed his apparel, and, entering into the house of Yahweh, bowed himself down, - then came he into his own house, and asked, and they set before him food, and he did eat.

Then took he the crown of Milcom from off his head, the weight thereof, being a talent of gold, with the precious stones, and it remained on the head of David, - the spoil of the city also, brought he forth in great abundance;

Then took she the pan and put them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said - Have forth every one from me. And they went out every one from him.

And, I, - whither could I take my reproach? Thou, too, wouldest be as one of the vile fellows, in Israel. Now, therefore, speak, I pray thee, unto the king, for he would not withhold me from thee.

but called his young man who waited on him, and said - I pray you, put forth this woman from me, outside, - and bolt the door after her.

Then responded Jonadab son of Shimeah David's brother, and said - Let not my lord say that they have put, all the young men - the king's sons, to death; for, Amnon alone, is dead; for, by the bidding of Absolom, was it appointed, from the day that he forced Tamar his sister.

So Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched from thence, a wise woman, - and said unto her - I pray thee, feign thyself a mourner, and put on, I pray thee, mourning apparel, and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath, these many days, been mourning for the dead;

For, when we, die, we become as water poured on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, - therefore doth God not take away the life, but deviseth plans so as not to thrust out from him, a fugitive.

Then responded the king, and said unto the woman, Nay, now! do not hide from me, the thing which I am about to ask thee. And the woman said, Pray let my lord the king speak.

Now, like unto Absolom, was there no man handsome in all Israel, to be greatly praised, - from the sole of his foot, even unto the crown of his head, there was not, in him, a blemish.

And Absolom said unto Joab - Lo! I sent unto thee, saying - Come hither, that I may send thee unto the king, saying - Wherefore, am I come from Geshur? I, might as well have yet been there. Now, therefore, let me see the face of the king, and, if there is in me iniquity, then let him put me to death.

See! thy cause, is good and right, - but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem - Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, - make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, - and, all the Gittites - six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, - were passing on before the king.

Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness - until there come word from you, to tell me.

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.

And, when King David had come as far as Bahurim, lo! from thence a man coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, whose name, was Shimei son of Gera, coming out and cursing as he came.

Then said David unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, Lo! my own son who sprang from my body, is seeking my life, - then how much more, now, a Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse, for, Yahweh, hath permitted him.

Therefore I counsel - that there be a general gathering together unto thee of all Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, - and that, thine own presence, be going on in their midst.

Otherwise, had I dealt with my life falsely (and nothing can be hid from the king), then, thou thyself, wouldst have stood aloof.

Then Joab blew with a horn, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, - for Joab had restrained the people.

Now, therefore, rise - go forth, and speak unto the heart of thy servants, - for, by Yahweh, have I sworn, that, if thou do not go forth, not a man shall tarry with thee to-night, and this will be to thee, a greater misfortune, than all the misfortune that hath come upon thee from thy youth until now.

And it came to pass that all the people were reproaching one another, throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, - the king, delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and, he, rescued us out of the hand of the Philistines, but, now, he hath fled out of the land, away from Absolom;

and he said unto the king - Let not my lord impute to me iniquity, neither do thou remember the perverseness of thy servant, on the day that thou wentest out, my lord O king, from Jerusalem, that the king should lay it upon his heart.

And, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.

And, Barzillai the Gileadite, came down from Rogelim, - and passed, with the king, over the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.

Then went up all the men of Israel from following David, to follow Sheba son of Bichri, - but, the men of Judah, clave unto their king, from the Jordan, even as far as Jerusalem.

Then went out after him - the men of Joab, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, - and they went out from Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

Then answered Joab and said, - Far be it! far be it from me! I will neither swallow up nor lay waste.

Not so, is the matter! but, a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, his name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David, give up him alone, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Lo! his head, shall be cast unto thee, through 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.

Then said they unto the king, The man who consumed us, and who thought to have destroyed us from taking a place within any of the bounds of Israel,

Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth, and spread it out for herself, on the rock, from the beginning of harvest, until water poured out upon them from the heavens, - and suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the wild beasts of the field, to devour them by night.

So David went and fetched the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the owners of Jabesh-gilead, - who stole them from the broadway of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day when the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;

and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, - and they gathered together the bones of them who had been crucified;

My God, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, - My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, My Saviour! from violence, thou didst save me.

As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, - And, from my foes, was I saved.

There went up a smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, - live coals, were kindled from it:

Thunder from the heavens, did Yahweh give forth, - yea, the Highest, uttered his voice;

He sent from on high, he took me, - he drew me out of many waters;

He rescued me from my foe, in his might, - from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:

For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, - and not broken away from my God;

For, all his regulations, were before me, - and, as for his statutes, I turned not from them.

So became I blameless towards him, - and kept myself from mine iniquity:

Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of my people, didst keep me to be the head of nations: - a people whom I had not known, served me;

And brought me forth from among my foes, - yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, from the man of violence, hast thou delivered me.

Is even as the light of the morning when ariseth the sun, - A morning, without clouds, As from brightness, and from rain, the fresh shoots out of the earth.

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,

and said - Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this! is it not the blood of the men who went with their lives in their hands ? So he would not drink it. These things, did the three mighty men.

The king, therefore, said unto Joab, captain of the force, who was with him - Go to and fro, I pray thee, throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer -sheba, and number ye the people, - so shall I know the sum of the people.

So Yahweh sent forth a pestilence throughout Israel, from the morning even unto the time appointed, - and there died of the people, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men.

Then said Araunah, Wherefore, hath my lord the king come unto his servant? And David said - To buy of thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar unto Yahweh, that the plague may be stayed from off the people.