And now let your hands stir them and play ye the men, though your master Saul be dead. And finally, understand that the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Joab answered, "Be it."

Then Abner said unto David, "I will up and go gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make an appointment with thee, that thou mayest be king over all that thine heart desireth." And so David let Abner depart, and he went in peace.

And the Philistines came and laid them along in the valley of Rephaim.

And the Philistines came yet again and laid them in the valley Rephaim.

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."

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 let thy name be great forever, that men may say, 'The LORD of Hosts is the God of Israel.' And let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

And he beat the Moabites and measured them with a line, making them lie along the earth; so that he brought two parts of them to death, and let one part live. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and paid tribute.

Quite thee like a man, and let us fight lustily for our people and for the cities of our God. And the LORD do what seemeth best in his eyes."

Then said David unto Uriah, "Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." And so Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and on the morrow.

Then said David unto the messenger, "Thus wise say unto Joab, 'Let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage, Joab."

Then said Jonadab unto him, "Lie on thy bed and feign thyself sick. And when thy father is come to see thee, say unto him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me meat and dress it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it of her hand."

And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto him, "Let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of fritters in my sight, that I may eat of her hand."

but called his lad that waited upon him, and said, "Put her out at the doors from me and bolt the door after her."

Then Absalom her brother said unto her, "Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? Now then, be still my sister: for he is thy brother. And let not this thing grieve thine heart." And so Tamar remained discomforted in her brother Absalom's house.

And he came to the king and said, "Behold, thy servant hath a sheep shearing. Let the king and his servants come with thy servant."

And the king said unto Absalom, "Oh nay my son let us not go every one of us that we be not chargeable unto thee." And Absalom lay sore upon him: howbeit, he would not go, but blessed him.

Then said Absalom, "Then let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king answered, "What needeth it that he go with thee?"

But Absalom made such insistence that he let Amnon go with him, and all the king's children.

Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah David's brother answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons: save Amnon only is dead. For that hath been ever in Absalom's mouth since he forced his sister Tamar.

Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing so grievously to think that all the king's sons were dead, when Amnon only is dead."

Then said she, "Let the king remember his LORD God, that the next of the blood gather not on heaps together to destroy, and that they slay not my son." And he said, "As sure as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son's head fall to the earth."

Then the woman said, "Let thine handmaid speak one word more unto my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, "Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king say on."

Then said the king to Joab, "Behold, I am content to do this thing. Go therefore fetch home the lad Absalom."

Then said the king, "Let him turn to his own house, but see that he come not in my presence." And so Absalom went to his own house, but came not in the king's presence.

And Absalom said to Joab, "Behold, I sent for thee desiring thee to come; because I would have sent thee to the king, for to say wherefore I am come from Geshur. It had been as good for me to have bidden there still. Now therefore let me come to the king's presence, or else if there be any trespass in me, kill me."

And thereto he used to rise up early in the mornings and to stand by the wayside that led to the gate of the city. And all the men of Israel that had complaints and came to the king for judgment, he called unto him, and said, "Of what city art thou?" And when the other answered, "thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel,"

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.

Then said David unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Up, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart; lest he come suddenly and catch us and bring some mischief upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people went forward the straight way to the wilderness.

But and if the Lord thus say - 'I have no pleasure in thee' - behold, here am I, let him do with me what seemeth best in his eyes."

Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, "Why doth this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and take off the head of him."

And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse: for the LORD hath bid him curse David. And who dare presume to say wherefore doth he so?"

Then Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Let me choose out, I pray thee, twelve thousand men. And I will up and follow after David by night.

Then said Absalom, "Call also Hushai the Archite and let us hear his sentence."

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 the man answered Joab, "Though I had a thousand sicles of silver told in my hand yet would I not stretch out mine hand against the king's son. For we heard with our ears when the king charged thee, Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Spare me the lad Absalom.'

Then said Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, "Let me run I pray thee, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath judged him quite of the hands of all his enemies."

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again to Joab, "Come what will, let me run, I pray thee, after Cushi." And Joab said, "Wherefore shouldest thou run my son? For and thou run thou gettest no reward." He answered, "Well, come what will; let me run."

And the king said, "Is the lad Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz answered, "I saw a great ado, when the king's servant Joab sent me thy servant. But I know not what it was."

And the king said to Cushi, "Is the lad Absalom safe?" And Cushi answered, "The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee, to have thee, be as thy lad is."

And the king hid his face and cried with a loud voice, "My son Absalom, Absalom my son my son."

and said unto him, "Let not my lord impute wickedness unto me, nor let him not remember the wickedness that thy servant did, when my lord the king departed out of Jerusalem that the king should take it to heart.

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, "Yea, let him take all: for so much as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house."

let thy servant go a little way over Jordan with the king, for why should the king render me such a reward?

But let thy servant turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and mother. But lo here is thy servant Chimham: let him go with my lord the king, and do to him, what shall please thee."

Let us depart therefore every man to his tent." And all Israel went from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clave fast unto the king, from Jordan to Jerusalem.

Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, that we may hang them up unto the LORD, in Gibeah of Saul the LORD's elect." And David said, "I will give them you."

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

Thou art my light, O LORD, and the LORD shall light my darkness.

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.'

arose and laid on the Philistines until his hand ached and clave unto the sword. And the LORD made a great victory the same day. And the people returned and went after him only to spoil.

Then said David unto Gad, "I am in a marvelous strait. But let me fall I pray thee, into the hands of the LORD, for much is his mercy, and let me not fall into the hands of men.

And when the Angel stretched out his hand unto Jerusalem to have destroyed it, the LORD had compassion to do that evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, "It is sufficient: let thine hand cease." And the Angel was at the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.

Then spake David unto the LORD when he saw the Angel that smote the people, and said, "Lo, it is I that have sinned, and I that have done wickedly. But these sheep what have they done? Let I pray thee thine hand be on me and on my father's house."

And Araunah said unto the king, "Let my lord the king take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: Behold, oxen for sacrifice, and sleds and the other instruments of the oxen for wood."