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

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

He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, because all my life is still in me.

And I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown on his head, and the bracelet on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant you have been to me. Your love to me was wonderful, more than the love of women.

And now may Jehovah do kindness and truth to you. And I also do good to you, because you have done this thing.

And now let your hands be strengthened, and be brave. For your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?

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 Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? He said, Cut your covenant with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring about all Israel to you.

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 then do it, for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

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.

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 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 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 they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. And Jehovah has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. I gave that to him as a reward.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were he who led Israel out and brought them in. And Jehovah said to you, You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be a leader over Israel.

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said to David, Go up! For I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.

And David came to Baal-perazim, and David struck them there, and said, Jehovah has broken forth on my enemies before me, like the breaking forth of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place The Breaking of Baal.

And David was afraid of Jehovah that day, and said, How shall the ark of Jehovah come to me?

And David said to Michal, It was before Jehovah, who chose me before your father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel. And I danced before Jehovah.

And I will be still lower than this, and will be base in my own sight. And of the handmaids of whom you have spoken, with them I shall be had in honor.

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

In all places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, those I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, Why do you not build Me a house of cedars?

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.

He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.

But My mercy shall not leave him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.

Then King David went in and sat before Jehovah. And he said, Who am I, O Lord Jehovah? And what is my house, that You have brought me here?

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.

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 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 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.

Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people and for the cities of our God. And may Jehovah do that which seems good to Him.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

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 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 therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

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?

But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

And therefore gather the rest of the people together, and camp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.

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 she took a pan and poured them out before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Make every man go out from me. And every man went out from him.

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 when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister.

And she answered him, No, my brother, do not humble me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly.

And I, where shall I cause my shame to go? And as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. But now please speak to the king. For he will not withhold me from you.

And she said to him, There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.

And he called his servant who waited on him and said, And put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Do not set your heart on this thing. And Tamar remained desolate in the house of her brother Absalom.

And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be too heavy upon you. And he pressed him. He would not go, however, but blessed him.

Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us? And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?

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 the king said to her, What ails you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow, and my husband died.

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.

And the king said, Whoever speaks to you, you also bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.

Then she said, Please let the king remember Jehovah your God, that you would not allow the avengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they should destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.

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

And now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, because the people have made me afraid. And your handmaid said, I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will do what his handmaid has asked.

For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

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.

And the king answered and said to the woman, Please do not hide from me the thing that I shall ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none shall turn to the right hand or to the left from anything which my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me. And he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.

Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. And my lord is wise according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the land.

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O, king, in that the king has done what your servant has asked.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

And Joab arose and came to Absalom's house, and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come here so that I may send you to the king, to say, Why have I come from Geshur? It was good for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.

And Absalom said, Oh that I might be made judge in the land, so that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!

And it happened at the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to Jehovah in Hebron.

For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.

And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, your servants will do whatever my lord the king shall choose.

Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us today? Since I go where I may, you may return and take back your brothers. May mercy and truth be with you.

And Ittai answered the king and said, As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will your servant be.

And the king said to Zadok, Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, He will bring me again and show it to me, and its dwelling place also.

But if He says this, I have no delight in you; behold me, and let Him do to me as seems good to Him.

Behold, I will wait in the plain of the wilderness until there comes word from you to tell me.

David said to him, If you pass on with me, then you shall be a burden to me.

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, I will be your servant, O king; I have been your father's servant until now, and now I also will be your servant, then you may break down the advice of Ahithophel for me.

Behold, they have their two sons there with them, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And you shall send to me everything that you hear by them.

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.

And the king said, And where is your master's son? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he remains at Jerusalem. For he said, Today the house of Israel shall restore to me the kingdom of my father.

And the king said to Ziba, Behold, All that belonged to Mephibosheth is yours. And Ziba said, I humbly beg you that I may find grace in your sight, my lord, O king.

And Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.