Ye mountains of Gilboa, upon you be neither dew nor rain, nor fields whence heave offerings come: For there the shields of the mighty were cast from them, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn from me! Why wilt thou that I smite thee to the ground? For then how should I hold up my face before Joab thy brother?"

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "Ye have long gone about that David should be king over you.

Then Joab went to the king, and said, "What hast thou done? See, Abner came unto thee, why hast thou sent him away, that he should escape quite?

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame on his feet: five years old was he when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel. And his nurse took him up and fled away. And as she made haste to flee and was amazed, the child fell and became halt and was called Mephibosheth.

And thereto in time past when Saul was king over us, thou leddest Israel in and out. And the LORD hath said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.'"

Then went the king and his men to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites the inhabiters of the land. And they said unto David, "Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither" - meaning thereby that David should not have come in thither.

And David was then afraid of the LORD and said, "How should the Ark of the LORD come to my house?"

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

"Go and tell my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD, 'Shalt thou go build me a house for the LORD to dwell in?

And David said, "Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan's sake and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat meat on mine own table always."

And it chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king's palace; and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to enquire what woman it should be.

And when the woman had perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

And Uriah said unto David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in pavilions; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord lie in tents upon the flat earth - and should I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life and as sure as thy soul liveth, I will not do that thing."

And David was exceeding wroth with the man, and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD liveth, the fellow that hath done this thing is the child of death

Then said David unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said again to David, "The LORD hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Howbeit, because in doing this deed thou hast given the enemies of the LORD a cause to rail, the child that is born thee shall die surely."

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child, that Uriah's wife bare David, and it sickened.

And it happened the seventh day that the child died. But the servants of David durst not tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "See, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How much more then will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?"

But David saw his servants whispering and thereby perceived that the child was dead, and said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "Yea."

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and went into the house of the LORD and prayed; and after came to his own house and bade that they should set meat before him, and he did eat.

Then said his servants unto him, "What is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for thy child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst rise up and didst eat meat."

And he answered, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept. For I this thought, 'Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child may live?'

But now, seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him again any more? I shall go to him: but he shall not come again to me."

For whither shall I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. But speak unto the king, and he shall not deny me unto thee."

And go to the king and speak of thus manner unto him." And so Joab taught her what she should say.

And the woman said, "Wherefore then hast thou determined on this same manner against the people of God? - That the king should speak this thing and be faulty therein, so that the king should not fetch home again his banished.

Then Absalom said moreover, "Oh, that I were a judge in the land, and that all men which have pleas and matter in the law, should come to me. For I would do them justice."

Thou camest but yesterday, and should I unquiet thee today to go with us? I will go whither I go. But return thou and carry again thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee."

Unto whom David said, "If thou go with me thou shalt be a burden unto me.

And if thou return to the city: then shalt thou say unto Absalom, 'I will be thy servant O king: thus long have I been thy father's servant, and now I am thine,' and destroy me the counsel of Ahithophel.

And thou hast there with thee, Zadok and Abiathar the priests, unto which thou shalt show all that thou canst hear out of the king's house.

And we will come upon him in one place or other, where we shalt find him, and we will pitch a field against him, even as thick as the dew falleth on the ground. And there shall not one of them be left, neither he nor any of all that are with him.

honey, butter, sheep and cheese of kine - for David, and all the people that were with him, to eat. For they supposed that the people should be hungry, fainty, and thirsty in the wilderness.

And Joab said unto him that told him, "Lo, sawest thou him? And why didst thou not there smite him to the ground, that I should have given thee ten sicles of silver and a soldier's girdle?"

And this Absalom, yet in his lifetime, took and reared up a pillar, which is yet in King's Dale. For he said, "I have no male child. And therefore, to keep my name in remembrance do I it." And he called the pillar after his own name. And it is called unto this day, Absalom's pillar.

And Joab said unto him, "Thou art no man to bear tidings today. Thou shalt bear tidings another time: but today thou shalt bear none, because the king's son is dead.

And king David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah and say, 'Why should ye be the last that should bring again the king to his house, seeing that such tidings is come from all Israel unto the king, even to his house?

Ye are my brethren, my bones and my flesh: wherefore then should ye be the last that should come to bring the king home again?'

And he bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah, as a man would bow the heart of one man: so that they sent word to the king, that he should return with all his servants.

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 the king said, "What matter is between you and me ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? There shall no man die this day in Israel: for I know that I am this day king over Israel."

And the king said unto Shimei, "Thou shalt not die," and sware unto him.

But Barzillai said unto the king, "Of what age am I of, that I should go with the king into Jerusalem?

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

And the king answered, "Chimham shall go with me. And I will do to him that thou shalt be content with. And thereto whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that same will I do for thee."

And Joab answered and said, "God forbid! God forbid it me, that I should either devour or destroy it.

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."

God is my strength, and in him will I trust: my shield and the horn that defendeth me: mine high hold and refuge.

With the holy thou shalt be holy, and with the man that is uncorrupt, thou shalt be uncorrupt.

With the pure thou shalt be pure, and with the froward thou shalt be froward also.

And the people that are in adversity, thou shalt help. And on the proud shalt thou cast thine eyes.

The way of God is undefiled, and the word of the LORD fined as gold, and he a shield to all that trust in him.

And thou hast saved me with thy shield, and keptest me ever in meekness.

And thou madest me space to walk in, that my feet should not stumble.

and said, "The LORD forbid that I should do so! Should I drink the blood of men that were in jeopardy of their lives?" And so he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.