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.

And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, - even for as long as my life shall be in me.

And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, - for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.

I am distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, - Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women.

Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab said - Let them arise.

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?

And it provoked Abner greatly, on account of the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said - Am I, the head of the dogs, that pertain unto Judah? To-day, would I deal in lovingkindness with the house of Saul thy father, towards his brethren, and towards his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, - and yet thou hast charged upon me the transgression of the woman, today.

So Abner sent messengers unto David, on the spot, saying - Whose, is the land? Saying also - Solemnise thy covenant with me; and lo! my hand, shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee, all Israel.

And he said - Good! I, will solemnise with thee a covenant, - but, one thing, must I ask of thee, saying - Thou shalt not see my face, except thou have brought in Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

Then said Abner unto David - I will verily arise and go, and gather together unto my lord the king, all Israel - that they may solemnise with thee a covenant, so shalt thou reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David let Abner go, and he departed in peace.

Then Joab came in unto the king, and said - What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came in unto thee. Wherefore is it that thou didst let him go, so that he is clean departed?

Thou knowest Abner son of Ner, that, to deceive thee, he came, - and to take knowledge of thy going out, and thy coming in, and to take knowledge of all that thou art doing.

Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou, wast he that led out and brought in, Israel, - and Yahweh said to thee - Thou, shalt be shepherd unto my people, Israel, and, thou, shalt become leader over Israel.

And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, then, shalt thou act with decision, - for, then, will Yahweh have gone forth before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.

that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See, I pray thee - I, have my abode in a house, of cedar, but, the ark of God, abideth in, the midst, of curtains.

And Nathan said unto the king, All that is in thy heart, go - do, - for Yahweh is with thee.

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.

So shall thy house and thy kingdom be made steadfast unto times age-abiding, before thee, - thy throne, shall be established unto times age-abiding.

What more, then, can David yet further speak unto thee, - seeing that, thou thyself knowest thy servant, O My Lord Yahweh?

For this cause, hast thou magnified thyself, O Yahweh Elohim, - for there is none like unto, thee, yea there is no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

that thy name may be age-abidingly magnified, saying, Yahweh of hosts, is God over Israel, and so, the house of thy servant David, be established before thee.

For, thou, O Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, hast unveiled the ear of thy servant, saying - A house, will I build for thee. For this cause, hath thy servant found in his heart, to pray unto thee, this prayer.

Now, therefore, be pleased to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue age-abidingly before thee, - for, thou, O My Lord, Yahweh, hast spoken, therefore, with thine own blessing, shall the house of thy servant be age-abidingly blessed.

And David said to him - Do not fear, for I will, indeed shew, thee lovingkindness, for the sake of Jonathan thy father, and will restore unto thee all the land of Saul thy father, - but, thou thyself, shall eat bread at my table, continually.

Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun their lord - Is David honouring thy father, in thine eyes, that he hath sent unto thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring the city, and spying it out, and overthrowing it, that David hath sent his servants unto thee?

And he said - If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou become my deliverance, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I come with deliverance to thee.

Then said David unto Uriah - Abide here to-day also, and, to-morrow, will I let thee go. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

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?

Then said Nathan unto David: Thou, art the man! Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel - I, anointed thee to be king over Israel, and, I, delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

and gave unto thee the household of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and gave unto thee the house of Israel and Judah. And, if this had been too little, I could have further given thee more and more of such things.

Thus, saith Yahweh, - Behold me! raising up over thee calamity out of thine own household, and I will take thy wives, before thine eyes, and give unto thy neighbour, and he will lie with thy wives, in the eyes of this sun.

Nevertheless, because thou hast greatly blasphemed Yahweh, by this thing, the very son that is born to thee, shall, die.

And Jonadab said unto him: Take to thy bed, and feign thyself ill, - and, when thy father cometh in to see thee, then shalt thou say unto him - I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, that she may give me food, and let her prepare, before mine eyes, some delicacy, to the end that I may see it made , and so eat at her hand.

So Amnon took to his bed, and feigned himself ill, - and, when the king came in to see him, Amnon said unto the king - I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make ready before mine eyes a couple of cakes, that I may eat at her hand.

So David sent unto Tamar, in the house - saying, - Come, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and prepare him enticing food.

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.

And Absolom her brother said unto her - Hath, Amnon thy brother, been with thee? Now, therefore, my sister, hold thy peace - thy brother, he is, do not lay to thy heart, this thing. But Tamar remained, and was desolate in the house of Absolom her brother.

Absolom came also unto the king, and said, See, I pray thee, thy servant hath, sheepshearers, - I pray thee, let the king and his servants go with thy servant.

And the king said unto Absolom - Nay! my son, do not, I pray thee, let us all go, lest we be burdensome upon thee. And, though he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him.

Then said Absolom, If not, then, I pray thee, let Amnon my brother go with us. And the king said unto him, Wherefore should he go with thee?

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;

And the king said to her - What aileth thee? And she said - Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead.

And the king said unto the woman - Go to thy house, and, I, will give command concerning thee.

And the king said, - He that speaketh unto thee, bring him in unto me, and he shall, no more, annoy thee.

Then said she: Let the king, I pray thee, remember Yahweh thy God; so that the blood-redeemer may not make utter ruin, and that they destroy not my son. And he said - By the life of Yahweh, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.

So thy maidservant said, Pray let the word of my lord the king be comforting, - for, as the messenger of God, so is my lord the king, in hearing the good and the bad, Yahweh thy God, then, be with thee.

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.

Then said the king, Is, the hand of Joab, with thee, in all this? And the woman answered and said - By the life of thy soul, my lord, O king, there is no way to the right or to the left, of anything that my lord the king hath spoken, for, thy servant Joab himself, charged me, and, himself, put, in the mouth of thy maidservant, all these words:

Then said the king unto Joab, See, I pray thee, I a have done this thing, - go then - bring back the young man, Absolom.

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.

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king - Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests.

Yahweh, hath brought back upon thee, all the shed-blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Yahweh hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absolom thy son, - and, here thou art, in thy ruin, for that, a man of bloodshed, thou art.

Then said Abishai, son of Zeruiah, unto the king - Wherefore should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I pray thee, let me cross over and take off his head.

And Ahithophel said unto Absolom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he hath left to keep the house, - so shall all Israel hear that thou hast made thyself odious unto thy father, and the hands of all that are with thee, shall be strengthened.

Then said Ahithophel unto Absolom: I pray thee, let me choose for myself, twelve thousand men, and arise, and pursue David to-night;

that I may bring back all the people unto thee, - when all return - save the man whom thou art seeking, all the people, will be at peace.

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.

Then said Joab to the man that was telling him, Lo! since thou sawest him, why didst thou not smite him there, to the ground? then should I have been bound to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.

And the man said unto Joab, Though I were weighing upon my palm a thousand pieces of silver, yet would I not put forth my hand against the son of the king, - for, in our hearing, the king Charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Watch any man who would touch the young man Absolom.

And Joab said, Not thus, may I tarry before thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absolom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

Then, Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, Let me run, I pray thee, and carry tidings unto the king, - how that Yahweh hath vindicated him, at the hand of his enemies.

Then, yet again, said Ahimaaz son of Zadok unto Joab. But, be what may, do, I pray thee, let, me also, run, after the Cushite. And Joab said - Wherefore is it that, thou, wouldst run, my son, when, thou, hast no tidings of, any profit?

Then lo! the Cushite, coming in, - and the Cushite said - Tidings, getteth my lord the king, how that Yahweh hath vindicated thee to-day, at the hand of all them who had risen up against thee.

And the king said unto the Cushite - Is it, well, with the young man - Absolom? Then said the Cushite - Be, like the young man, the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee, for harm.

by loving them who hated thee, and hating them who loved thee, - for thou hast declared, to-day, that, nothing to thee, are princes or servants, for I perceive, to-day, that, if, Absolom, had lived, and, all we, to-day had died, that, then, it had been right in thine eyes.

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.

So then the king said unto Barzillai, - Thou, come over with me, and I will sustain thee with me, in Jerusalem.

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father, and my mother. But here is thy servant Chimham - let him pass over with my lord the king, and do unto him that which may be good in thine eyes.

Then said the king, With me, shall Chimham pass over, and, I, will do unto him that which shall be good in thine eyes, - and, whatsoever thou shalt choose to lay upon me, I will do for thee.

Then lo! all the men of Israel, were coming unto the king, - and they said unto the king - Why did our brethren the men of Judah steal thee away, and escort the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, - Hear ye! hear ye! I pray you, say unto Joab, Come near hither, and let me speak unto thee.

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.

For, by thee, I ran through a troop, - by my God, I leapt over a wall.

For this cause, will I praise thee, O Yahweh, among the nations, - and, to thy name, will I touch the strings: -

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.

And the heart of David smote him, after he had reckoned up the people, - and David said unto Yahweh - I have sinned greatly, in what I have done, Now, therefore, O Yahweh, take away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.

Go and speak unto David - Thus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee, - choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

So Gad came in unto David, and told him, - and said to him: Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? Or, for three months, wilt thou flee before thine enemies while, they, pursue thee? Or shall there be, for three days, pestilence in thy land? Now, consider and see, what, answer, I shall return to him that sent me.

And David said unto Gad - I am in a great strait, - let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.

Then said David unto Yahweh, when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people, yea he said - Lo! I, have sinned, and, I, have done perversely, but what have, these sheep, done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against the house of my father!

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.

The whole, did Araunah give, as a king to a king. And Araunah said unto the king, Yahweh thy God, accept thee!

But the king said unto Araunah - Nay! but I will, buy, it of thee, for a price, and will not cause to ascend unto Yahweh my God, offerings that have cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor, and the oxen, for fifty shekels of silver;