Then chanted David this dirge, - over Saul and over Jonathan his son;

And it came to pass, after this, that David enquired of Yahweh, saying - Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Yahweh said unto him, Go up. And David said - Whither shall I go up? And he said - Unto Hebron.

So David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, - and said unto them - Blessed, be ye of Yahweh, that ye did this lovingkindness unto your lord, unto Saul, and buried him.

Now, therefore, Yahweh requite you with lovingkindness and truth, - moreover also, I, will requite you, for this noble deed, in that ye did this thing.

And the king said unto his servants, - Will ye not take note that, a prince and a great man, hath fallen this day, in Israel?

And, I myself, this day, am weak, though anointed king, but, these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I: Yahweh repay, the doer of wickedness, according to his wickedness.

and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, - and have been sojourners there, until this day.

and brought in the head of Ish-bosheth unto David, at Hebron, and said unto the king, Lo! the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life: so hath Yahweh given to my lord the king, avengement this day, on Saul and on his seed.

And David entered Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said - Yahweh hath broken forth upon mine enemies, before me, like a breaking forth of waters. For this cause, called he the name of that place, Baal-perazim.

And it was a sadness unto David, for that Yahweh had broken in with a breach against Uzzah, - therefore called he that place, Perez-uzzah as it is called until this day.

and will make myself, yet more, lightly esteemed that this, and become lowly in mine own eyes, - nevertheless, with the handmaids of whom thou hast spoken, with them, shall I be honoured.

seeing that I have not dwelt in a house, since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, - but have been wandering in a tent as my habitation?

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so, spake Nathan unto David.

and hast yet further made this seem little in thine eyes, My Lord, Yahweh, in that thou hast spoken, even of the house, of thy servant, for a great while to come? This, then is the law of manhood, O My Lord, Yahweh!

For the sake of thine own word, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this great thing, - making it known unto thy servant.

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.

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, O My Lord, Yahweh, thou, art God, and, thy words, shall prove true, - therefore hast thou spoken unto thy servant this goodness.

And it came to pass, after this, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, - and David took the bridle of the metropolis, out of the hand of the Philistines.

And it came to pass, after this, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, - and that Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

And David sent and enquired after the woman, - and one said - Is not, this, Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And Uriah said unto David - The ark, and Israel and Judah, are dwelling in huts and, my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field, are encamped, Was, I, then, to enter my own house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life, yea by the life of thy soul, I could not do this thing.

Then said David unto the messenger - Thus, shalt thou say unto Joab, - Let not this thing be grievous in thine eyes, for, now this one, and then that one, doth the sword devour, - make hot thy battle against the city, and overthrow it; Thus embolden thou him.

Then was kindled the anger of David against the man, fiercely, - and he said unto Nathan, By the life of Yahweh, doomed to death, is the man that hath done this;

and, the lamb, shall he pay back sevenfold, - because he did this thing, and, for that he had no pity.

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.

For, thou, didst it, in secret, - but, I, will do this thing, before all Israel, and before the sun.

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

Then said his servants unto him, What is this thing that thou hast done? For the child's sake, while living, thou didst fast and weep, but, as soon as the child was dead, thou didst arise and eat food.

And it came to pass, after this, that, Absolom, son of David, having a beautiful sister, whose name, was Tamar, Amnon son of David loved her.

But she said to him - Nay! my brother, do not force me, for it should not be done so in Israel, - do not commit this vileness.

But she said to him - No occasion for this greater wrong, after what thou hast done with me, to put me away! Nevertheless he would not hearken unto her;

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.

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.

so shalt thou come in unto the king, and speak unto him, after this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

And the woman said, Wherefore, then, hast thou devised the like of this, for the people of God; and yet the king, in speaking this word, is verily guilty, unless the king, bring back his fugitive?

Now, therefore, is it that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, because the people kept putting me in fear, - so thy maidservant said - Do let me, I pray you, speak unto the king! peradventure the king will fulfil the request of his handmaid.

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:

for the purpose of turning round the face of the matter, hath thy servant Joab done this thing, - my lord being wise, as with the wisdom of a messenger of God, in knowing all that is done in the land.

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 it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, - and fifty men, to run before him.

And Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, - so Absolom stole away the heart of the men of Israel.

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.

It may be, that Yahweh will behold with his eye, - and that Yahweh will return me good, for his cursing this day.

Then said Absolom unto Hushai, Is, this, thy lovingkindness unto thy friend? Wherefore wentest thou not with thy friend?

And Hushai said unto Absolom, Nay! but, whom Yahweh, and all this people, and the men of Israel have chosen, his, will I be, and, with him, will I dwell.

And, when Hushai came in unto Absolom, Absolom spake unto him, saying - After this manner, hath Ahithophel spoken, shall we do what he saith? if not, thou, speak.

Then said Hushai unto Absolom, - Not good, is the counsel that Ahithophel hath given - at this time.

Lo! by this time, hath, he, hidden himself in some pit, or other place, - and it shall be, as soon as he falleth upon them at the first, that he that hearkeneth for tidings will hear of it , and will say - There is a defeat among the people that are following Absolom:

But, Absolom, had taken, and raised up for himself, in his lifetime, the pillar that is in the king's vale, for he said, I have no son, to keep in remembrance my name, so he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absolom's monument unto this day.

And Joab said to him - Not a man to bear tidings, art thou this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day, - but, this day, shalt thou not bear tidings, for this cause, that, the king's son, is dead.

Then saw the watchman another man, running, so he called out unto the porter, Lo! a man, running alone. And the king said. This one also, beareth tidings.

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.

Then responded Abishai, son of Zeruiah, and said, For this, shall not Shimei be put to death, for that he cursed the Anointed of Yahweh?

Just a little way, will thy servant pass over the Jordan with the king, - but wherefore should the king recompense me with this reward?

And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel - Because the king is, near of kin, unto us, wherefore, then, is it, that ye are angry over this matter? Have we, eaten, at the king's cost? or hath he, bestowed any gifts, on us?

so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the grave of Kish his father, thus did they all that the king commanded, - and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, after this.

And it came to pass, after this, that there was yet again a battle in Gob, with the Philistines, - then, Sibbekai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the descendants of the giant.

And David spake unto Yahweh, the words of this song, in the day when Yahweh had rescued him, out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul;

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

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.

Then said Joab unto the king - Yea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and suffer the eyes of my lord the king, to see it, - but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing?