Wherefore the LORD show you mercy and truth again. And I will do you good also, because ye have done this thing.

And there was three sons of Zeruiah there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel - which Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild roe -

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 and his men walked all that night by the wild fields, and went over Jordan, and passed through all Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

And David answered, "Well said. I will make a bond with thee. But one thing I require of thee, that thou see not my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see me."

Now then, do it. For the LORD hath said of David, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel; out of the hands of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

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.

For they came into the house as he slept on his bed in his resting chamber, and smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and gat them away through the wild fields all night.

And how much more ought I to deal with wicked men that have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? Now therefore think ye that I will not require his blood of your hands and take you from the earth?"

And David asked of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go to the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into my hands?" And the LORD said unto David, "Go, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands."

And therefore will I play before the LORD, and will yet be more vile than so, and I will be meek in mine own sight: and of the very same maidservants which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour."

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant it and they shall continue in one place and shall move no more, neither shall wicked people trouble them any more as they did at the beginning,

and since the time I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies. And the LORD telleth thee that he will build thee a household.

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 he shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the seat of his kingdom forever:

I will be his father and he shall be my son; insomuch that if he sin, I will but rebuke him with such a rod as men be rebuked with and with such plagues as the children of men be plagued with.

But my mercy will I not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put down before thee.

For thou, LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, hast told in the ear of thy servant, saying, "I will build thee a house. And therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

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."

Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And thereupon David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants over the death of his father. Now when David's servants were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

And he said, "If the Syrians overcome me, then succor me. But if the children of Ammon be too good for thee, I will come and succor thee.

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."

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.

Thus sayeth the LORD, 'Behold, I will stir up evil against thee even of thine own house and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, which shall sleep with them in the sight of the sun.

And thou didst it secretly, yet will I do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.'"

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?"

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?'

And behold, the whole kindred arose against thy handmaid and said, 'Deliver us him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soul of his brother whom he slew: for he will destroy the heir also.' And so they shall quench my sparkle which is left that he shall stir up neither name or issue upon the earth unto my husband."

And the king said unto the wife, "Go home to thine house, and I will give a charge for thee."

For we must needs die, and perish as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again: and God will not take away the life, but find the means that the banished be not utterly expelled from him.

And now, concerning that, I am come to speak of this thing unto the king my lord in the presence of the people. Thy handmaid thought, 'Surely I will speak unto the king; peradventure the king will hear the request of his handmaid.

For thy servant vowed a vow when I was in Geshur in the land of Syria, saying, "If the LORD shall bring me again to Jerusalem, I will serve the LORD."

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."

And Ittai answered the king and said, "As surely as the LORD liveth, and as surely as my lord the king liveth: in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there will thy servant be."

Then said the king unto Zadok, "Carry the Ark of God again into the city. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and show me both it and the tabernacle thereof also.

And see, I will tarry in the fields of the wilderness until there come some word from you to be told 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.

Haply, the LORD will look on my wretchedness, and do me good for his cursing this day."

And Hushai said unto Absalom, "Nay, not so: but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I dwell.

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.

And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will fear him, that all the people that are with him shall flee. And so will I smite the king only,

and will bring again all the people unto thee. And when all these men which thou seekest are turned to thee, all the people shall have rest."

For," said Hushai, "thou knowest thy father and the men that are with him, how that they be strong men. And they be chafed in their minds, even as a bear robbed of her whelps. And thy father is a man practiced in war, and will not lie a nights among the common people.

Behold, he lurketh now in some cave or in some other place. And thereto, though some of his men be overthrown at the first brunt, yet they that hear it will think the people that followeth Absalom be put to the worse.

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.

Moreover, if he take a town then shall all the men of Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one stone found upon another."

And the people answered, "Nay, for if we flee, our adversaries will not care for us: neither, though half of us were slain, shall they regard us. But thou were worth ten thousand of us. And therefore it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city."

Then said the king, "What seemeth you best, that will I do." And the king stood up by the Gate's side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

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."

Now therefore up and come out, and speak kindly unto thy servants, I swear by the LORD, except thou come out, there will not tarry one man with thee this night. And that will be worse unto thee, than all the evil that fell on thee from thine youth unto this hour."

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."

The matter is not so: But there is a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, which hath lifted up his hand against king David. Deliver us him only, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said unto Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown through the wall to thee."

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."

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

I will praise and call on the LORD, and so shall be saved from mine enemies.

With thy help I will run through a host of men, and by the aid of my God will spring over a wall.

And I will beat them as small as the dust of the earth, and will stamp them as the dirt of the street, and will spread them abroad.

And therefore I will praise thee O LORD among the heathen, and will sing unto thy name.

And Gad came to David and showed him and said unto him, "Whether wilt thou have seven years hunger in thy land, or that thou flee three months before thine enemies and they following thee, or that there be three days pestilence in thy land? Now understand, and see what word I shall bring again to him that sent me."

But the king said unto Araunah, "Not so, but I will buy it of thee at a price, and will not offer sacrifice unto the LORD my God that shall cost me nought." And so David bought the threshing floor, and the oxen for fifty sicles of silver.