So I stood over him and put him to death, since I knew that he couldn't live in such a condition. Then I took the crown which was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm. I have brought them here to my lord."

I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother.
You were such a friend to me.
Your love for me was more wonderful
than the love of women.

he sent messengers unto them and said unto them, "Blessed are ye unto the LORD, that ye have showed such kindness unto your lord Saul, and have buried him.

So Abner said to Asahel {once again}, "{For your own sake}, turn aside {from following me}. Why should I strike you down to the ground? How could I {show my face} to Joab your brother?"

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head, then? That I, against Judah, do mercy unto the house of Saul thy father - and unto his brethren and kinsfolk - and have not delivered them into the hand of David? And thou layest a trespass to my charge this day for a woman's sake?

And Abner will send messengers to David for his sake, saying, To whom the land? saying, Cut out thy covenant with me, and behold, my hand with thee to turn about to thee all Israel.

And David will say to Joab and to all the people which were with him, Rend your garments and gird you with sack-cloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David went after the litter.

{How much more} when wicked men kill a righteous man in his house, on his bed! So then, shall I not seek his lifeblood from your hand, so that I may destroy you from the earth?"

And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

And such was David's fear of the Lord that day, that he said, How may I let the ark of God come to me?

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.

For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

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?

Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of the people and for the sake of the cities of our God. May Yahweh do [what is] good in his eyes.

And David will send and seek for the woman, and say, Is not this Bath-Sheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And Uriah said to David, Israel and Judah with the ark are living in tents, and my lord Joab and the other servants of my lord are sleeping in the open field; and am I to go to my house and take food and drink, and go to bed with my wife? By the living Lord, and by the life of your soul, I will not do such a thing.

And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

However, because you treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”

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

And David will seek God for the boy, and fast a fast; and he came and passed the night and lay upon the earth.

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 he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, for Jehovah's sake.

And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.

So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.

After this, Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love he had loved her with. “Get out of here!” he said.

And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

But Absalom made such insistence that he let Amnon go with him, and all the king's children.

Now, therefore, let not my lord the king lay to his heart such a thing - to say, All the king's sons, are dead, - but, Amnon alone, is dead.

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

For the king can hearken, to rescue his handmaid out of the power of the man who would seek to destroy both me and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.

For the sake of turning about the face of the word, thy servant Joab did this word: and my lord was wise according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all which is upon the earth.

He would get up early and stand beside the road to the gate [of the city, where court was held]; and when any man who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

Now the advice Ahithophel gave in those days was like someone asking about a word from God—such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.

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and I will bring all the people [who follow David] back to you. The return of everyone depends on the [death of the] man you are seeking; then all the people will be at peace [and accept you as king].”

When Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him saying, "Ahithophel hath given such counsel: whether it be best we do after his saying, or not, tell thou."

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,

And Absalom saith -- and all the men of Israel -- 'Better is the counsel of Hushai the Archite than the counsel of Ahithophel;' and Jehovah willed to make void the good counsel of Ahithophel for the sake of Jehovah's bringing unto Absalom the evil.

And the servants of Absalom come in unto the woman to the house, and say, 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' and the woman saith to them, 'They passed over the brook of water;' and they seek, and have not found, and turn back to Jerusalem.

Then after the servants had gone away, they came up out of the water-hole and went to give King David the news; and they said, Get up and go quickly over the water, for such and such are Ahithophel's designs against you.

But the men said, “You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim].”

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.

The man replied to Joab, "Even if I were receiving a thousand pieces of silver, I would not strike the king's son! In our very presence the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.'

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?

Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

And when they were come to the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. And Joab had his garment that he had about him, gird unto him, and had girded thereon a knife joined fast to his loins, in such a sheath that as he went it fell sometimes out.

She said, “In the past they used to say, ‘Seek counsel in Abel,’ and that’s how they settled disputes.

I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up (devour) the inheritance of the Lord?”

Such is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Only hand him over, and I will depart from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

Then there fell a hunger in the days of David: three years, year by year. And David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is for Saul's sake and the house of blood, because he slew the Gibeonites."

And the king will call for the Gibeonites, and say to them; (and the Gibeonites not of the sons of Israel, but they from the remainder of the Amorites; and the sons of Israel sware to them: and Saul will seek to strike them in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah.)

Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night.

my God, my mountain where I seek refuge.
My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge,
and my Savior, You save me from violence.

The earth heaved and shook; the foundations of the sky trembled. They heaved because he was angry.

He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.

“And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.

The Lord thundered from the sky; the sovereign One shouted loudly.

As for God, blameless is his way, - the speech of Yahweh, hath been proved, a shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.

David said, “Lord, I would never do such a thing! Is this not the blood of men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoida, who gained fame among the three elite warriors.