Woe is me for thee, my brother Jonathan! Delectable to me wast thou, exceeding. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

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 gave among all the folk - even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men - every one a cake of bread and a piece of flesh and a flacket of wine. And so the people departed every man to his house.

of the Syrians, the Moabites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

It happened, after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

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,

the lords of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, because he hath sent to comfort thee? Nay, he hath rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city and to spy it out, even to overthrow it."

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank unto David, they sent and hired the sons of Bethrehob of the Syrians of Zobah: twenty thousand footmen; and of king Maacah: a thousand men; and of Ishtob: twelve thousand men.

And the children of Ammon came out and waged battle before the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah, of Rehob, Ishtob and Maacah were by themselves in the fields.

And the rest of the people he delivered in the hand of Abishai his brother, which put them in array against 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 when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And so Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with them and served them. And so the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

And it came to pass in the beginning of a new year, in the times when kings are wont to go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

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."

Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbosheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from off the walls, that he died in Thebes? Why then went ye nigh the walls?" Then say thou, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do wickedness in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

And as Joab fought against Rabbah, the city of the children of Ammon, he took the king's Tower,

And he brought out the people that was therein and sawed them and drew harrows of iron upon them, and shred some of them with shredding knives of iron, and thrust some into furnaces. And so he served all the cities of the children of Ammon. And then David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

he sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, "Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel. And anoint not thyself with oil. But be as a woman that had long time mourned for the death of somebody.

And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, "My lord king, the trespass be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his seat be guiltless."

Then the woman said, "Let thine handmaid speak one word more unto my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."

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 the king answered and said unto the woman, "Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king say on."

Then said the king, "Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this matter?" And the woman answered, and said, "As sure as thy soul liveth, my lord king, it is neither on the righthand nor on the left that my lord the king hath spoken. For thy servant Joab he bade me, and he put all these words even in the mouth of thine handmaid.

And this Absalom had three sons born him and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fair woman to look upon.

And when David was come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash out of Rabbah, the city of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel out of Lodebar and Barzillai the Gileadite out of Rogelim,

I am this day four score year old: and therefore can not discern savoury from unsavoury, neither hath thy servant pleasure in that he eateth or drinketh: nor yet delectation in the songs of men or women. It is no need that thy servant be a burden unto my lord the king:

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear! Hear! Bid, I pray you, Joab that he come hither, that I may speak with him."

When Joab was come the woman said, "Art thou Joab?" And Joab answered, "That am I." And she said to him, "Hear the words of thy handmaid." And he said, "I am ready to hear."

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."

And then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they smote off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they scattered from the city every man to his tent, and Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.