And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of LORD, that ye have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.

And now LORD show loving kindness and truth to you. And I also will reward you this kindness because ye have done this thing.

Then Abner was very angry for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? This day I show kindness to the house of Saul thy father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee i

And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

And I am this day weak, though anointed king, and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. LORD reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.

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

And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life. And LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of h

And David was displeased, because LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah. And he called that place Perez-uzzah, to this day.

And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in my own sight, but of the handmaids of whom thou have spoken, of them I shall be had in honor.

For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

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

And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD!

For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it.

For thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.

And now, O lord LORD, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant.

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

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

And David send and inquired after the woman. And he said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

Then David said to the messenger, Thus thou shall say to Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make thy battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it. And encourage thou him.

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As LORD lives, the man who has done this is worthy to die.

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

Thus says LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house. And I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy neighbor, and he shall lay with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

For thou did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

However, because by this deed thou have given great occasion to the enemies of LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to thee shall surely die.

Then his servants said to him, What thing is this that thou have done? Thou fasted and wept for the child while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou arose and ate bread.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her.

And he said to him, Why, O son of the king, are thou emaciated this way from day to day? Will thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

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

And she said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is [worse] than the other that thou did to me. But he would not hearken to her.

Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, Put this woman out from me now, and bolt the door after her.

And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? But now hold thy peace, my sister. He is thy brother. Do not take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined fr

And go in to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

And the woman said, Why then have thou devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as he who is guilty, in that the king does not fetch home again his banished one.

Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. And thy handmaid said, I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of hi

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken, for

Thy servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. And my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an agent of God, to know all things that are on the earth.

And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And on this manner Absalom did to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee.

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life. How much more [may] this Benjamite now [do it]? Let him alone, and let him curse, for LORD has bidden him.

It may be that LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that LORD will reward me good for [his] cursing of me this day.

And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why did thou not go with thy friend?

And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will abide.

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner. Shall we do [after] his saying? If not, speak thou.

And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Do not lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.

And Joab said to him, Thou shall not be the bearer of news this day, but thou shall bear news another day. But this day thou shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.

And, behold, the Cushite came. And the Cushite said, News for my lord the king, for LORD has avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee.

And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou have shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the live

in that thou love those who hate thee, and hate those who love thee. For thou have declared this day that rulers and servants are nothing to thee. For this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, th

Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak graciously to thy servants. For I swear by LORD, if thou do not go forth, there will not remain a man with thee this night. And that will be worse to thee than all the evil that has befallen

For thy servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed LORD's anointed?

And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries to me? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?

I am this day eighty years old. Can I discern between good and bad? Can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy servant be yet a burden to my

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost, or has he given us any gift?

And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.

And David spoke to LORD the words of this song in the day that LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this, [to drink] the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

And Joab said to the king, Now LORD thy God add to the people, however many they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king. And Araunah said to the king, LORD thy God accept thee.