And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

And her husband went along with her, weeping behind her, to Bahurim. And Abner said to him, Go, return! And he returned.

And Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men came with him. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.

And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

And Joab and all the army with him came, and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.

And Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is this, that you have sent him away, and he has already gone?

And Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah. But David did not know.

And Abner returned to Hebron. And Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately. And he struck him there in the belly, and he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Tear your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier.

Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell. And all the people wept again over him.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And as she made haste to flee he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And they came to the midst of the house, bringing wheat. And they struck him in the belly. And Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

And they came into the house, and he lay in his bed in his bedroom. And they struck him and killed him, and beheaded him and took his head and got away through the plain all night.

when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. I gave that to him as a reward.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David went on and became great, and Jehovah, the God of Hosts was with him.

And David saw that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that He had made his kingdom sure for His people Israel's sake.

These are the names of those to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him. And he struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

And David arose and went with all the people with him from beyond Baale of Judah, to bring up the ark of God from there, which is called by the Name, the Name of Jehovah of Hosts who dwells above the cherubs.

And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah. And God struck him there for the error. And he died there by the ark of God.

And David was not willing to bring the ark of Jehovah to him into the city of David. But David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, the Levite.

And they told King David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.

And it happened as the ark of Jehovah came to the city of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah. And she despised him in her heart.

And it happened when the king dwelt in his house, and when Jehovah had given him rest round about from all his enemies,

I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.

But My mercy shall not leave him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.

And what one nation in the earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name, and to do for You great things and terrible, for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed to You from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

And David took from him seventeen hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but kept enough of them for a hundred chariots.

Then Toi sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had struck him. For Hadadezer had wars against Toi. And in his hand were silver articles, and golden articles, and bronze articles.

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

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And they called him to David, and the king said to him, Are you Ziba? And he said, Your servant.

And the king said, Is there not still any of the house of Saul, so that I may show the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan still has a son, who is lame in his feet.

And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

And King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face and bowed to him. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, Behold your servant!

And David said to him, Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore you all the land of Saul your father. And you shall eat bread at my table forever.

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.

And you shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants. And you shall bring in the fruits so that your master's son may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's son, shall eat bread always at my table. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him for his father, by the hand of his servants. And David's servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon.

And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind. And he chose from all the choice ones of Israel, and put them in order against the Syrians.

Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people and for the cities of our God. And may Jehovah do that which seems good to Him.

And Joab and the people with him drew near to the battle against the Syrians. And they fled before him.

And David was told. And he gathered all Israel and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in order to meet David and fought with him.

And it happened at the turn of the year, at the time kings go forth, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they destroyed the sons of Ammon and circled Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her. And she had purified herself from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house.

And when Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war went.

And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah left the king's house. And a gift from the king went out after him.

And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him. And he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and draw back from him so that he may be stricken and die.

Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerub-besheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? And you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

And the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.

Then David said to the messenger, So you shall say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city and overthrow it. And you encourage him.

And when her mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

And Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and one poor.

but the poor one had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up. And it grew up together with him and with his sons. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him like a daughter.

And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the traveler that had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man who had come to him.

Why have you despised the Word of Jehovah, to do evil in His sight? You have stricken Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

And the elders of his house rose up toward him, to raise him up from the earth. But he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

And it happened on the seventh day, the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, Behold, while the child was still alive we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice. How then will he trouble himself if we tell him that the child is dead?

And David arose from the earth and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and came into the house of Jehovah and worshiped. And he came to his house, and commanded, and they brought bread before him and he ate.

Then his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the living boy, but when the child was dead you arose and ate bread!

But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

And David comforted his wife Bathsheba. And he went in to her and lay with her. And she bore a son. And he called his name Solomon. And Jehovah loved him.

And Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick for his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin. And Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her.

And he said to him, Why are you, the king's son, lean from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

And Jonadab said to him, Lay down on your bed and make yourself sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight so that I may see and eat it at her hand.

And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king had come to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat at her hand.

And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him.

And she took a pan and poured them out before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Make every man go out from me. And every man went out from him.

And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister.

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

And she said to him, There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.

And he called his servant who waited on him and said, And put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be too heavy upon you. And he pressed him. He would not go, however, but blessed him.

Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us? And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?

But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, And watch when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, you shall kill him. Do not fear. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be brave.

But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked. And, behold, many people came by the way of the hillside behind him.

And come to the king, and speak in this way to him. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

And your handmaid had two sons, and the two of them fought together in the field. And there was no deliverer between them, but the one struck the other and killed him.

And behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid. And they said, Deliver him who struck his brother so that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed. And we will destroy the heir also. And so they shall put out my coal which is left, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

And the king said, Whoever speaks to you, you also bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.

For we must all die, and we are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take a life, but has devised plans so that the outcast is not cast out from Him.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

But in all Israel there was not a man handsome like Absalom. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

And when he sheared his head (for it was at every year's end that he sheared it, because it was heavy on him. And he sheared it), and he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, according to the king's weight.

And Absalom sent to Joab, to send him to the king. But he would not come to him. And when he sent again a second time, he would not come.

And Joab arose and came to Absalom's house, and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come here so that I may send you to the king, to say, Why have I come from Geshur? It was good for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.

And Joab came to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

And it happened after this, Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate. And it was so, if any man had a suit to come before the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him and said, What city are you from? And he said, Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absalom said to him, See! Your matters are good and right. But no listener from the king will hear you.

And Absalom said, Oh that I might be made judge in the land, so that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!

And it was so, when any man came near to bow down to him, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Hebron.

And David said to all his servants with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee! For otherwise we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.

And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed in a place that was far off.