then said Absalom unto him, "See, thy matter is good and righteous, and yet no man is deputed of the king to hear thee."

And also when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him to him and kissed him.

And Absalom sent also for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, and fetched him out of his city Giloh, when he sacrificed sacrifices. And there was wrought strong treason. And the people drew to Absalom in great multitude.

Then said David unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Up, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart; lest he come suddenly and catch us and bring some mischief upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

And the king's servants said to him, "Behold, thy servants are ready to whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint."

And the king and all his household departed afoot. And he left behind him ten wives that were his concubines, to keep the house.

Then said the king to Ittai, "Come and go forward." And Ittai the Gittite went forth - and all his men, and all the children that were with him.

And behold, Zadok and all the Levites were with him and bare the ark of the covenant of God. And when they had fetched down the Ark of God, Abiathar came up, until the people were all come over, out of the city.

But and if the Lord thus say - 'I have no pleasure in thee' - behold, here am I, let him do with me what seemeth best in his eyes."

And David went up on Mount Olivet and wept as he went, and had his head covered and went thereto barefoot. And all the people that was with him, had every man his head covered, and as they went, wept also.

When David was come to the top of the mount and had bowed himself unto God: behold, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coat torn and earth upon his head.

And so Hushai, David's friend, gat him to the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem.

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came against him with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves and one hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred frayls of dried figs, and a bottle of wine.

Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, "Why doth this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and take off the head of him."

And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse: for the LORD hath bid him curse David. And who dare presume to say wherefore doth he so?"

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Behold, my son which came out of mine own bowels seeketh my life. How much more may this son of Benjamin do it? Suffer him therefore to curse, for the LORD hath bidden him.

And thus as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him and cast dust.

And the king and all that were with him came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

And Absalom and all the people of the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

And as soon as he was come, Hushai the Archite went unto Absalom and said unto him, "God save the king, God save the king."

And Absalom said again to Hushai, "Is this the kindness thou owest to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with him?"

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.

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,

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."

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.

By the reason whereof, the best men thou hast whose hearts are as the hearts of lions, shall shrink thereat. For all Israel knoweth that thy father is a man, and that they which be with him be children of activity.

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.

Now therefore send quickly and show David, saying, 'Tarry not all night in the fields of the wilderness, but get thee over, lest the king be devoured and all the people that are with him.'"

And as soon as they were departed, the other came out of the well, and went and told King David and said unto him, "Up, and get you quickly over the water for such counsel hath Ahithophel given."

Then David arose and all the people that were with him, and they were come over Jordan by that it was day, that there lacked not one of them that was not come over Jordan.

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass and arose and gat him home to his own house and to his own city, and put his household in order and hanged himself and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, both he and all the men of Israel with him.

honey, butter, sheep and cheese of kine - for David, and all the people that were with him, to eat. For they supposed that the people should be hungry, fainty, and thirsty in the wilderness.

And the king numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and of hundreds over them.

And it chanced Absalom to come before the servants of David riding upon a mule which carried him under the thick boughs of a great oak. And his head caught in the oak, and he was left between heaven and earth, and the mule that was under him went his way.

And Joab said unto him that told him, "Lo, sawest thou him? And why didst thou not there smite him to the ground, that I should have given thee ten sicles of silver and a soldier's girdle?"

And ten servants that bare Joab's weapons, turned and smote Absalom and slew him.

And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit that was in the wood, and cast a mighty great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled every man to his tent.

Then said Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, "Let me run I pray thee, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath judged him quite of the hands of all his enemies."

And Joab said unto him, "Thou art no man to bear tidings today. Thou shalt bear tidings another time: but today thou shalt bear none, because the king's son is dead.

And he said unto him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the plain and overran Cushi.

And the king returned and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal for to go against the king to convey him over Jordan.

and a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him. And they whipt over Jordan before the king.

And there went over a boat to carry over the king's household and to do him pleasure. And Shimei the son of Gera fell before the king, as he was come over Jordan,

and said unto him, "Let not my lord impute wickedness unto me, nor let him not remember the wickedness that thy servant did, when my lord the king departed out of Jerusalem that the king should take it to heart.

And the king said unto Shimei, "Thou shalt not die," and sware unto him.

And when he was come to Jerusalem toward the king, the king said unto him, "Wherefore went not thou with me Mephibosheth?"

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, "Yea, let him take all: for so much as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house."

And Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim and went over Jordan with the king, to accompany him over Jordan:

But let thy servant turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and mother. But lo here is thy servant Chimham: let him go with my lord the king, and do to him, what shall please thee."

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."

And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over Jordan, he kissed Barzillai and took his leave of him, and he went back again unto his own place.

And then the king went to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. Now all the men of Judah were at the bringing over of the king, and but half the men of Israel.

Wherefore all the men of Israel came to the king and said unto him, "Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over Jordan?"

And when David was come to his house to Jerusalem, he took the ten wives his concubines that he had left behind him to keep the house, and put them in ward and ministered all things unto them: but lay no more with them. And so they were enclosed unto the day of the death of them, and lived a widow's life.

And Amasa went to gather the men of Judah together: but tarried longer than the time which was appointed him.

Wherefore the king said to Abishai, "Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri be worse to us than Absalom. Take thou therefore thy lord's servants and follow after him: lest he get him walled cities and escape us."

And there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and the men of might. And they departed out of Jerusalem to follow after Sheba the son of Bichri.

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.

And Joab said to Amasa, "Are all things in rest and peace my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the chin with the right hand, as though he would have kissed him.

And Amasa took no heed to the knife that was in Joab's hand, with which Joab smote him in the short ribs, and shed out his bowels to the ground and smote him but one stroke, and he died. And then Joab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the son of Bichri.

And one of Joab's men that stood by him said, "What is he that he would be as Joab, and what is he that would be unto David instead of Joab?"

And Amasa lay wallowing in blood in the midst of the way. And there was a man that saw all the people stand still. And when he saw that all that came by him stood still, he rolled Amasa out of the way into the field and cast a cloth upon him.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel-Bethmaacah and all Berim. And the people gathered unto him and went also after him.

And they came and besieged him in Abel-Bethmaacah. And they cast up a bank against the city, and it was besieged: All the people that was with Joab laboured busily to overthrow the wall.

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 the Gibeonites said unto him, "We have no matter of silver or of gold with Saul or with his house: neither have we any man that we would kill in Israel." Then he said, "What say ye that I shall do for you?"

And they said unto the king, "The man that consumed and imagined to bring us to nought, him we ought to destroy, that nought of him continue in any of the coasts of Israel.

And the Philistines had yet again war with Israel. And David went down, and his servants with him, and fought with the Philistines.

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the servants of David sware unto him, saying, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that the light of Israel be not put out."

And Jonathan the son of Shimei, the brother of David, slew him.

And David spake the words of this song unto the LORD, what time the LORD had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and out of the hands of Saul.

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

Smoke went up out of his nostrils, and consuming fire out of his mouth, that coals were kindled of him.

And he made darkness a tabernacle round about him, with water gathered together in thick clouds.

Of the brightness, that was before him, coals were set on fire.

But was pure unto him ward, and kept myself from wickedness.

The way of God is undefiled, and the word of the LORD fined as gold, and he a shield to all that trust in him.

And next to him, Eleazar the son of Dodi the son of Ahohi, one of the three principal that were with David, which - when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together in battle, and the men of Israel were gone up -

arose and laid on the Philistines until his hand ached and clave unto the sword. And the LORD made a great victory the same day. And the people returned and went after him only to spoil.

After him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite, which - when the Philistines were gathered together in Lehi, where was a parcel of land full of rice, and the people were fled for fear of the Philistines -

stood in the midst of the said ground, and defended it and slew the Philistines. And the LORD gave him a great victory.

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man, which had a spear in his hand. And Benaiah went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and slew him with his own spear.

And David made him of his counsel.

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And he said unto the LORD, "I have sinned exceedingly in that I have done. And now LORD take away the trespass of thy servant: for I have done foolishly."

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."

And Gad came the same day to David and said unto him, "Go up and rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

And when Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, he went out: and bowed himself to the king flat on his face to the ground,

And Araunah said unto the king, "Let my lord the king take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: Behold, oxen for sacrifice, and sleds and the other instruments of the oxen for wood."

When king David was waxen old and stricken in years, though they covered him with clothes, yet he caught no heat.

Wherefore his servants said unto him, "Let there be sought for my lord the king a young maiden to wait upon him and to cherish him. And let her lie in his bosom, that my lord the king may get heat."

And the damsel was exceeding fair, and cherished the king and ministered to him: But the king knew her not.

But Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he gat him a chariot and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.

And his father rebuked him not at any time, nor said so much to him as "Why dost thou so?" And he was thereto a goodly man and his mother bare him next, after Absalom.

Go and get thee unto king David, and say unto him, 'Didst thou not, my lord king, sware unto thy handmaid saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my seat? Why, then, is Adonijah made king?'

And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber. And the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto him.

And now, my lord king, the eyes of all Israel wait on thee, to tell them who shall sit on the seat of my lord the king after him.

For he is gone down this day and hath offered oxen, fatlings and sheep abundantly, and hath called all the king's sons and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest. And see, they eat and drink before him and say, 'God save king Adonijah.'