Then said he unto his servants - See, the allotted portion of Joab, adjoineth me, and, he, hath barley there, go, and set it on fire. So the servants of Absolom set the portion on fire.

Then rose Joab, and went unto Absolom, in his house, - and said unto him, Wherefore, have thy servants set the portion that pertaineth to me, on fire?

And Absolom said unto Joab - Lo! I sent unto thee, saying - Come hither, that I may send thee unto the king, saying - Wherefore, am I come from Geshur? I, might as well have yet been there. Now, therefore, let me see the face of the king, and, if there is in me iniquity, then let him put me to death.

And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king - Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, - If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

And the king's servants said unto the king, - According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

But Ittai answered the king, and said, - By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, - if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness - until there come word from you, to tell me.

And David said unto him, - If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom - Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, - so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

Then said the king, And where is thy lord's son? And Ziba said unto the king - Lo! abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day, will the house of Israel, restore unto me, the kingdom of my father.

Then said the king unto Ziba, Lo! thine, is all that pertained to Mephibosheth. And Ziba said - I have done homage, that I might find favour in thine eyes, my lord O king.

Then said Abishai, son of Zeruiah, unto the king - Wherefore should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I pray thee, let me cross over and take off his head.

Then said David unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, Lo! my own son who sprang from my body, is seeking my life, - then how much more, now, a Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse, for, Yahweh, hath permitted him.

It may be, that Yahweh will behold with his eye, - and that Yahweh will return me good, for his cursing this day.

Then said Ahithophel unto Absolom: I pray thee, let me choose for myself, twelve thousand men, and arise, and pursue David to-night;

and let me come upon him, when, he, is weary, and weak-handed, so shall I strike him with terror, and all the people who are with him shall flee, - then will I smite the king alone:

that I may bring back all the people unto thee, - when all return - save the man whom thou art seeking, all the people, will be at peace.

And the king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even Absolom. And, all the people, heard when the king charged all the captains, for the sake of Absolom.

And the man said unto Joab, Though I were weighing upon my palm a thousand pieces of silver, yet would I not put forth my hand against the son of the king, - for, in our hearing, the king Charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Watch any man who would touch the young man Absolom.

Otherwise, had I dealt with my life falsely (and nothing can be hid from the king), then, thou thyself, wouldst have stood aloof.

And Joab said, Not thus, may I tarry before thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absolom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

But, Absolom, had taken, and raised up for himself, in his lifetime, the pillar that is in the king's vale, for he said, I have no son, to keep in remembrance my name, so he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absolom's monument unto this day.

Then, Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, Let me run, I pray thee, and carry tidings unto the king, - how that Yahweh hath vindicated him, at the hand of his enemies.

Then, yet again, said Ahimaaz son of Zadok unto Joab. But, be what may, do, I pray thee, let, me also, run, after the Cushite. And Joab said - Wherefore is it that, thou, wouldst run, my son, when, thou, hast no tidings of, any profit?

But, be what may, I will run. So he said to him - Run. Then ran Ahimaaz by the way of the plain, and got beyond the Cushite.

Then said the watchman, It seemeth, to me, that, the running of the foremost, is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok. And the king said, A good man, is he, and, with good tidings, he cometh.

Then called out Ahimaaz, and said unto the king, Peace! And he bowed himself down to the king, with his face to the earth, - and said - Blessed, be Yahweh thy God, who hath surrendered the men who were lifting up their hand, against my lord the king.

And the king said, Is it, well, with the young man - Absolom? Then said Ahimaaz - I saw a great crowd, when Joab sent the king's servant and me thy servant, but I knew not what it meant .

Then lo! the Cushite, coming in, - and the Cushite said - Tidings, getteth my lord the king, how that Yahweh hath vindicated thee to-day, at the hand of all them who had risen up against thee.

And the king said unto the Cushite - Is it, well, with the young man - Absolom? Then said the Cushite - Be, like the young man, the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee, for harm.

Then was the king deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept, - and, thus, he said as he went - O my son Absolom, my son - my son - Absolom! could, I, but have died in thy stead, O Absolom, my son - my son!

But, the king, muffled his face, and the king made outcry, with a loud voice, - O my son Absolom, O Absolom, my son, my son!

Mine own brethren, are ye, my bone and my flesh, are ye, - wherefore then should ye be behindhand in bringing back the king?

And, unto Amasa, shall ye say, Art not, thou, my bone and my flesh? So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if thou become not, prince of the army, before me continually, instead of Joab.

and he said unto the king - Let not my lord impute to me iniquity, neither do thou remember the perverseness of thy servant, on the day that thou wentest out, my lord O king, from Jerusalem, that the king should lay it upon his heart.

For thy servant doth know, that, I, sinned, - lo! therefore, I have arrived to-day, as the first of all the house of Joseph, to come down to meet my lord the king.

But David said, What have I in common with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, for ye would become to me, to-day, a very traitor! Shall there, to-day, be put to death a man in Israel? for do I not know, that, to-day, I, am king over Israel?

And it came to pass, when he entered Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth.

And he said, My lord, O king, my servant, betrayed me, - for thy servant said - I will even saddle me mine ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king, for, lame, is thy servant.

And he hath slandered thy servant, unto my lord the king, - but, my lord the king, is as a messenger of God, do therefore what is good in thine own eyes.

For, when all the house of my father were nothing better than dead men, unto my lord the king, then didst thou set thy servant among them that used to eat at thy table, - what then have I further, by way of right, or to cry out any further unto the king?

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Even the whole, let him take, - now that my lord the king hath entered, in peace, into his own house.

So then the king said unto Barzillai, - Thou, come over with me, and I will sustain thee with me, in Jerusalem.

But Barzillai said unto the king, - Like unto what, are the days of the years of my life, that I should come up with the king, to Jerusalem.

Eighty years old, am I to-day - could I discern between good and bad? or could thy servant taste what I might eat, and what I might drink? or could I hearken any more to the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore, then, should thy servant yet be a burden unto my lord the king?

Just a little way, will thy servant pass over the Jordan with the king, - but wherefore should the king recompense me with this reward?

Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father, and my mother. But here is thy servant Chimham - let him pass over with my lord the king, and do unto him that which may be good in thine eyes.

Then said the king, With me, shall Chimham pass over, and, I, will do unto him that which shall be good in thine eyes, - and, whatsoever thou shalt choose to lay upon me, I will do for thee.

Then said the king unto Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah, within three days, - and, thou, here, take thy stand!

Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou, well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand, to kiss him.

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, - Hear ye! hear ye! I pray you, say unto Joab, Come near hither, and let me speak unto thee.

Then answered Joab and said, - Far be it! far be it from me! I will neither swallow up nor lay waste.

wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites - What shall I do for you, and wherewith shall I make propitiation, so that ye may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?

and he said, - Yahweh, was my mountain crag and my stronghold, and my deliverer - mine;

My God, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, - My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, My Saviour! from violence, thou didst save me.

As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, - And, from my foes, was I saved.

When the breakers of death had encompassed me, - the torrents of perdition, made me afraid, -

the meshes of hades, had surrounded me, - the snares of death had confronted me,

In my distress, called I on Yahweh, Yea, unto my God, did I call, - and he hearkened, out of his temple, unto my voice, and, my cry for help, was in his ears!

He sent from on high, he took me, - he drew me out of many waters;

He rescued me from my foe, in his might, - from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:

They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, - then became Yahweh my stay:

And brought out, into a large place, even me, - he delivered me, because he delighted in me:

Yahweh rewarded me, according to my righteousness - according to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me:

For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, - and not broken away from my God;

For, all his regulations, were before me, - and, as for his statutes, I turned not from them.

Yahweh therefore repaid me, according to my righteousness, - according to my pureness before his eyes.

For, thou, wast my lamp, O Yahweh, - and, Yahweh, enlightened my darkness;

For, by thee, I ran through a troop, - by my God, I leapt over a wall.

GOD, is my fortress of strength, - and shewed to the blameless his way;

Planting my feet like the hinds', - yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand;

Teaching my hands, to war, - so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms;

Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, - and, thy condescension, made me great.

Thou didst widen my stepping-places, under me, - so that mine ankles faltered not:

I pursued my foes, and destroyed them, - and returned not, till they were consumed;

So I consumed them, and crushed them, and they rose not again, - thus fell they under my feet:

Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, - thou subduedst mine assailants under me:

And, as for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, - yea, them who hated me, that I might destroy them:

Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of my people, didst keep me to be the head of nations: - a people whom I had not known, served me;

The sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me, - at the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, -

Yahweh liveth, and blessed be my rock, - and exalted be the God (of the rock) of my salvation: -

The GOD who hath avenged me, and brought down peoples under me;

And brought me forth from among my foes, - yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, from the man of violence, hast thou delivered me.

The Spirit of Yahweh, spake in me, - And, his word, was on my tongue;

Said the God of Israel, Unto me, spake the Rock of Israel: - One Ruling over Men, A Righteous One, ruling in the reverence of God,

When, not so, was my house with GOD, Then, a covenant age-abiding, he appointed me, Ordered in all things and guarded, Now that it is all my salvation and all my desire, Will he not make it shoot forth?

And David longed, and said, - Who will give me to drink water out of the well of Bethlehem, that is within the gate?

and said - Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this! is it not the blood of the men who went with their lives in their hands ? So he would not drink it. These things, did the three mighty men.

Then said Joab unto the king - Yea, Yahweh thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, a hundredfold, and suffer the eyes of my lord the king, to see it, - but, my lord the king, wherefore doth he find pleasure in this thing?

Go and speak unto David - Thus, saith Yahweh, Three things, do I offer thee, - choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

So Gad came in unto David, and told him, - and said to him: Shall there come unto thee seven years of famine in thy land? Or, for three months, wilt thou flee before thine enemies while, they, pursue thee? Or shall there be, for three days, pestilence in thy land? Now, consider and see, what, answer, I shall return to him that sent me.

And David said unto Gad - I am in a great strait, - let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Yahweh, for, manifold, are, his compassions, but, into the hand of man, let me not fall.

Then said David unto Yahweh, when he saw the messenger who was smiting the people, yea he said - Lo! I, have sinned, and, I, have done perversely, but what have, these sheep, done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against the house of my father!

Then said Araunah, Wherefore, hath my lord the king come unto his servant? And David said - To buy of thee the threshing-floor, to build an altar unto Yahweh, that the plague may be stayed from off the people.