And the king said unto Absolom - Nay! my son, do not, I pray thee, let us all go, lest we be burdensome upon thee. And, though he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him.

And Absolom urged him, - so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

Now Absolom had commanded his young men, saying - Mark, I pray you, when the heart of Amnon is merry with wine, and I say unto you - Smite ye Amnon, then shall ye put him to death, do not fear, - have not, I myself, commanded you? Be bold, and show yourselves to be sons of valour.

So Absolom's young men did to Amnon as Absolom had commanded. Then arose all the king's sons, and rode away - each man on his mule, and fled.

And it came to pass, while, they, were yet on the road, that, the report, reached David, saying, - Absolom hath smitten all the king's sons, and there is not left of them, one.

Then responded Jonadab son of Shimeah David's brother, and said - Let not my lord say that they have put, all the young men - the king's sons, to death; for, Amnon alone, is dead; for, by the bidding of Absolom, was it appointed, from the day that he forced Tamar his sister.

Now, therefore, let not my lord the king lay to his heart such a thing - to say, All the king's sons, are dead, - but, Amnon alone, is dead.

So Jonadab said unto the king, Lo! the king's sons, are come, - according to the word of thy servant, so hath it come to pass.

And so it was, as he made an end of speaking, that lo! the king's sons, came, and lifted up their voice and wept, - the king also, and all his servants, wept with an exceeding great weeping.

But, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey unto Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David the king mourned for his son continually,

And Joab, son of Zeruiah, perceived that the heart of the king was towards Absolom.

Now, thy maidservant, had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, with none to tear them apart, - so the one smote the other, and slew him.

Then said she: Let the king, I pray thee, remember Yahweh thy God; so that the blood-redeemer may not make utter ruin, and that they destroy not my son. And he said - By the life of Yahweh, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.

For the king can hearken, to rescue his handmaid out of the power of the man who would seek to destroy both me and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.

And there were born to Absolom three sons, and one daughter, whose name, was Tamar, - she, was a woman beautiful to look upon.

And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, - and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar - your two sons, with you.

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.

And, when King David had come as far as Bahurim, lo! from thence a man coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, whose name, was Shimei son of Gera, coming out and cursing as he came.

Yahweh, hath brought back upon thee, all the shed-blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Yahweh hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absolom thy son, - and, here thou art, in thy ruin, for that, a man of bloodshed, thou art.

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.

But the king said, What have I in common with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? thus, he curseth, because, Yahweh, hath said unto him - Curse David. Who then can say, Why hast thou done thus?

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.

And, again, whom, should, I serve? Should it not be in presence of his son? as I served in presence of thy father, so, will I continue thy presence.

then will, even the son of valour himself, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, utterly melt, - for all Israel do know that, a man of might, is thy father, and that, sons of valour, are they who are with him.

Now Absolom had appointed, Amasa, instead of Joab, over the army, - Amasa, being the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Ishmaelite, who went in unto Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab.

And it came to pass, when David entered Mahanaim, that Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and Machir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite, of Rogelim,

And David sent forth the people - a third part, under the hand of Joab, and, a third part, under the hand of Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and, a third part, under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. Then said the king, unto the people, I myself, will, surely go forth, with you.

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.

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.

And Joab said to him - Not a man to bear tidings, art thou this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day, - but, this day, shalt thou not bear tidings, for this cause, that, the king's son, is dead.

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?

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 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!

So the victory, on that day, was turned into mourning, with all the people, - for the people heard, on that day, saying, The king is distressed for his 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!

Then came Joab unto the king, in the house, - and said - Thou hast, to-day, covered with shame the faces of all thy servants, who have rescued thy life to-day, and the lives of thy sons and thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

Then hastened Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, - and came down, with the men of Judah, to meet King David.

And, a thousand men, were with him, out of Benjamin, Ziba also, servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants, with him, - and they went through the Jordan, before the king.

But the ferry-boat kept crossing, to bring over the household of the king, and to do what was good in his eyes. And, Shimei, son of Gera, fell down before the king, when he had passed over the Jordan;

Then responded Abishai, son of Zeruiah, and said, For this, shall not Shimei be put to death, for that he cursed the Anointed of Yahweh?

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, Mephibosheth, son of Saul, came down to meet the king, - he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor, his clothes, had he washed, from the day the king departed, until the day that he entered in peace.

Now, in that place, there happened to be an abandoned man, whose name, was Sheba son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin, - so he blew a horn, and said - We have no share in David, Nor inheritance have we in the son of Jesse, Every man to his home, O Israel!

Then went up all the men of Israel from following David, to follow Sheba son of Bichri, - but, the men of Judah, clave unto their king, from the Jordan, even as far as Jerusalem.

Then said David unto Abishai, Now, shall Sheba son of Bichri, do us more harm than Absolom, - thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue him, lest he have got him into fortified cities, and so have escaped our eye.

Then went out after him - the men of Joab, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, - and they went out from Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

Amasa not heeding the sword that was in the hand of Joab, he smote him therewith in the belly, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again, and he died. So, Joab and Abishai his brother, pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

When he had removed him out of the highway, every man passed on, after Joab, to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

Not so, is the matter! but, a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, his name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David, give up him alone, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Lo! his head, shall be cast unto thee, through the wall.

So the woman came unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it out unto Joab. And he blew with a horn, and they dispersed themselves from the city, every man to his home; but, Joab, returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

And, Joab, was restored unto all the army of Israel, - And, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,

And, Adoniram, was over the tribute, - And, Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the remembrancer;

The king therefore called the Gibeonites, and said unto them (now, the Gibeonites, were, not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, with whom, the sons of Israel, had entered into an oath, and Saul had sought to smite them, in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah) -

let there be delivered up to us - seven men of his sons, and we will crucify them unto Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh. And the king said, I, will deliver them up.

But the king had pity upon Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, Saul's son, - because of the oath of Yahweh that was between them, between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.

So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, even Armoni and Mephibosheth, - and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai, the Meholathite;

So David went and fetched the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the owners of Jabesh-gilead, - who stole them from the broadway of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day when the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;

and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, - and they gathered together the bones of them who had been crucified;

so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the grave of Kish his father, thus did they all that the king commanded, - and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, after this.

but Abishai son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then, sware the men of David unto him, saying - Thou must not go forth any more with us, to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.

And there was yet again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, - when Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim of Bethlehem, smote Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

but, when he reproached Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah David's brother, smote, him.

And David spake unto Yahweh, the words of this song, in the day when Yahweh had rescued him, out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul;

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

The sons of the foreigner, were disheartened, and came quaking, out of their fortresses.

Now, these, are the last words of David, - The oracle of David, son of Jesse, Yea the oracle of The man raised up on high, The Anointed of the God of Jacob, the Delight of the Songs of Israel:

And, after him, Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi, - in the hero-class of mighty men, with David, when they reproached the Philistines, they were gathered together there to battle, but the men of Israel had gone up;

And, after him, Shammah son of Agee, the Hararite, - and, when the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, there being at hand an allotment of field-land full of lentils, but, the people, having fled from the face of the Philistines,

And. Abishai brother of Joab son of Zeruiah, he, was chief of three, in that he brandished his spear against three hundred whom he slew; and, he, had a name among three.

Benaiah also, son of Jehoiadah, son of an active man, hero of many a deed, a man of Kabzeel, he, smote the two sons of Ariel of Moab, he, also went down and smote a lion in the midst of a pit, on a day of snow;

These things, did Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and, he, had a name among three mighty men.

Asahel, brother of Joab, was among the thirty, - Elhanan, son of Dodo, of Bethlehem;

Helez, the Paltite, Ira, son of Ikkesh, the Tekoite;

Heleb, son of Baanah, the Netophathite, - Ittai, son of Ribai, of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin;

Eliahba, the Shaalbonite, (Of) the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

Shammah, the Hararite, Ahiam, son of Sharar, the Ararite;

Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of the Maacathite. Eliam, son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite.

Igal, son of Nathan, of Zobah, Bani, the Gadite;

Zelek, the Ammonite, - Naharai, the Beerothite, armour bearers to Joab son of Zeruiah;

And, Adonijah son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying - I, will be king. Therefore prepared he for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

So then he had speech with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, - and they gave help, following Adonijah.

But, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and heifers, near the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, - and invited all his brethren, sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

Then spake Nathan unto Bath-sheba mother of Solomon, saying - Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath become king, and, our lord David, knoweth it not?

Now, therefore, come; let me give thee counsel, I pray thee, - so shalt thou rescue thine own life, and the life of thy son, Solomon.

Go, and get thee in unto King David, and thou shalt say unto him - Didst not, thou thyself, my lord O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying - Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne? Why, then, hath, Adonijah, become king?

And she said unto him - My lord, thou thyself, didst swear by Yahweh thy God, unto thy handmaid, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, - yea, he, shall sit upon my throne.

and he hath sacrificed oxen and heifers and sheep, in abundance, and hath invited all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab general of the army, - but, Solomon thy servant, hath he not invited.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, then shall I and my son Solomon be counted, offenders.

For he hath gone down to-day, and hath sacrificed oxen and heifers and sheep, in abundance, and hath invited all the sons of the king, and the generals of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and, there they are - eating and drinking before him, - and they have said - Long live King Adonijah!

But, me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon thy servant, hath he not invited.

even as I sware unto thee by Yahweh, God of Israel, saying, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne, in my stead, even so, will I do this day.

Then said King David - Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. And they came in before the king.

Then said the king unto them - Take ye with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon the mule which pertaineth unto myself, - and bring him down unto Gihon;

Then did Benaiah son of Jehoiada make response unto the king, and say - Amen! so, say Yahweh, God of my lord the king.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon the mule of King David, - and they escorted him to Gihon.

While yet he was speaking, lo! Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, came in, - and Adonijah said - Come in, for, a worthy man, thou art, and, good tidings, dost thou bring.

And the king hath sent with him - Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, - and they have caused him to ride upon the mule of the king;