And the saying pleased Absalom very much, and all the elders of Israel.

For, Hushai said, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are bitter of soul, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. And your father is a man of war, and will not stay the night with the people.

Behold, he is hidden now in some pit, or in one of the places. And it shall be, at the falling among them at the first, whoever hears will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.

And also he, the son of valor, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and they who are with him are mighty men.

Therefore I advise that all Israel be generally gathered to you, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, like the sand that is by the sea for multitude. And you yourself shall go into battle.

And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him like the dew falls upon the ground. And of all the men that are with him, not even one shall be left.

And if he has gotten into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until there is not one small stone found there.

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil on Absalom.

And now send quickly and tell David, saying, Do not stay in the plains of the wilderness tonight, but speedily pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people with him.

But a lad saw them and told Absalom. But both of them went away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, into which they went down.

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it, and the thing was not known.

And it happened after they had departed, they came up out of the well, and went and told King David. And they said to David, Arise and pass quickly over the waters, for this is what Ahithophel has advised against you.

Then David and all the people with him arose. And they passed over Jordan. By the morning light there was not one of them that had not gone over Jordan.

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

And David sent forth a third of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will also surely go forth with you myself.

But the people answered, You shall not go forth. For if we run away, they will not set their heart on us, even if half of us die. For now you are worth ten thousand of us. And now it is better that you remain to help us from the city.

And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your eyes. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, For my sake be gentle with the young man, with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the commanders charge concerning Absalom.

For the battle was scattered there over the face of all the country. And the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

And Joab said, I cannot stay here with you this way! And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.

And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest. And they laid a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled, each one to his tent.

And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Yet whatever, please let me also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will you run, my son, since you have no good news ready?

And David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, a man ran alone.

And, behold, Cushi came. And Cushi said, Good news, my lord the king, for Jehovah has avenged you this day of all those who rose up against you.

And the king said to Cushi, Peace to the young man, to Absalom? And Cushi answered, May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do you hurt, be as the young man.

And the victory that day was turned into mourning to all the people. For the people heard it said that day how the king was grieved for his son.

And Joab came into the house to the king and said, You have today shamed the faces of all your servants. For they have saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters today, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines.

By loving your enemies and hating those who love you, you have declared today that there are neither commanders nor servants to you. For I know that today if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you very much!

And now get up and go out. Speak to the heart of your servants. For I swear by Jehovah if you do not go out, not a man shall stay with you tonight. And that will be worse to you than all the evil which has come to you from your youth until now.

Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told it to the people, saying, Behold, the king sits in the gate! And all the people came before the king. (For Israel had fled, every one to his tent.)

And it happened, all the people quarreled throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines. And now he has fled out of the land from Absalom.

And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? For the word of all Israel has come to the king, to his house.

And you say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? May God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me all the days instead of Joab.

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, so that they sent to the king, saying, Return, you and all your servants.

For your servant knows that I have sinned. And, behold, I come today, the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

And he answered, My lord, O, king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, I will saddle me an ass so that I may ride on it and go to the king, because your servant is lame.

For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king. And you set your servant among those eating at your own table. What right then have I to cry to the king any more?

And Mephibosheth said to the king, Yes, let him take all, because my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.

And Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided food for the king while he abode at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

And the king said to Barzillai, Come over with me and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.

Your servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward?

And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. And whatever you shall ask of me, that I will do for you.

And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king had come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him. And he returned to his place.

And the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah were bringing the king, and also half the people of Israel.

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and have brought the king and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

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

And Joab's men went out after him, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

And Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the middle of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood still. And he moved Amasa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.

When he was moved out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and to all the Berites. And they were gathered, and went after him too.

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah. And they threw up a siege-mound against the city. And it stood against the wall. And all the people with Joab were undermining the wall to make it fall.

And she spoke, saying, They spoke often in days gone by, saying, Surely they will ask of Abel, and so they ended the matter.

I am peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

The matter is not so. But a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Only deliver him, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the ram's horn, and they scattered from the city, each man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

And Joab was over all the army of Israel. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites.

And the Gibeonites said to him, We will have no silver nor gold from Saul, nor from his house. Also, we will have no man in Israel put to death. And he said, What you shall say, I will do for you.

let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah. And the king said, I will give them.

And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven. And she did not allow either the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of his father Kish. And they did all that the king commanded. And afterward God heeded prayer for the land.

And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.

The God who is my Rock, in Him will I trust. He is my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower, and my Refuge, my Savior. You save me from violence.

I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. And I shall be saved from my enemies.

For all His judgments were before me. And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

With the faithful You will show Yourself faithful; with the upright man You will show Yourself upright.

With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the perverted You will appear perverse.

And You will save the afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the proud, whom You bring low.

For You are my lamp, O Jehovah. And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.

For by You I have run through a troop. By my God I have leaped over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who seek refuge in Him.

Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O Jehovah, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to Your name.

Although my house is not so with God, yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For all my salvation, and all my desire, will He not make it grow?

But the wicked, all of them, shall be like a thorn thrust away, because they cannot be taken by the hand.

And David longed and said, Oh that someone would give me a drink from the water of the well of Bethlehem by the gate!

And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Jehovah.

Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

For the king said to Joab the commander of the army, who was with him, Go around through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and count the people so that I may know the number of the people.

And they came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and went out to the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba.

And they went to and fro through all the land, and came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

And Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come upon you and on your land? Or will you flee three months before your enemies while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' plague in your land? And advise, and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.

All these Araunah, like a king, gave to the king. And Araunah said to the king, May Jehovah your God accept you.

And the king said to Araunah, No, but I will surely buy from you at a price. And I will not offer burnt offerings to Jehovah my God of that which costs me nothing. And David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

And they sought out a beautiful girl throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag, a Shunammite. And they brought her to the king.

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

And Adonijah killed sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the Stone of Serpents, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants.

Behold, while you are still talking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.

And he has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army. But he has not called your servant Solomon.

And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.

And it will be, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, my son Solomon and I shall be offenders.

For he has gone down this day, and has killed a great many of oxen and fat cattle and sheep, and has called all the king's sons and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, Let King Adonijah live.

And the king swore, and said, As Jehovah lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress,

surely as I swore to you by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place, even so I will do today.

And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the Tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the ram's horn, and all the people said, Let King Solomon live!

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was torn with their sound.

And Adonijah heard, and all the invited guests with him. And they stopped eating. And Joab heard the sound of the ram's horn, and said, What is this noise roaring from the city?

And all those who were invited by Adonijah trembled and arose and left, each to his way.

And it was told to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon. For, lo, he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.

I go the way of all the earth. And you be strong and show yourself a man.

And keep the charge of Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn yourself,