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.

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 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, when David and his men went along in the way, Shimei, was going along on the side of the hill over against him, cursing as he went, pelting him with stones, and throwing dust.

Then said Absolom unto Hushai, Is, this, thy lovingkindness unto thy friend? Wherefore wentest thou not with thy friend?

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.

Now, the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God, - so, was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both to David, and also to Absolom.

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:

Then said Absolom, I pray you, call ye Hushai the Archite also, - and let us hear what is in, his, mouth, also.

Then said Hushai unto Absolom, - Not good, is the counsel that Ahithophel hath given - at this time.

And Hushai said - Thou, knowest thy father and his men - that, men of might, they are, and, embittered in soul, they are, like a bear bereaved of her young, in the field, - thy father also, is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

Lo! by this time, hath, he, hidden himself in some pit, or other place, - and it shall be, as soon as he falleth upon them at the first, that he that hearkeneth for tidings will hear of it , and will say - There is a defeat among the people that are following Absolom:

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.

Therefore I counsel - that there be a general gathering together unto thee of all Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, - and that, thine own presence, be going on in their midst.

So shall we come upon him in some place where he hath been found, yea, we, shall be upon him, as when the dew falleth upon the ground, - and there shall not be left of him, or of the men that are with him, so much as one.

But, if, into a city, he withdraw, then will all Israel bring up unto that city, ropes, - and we will drag it down unto the ravine, until there be not found in that place, so much as a small stone.

Then said Absolom and all the men of Israel, Better, is the counsel of Hushai the Archite, than the counsel of Ahithophel. Yahweh, indeed, had given charge to frustrate the wise counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring upon Absolom, ruin.

So David arose, and all the people who were with him, and passed over the Jordan, by the morning light, so much as one, was not lacking, who had not passed over the Jordan.

Now, when, Ahithophel, saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and went unto his own house, unto his own city, and gave charge unto his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the grave of his father.

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.

But the people said - Thou must not go forth, for, if we, flee, they will not regard us, neither, if half of us die, will they regard us, for, thou, compared with us, art worth ten thousand, - now, therefore, it will be better that thou come to us out of the city, with succour.

And the king said unto them, Whatever is best in your eyes, I will do. And the king stood beside the gate, while, all the people, came out by hundreds and by thousands.

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.

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?

So the watchman called out, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth. And he came on nearer and nearer.

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.

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 .

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!

And it was told Joab, - Lo! the king, is weeping and mourning over Absolom.

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.

And the people stole away, on that day, to go into the city, - as people steal away who are put to shame, when they flee in battle.

So the king arose, and took his seat in the gate, - and, to all the people, was it told, saying - Lo! the king, is sitting in the gate. Then came all the people before the king, but, Israel, had fled every man to his home.

And it came to pass that all the people were reproaching one another, throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, - the king, delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and, he, rescued us out of the hand of the Philistines, but, now, he hath fled out of the land, away from Absolom;

and, Absolom, whom we anointed over us, hath died in the battle. Now, therefore, why are, ye, silent as to bringing back the king?

Thus bowed he the heart of all the men of Judah, as one man, - and they sent unto the king, Return, thou, and all thy servants.

Then the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan, - and, Judah, came to Gilgal, to go and meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.

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.

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.

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.

And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel - Because the king is, near of kin, unto us, wherefore, then, is it, that ye are angry over this matter? Have we, eaten, at the king's cost? or hath he, bestowed any gifts, on us?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said - Ten parts, have we in the king, therefore, even in David, have we more right than ye. Why, then, made ye light of us, so that our word was not heard first as to bringing back our king? And, the words of the men of Judah, were fiercer than, the words of the men of Israel.

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.

When, they, were by the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa, had arrived before them. Now, Joab, was girded about with his war-coat as his upper garment, and, over it, a girdle with a sword, fastened upon his loins, in the sheath thereof, and, it, came out and fell.

Now, a man, stood over him, of the young men of Joab, - and said - Whosoever is well pleased with Joab, and whosoever pertaineth to David, let him follow Joab.

But, Amasa, was wallowing in blood, in the midst of the highway, - and, when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa, out of the highway into the field, and cast over him a garment, as soon as he saw that every man that came up to him stood still.

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.

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.

And there came to be a famine, in the days of David, for three years, year after year, so then David sought the face of Yahweh, - and Yahweh said - It respecteth Saul and his house, as to bloodshed, in that he put to death the Gibeonites.

And the Gibeonites said unto him - It is not a matter with us of silver or gold, with Saul or with his house, neither would we have a man put to death in Israel. And he said, - What do ye say I should do for you?

Then said they unto the king, The man who consumed us, and who thought to have destroyed us from taking a place within any of the bounds of Israel,

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.

So, Ishbi-benob, who was of the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear-head, was three hundred shekels of bronze, he also being newly armed, thought to smite David;

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.

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

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

As for God, blameless is his way, - the speech of Yahweh, hath been proved, a shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.

For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? and who a Rock, save our God?

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

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

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

Is even as the light of the morning when ariseth the sun, - A morning, without clouds, As from brightness, and from rain, the fresh shoots out of the earth.

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?

But, as for the abandoned, like thorns to be tossed away are they all, - For, not with the hand, can they be taken;

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.

And they passed over the Jordan, - and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city, that is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, even towards Jazer.

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.

But, when the messenger stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem, to destroy it, then relented Yahweh as to the evil, and he said to the messenger who was destroying the people - Enough! now, stay thy hand. And, the messenger of Yahweh, was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

So David went up, according to the word of Gad, as Yahweh had commanded.

Then said Araunah unto David, Let my lord the king accept it and cause to ascend what is good in his own eyes, - see! the oxen for the ascending-sacrifice, and the threshing-sledges and ox-yokes for wood.

The whole, did Araunah give, as a king to a king. And Araunah said unto the king, Yahweh thy God, accept thee!

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;

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 shall Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, - and ye shall blow with the horn, and say - Long live King Solomon!

As Yahweh hath been with my lord the king, so, let him he with Solomon, - and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, King David.

And Adonijah, and all the guests who were with him, heard it, just as, they, had made an end of eating, - and, when Joab heard the sound of a horn, he said - Wherefore the noise of the city, in tumult?

and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king, in Gihon, and they went up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again, - That, is the noise ye have heard.

and keep the observances of Yahweh thy God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments, and his regulations and his testimonies, as written in the law of Moses, - to the end thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

Lo! also, there is with thee - Shimei son of Gera a Benjamite, of Behurim, well, he, it was who cursed me with a grievous curse; on the day I journeyed to Mahanaim, - but he, came down to meet me, at the Jordan, and so I sware to him by Yahweh, saying - I will not put thee to death, with the sword.

Now, therefore do not hold him guiltless, for, a wise man, thou art, and wilt know how thou oughtest to deal with him, and wilt suffer his grey hairs to go down with blood, to hades.

Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother - Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother, - even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.

Now, therefore, by the life of Yahweh, who hath established me, and seated me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me a household, as he had spoken, surely, to-day, shall Adonijah be put to death!

And it was told King Solomon - Joab hath fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and, there he is, beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying - Go fall upon him!

And the king said to him - Do as he hath spoken, fall, then, upon him, and bury him, - and so put away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

And Shimei said to the king - Good, is the word, as my lord the king hath spoken, so, will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

So Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants - and Shimei went and brought in his servants, from Gath.

Then sent the king and called for Shimei, and said unto him - Did I not put thee on oath by Yahweh, and adjure thee, saying - On the day thou goest forth and takest thy journey hither or thither, know, that thou shalt, die. Then saidst thou unto me - Good, is the word I have heard.

Then said the king unto Shimei - Thou, knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, which thou didst unto David my father, - therefore shall Yahweh bring back thy wickedness, upon thine own head.

Then said Solomon - Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee, in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart, with thee, - and thou hast kept, for him, this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day.

And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, - a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude.

Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, - for who is able to judge this thine honoured people?

lo! I have done according to thy word, - lo! I have given unto thee a wise and discerning heart, so that, like thee, hath been none, before thee, and, after thee, shall rise up none, like thee.