And what one people in the earth is like thy people Israel? Which God went and delivered to be his people, and to make him a name, and to show them great and terrible things in the earth, before thy people which thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, even from the people and from their gods.

And thou hast ordained thy people Israel to be thy people forever. And thou, LORD, art their God.

And now, LORD God, the thing thou hast said of thy servant and of his house: make it good forever and do as thou hast said.

For thou, LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, hast told in the ear of thy servant, saying, "I will build thee a house. And therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

And now go to and bless the household of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. For thou, Lord Jehovah, hast said that of thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed forever."

And he beat the Moabites and measured them with a line, making them lie along the earth; so that he brought two parts of them to death, and let one part live. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and paid tribute.

David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to make the end of his coasts at the river Euphrates.

Then came the Syrians of Damascus to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah. And David slew of them two and twenty thousand men and put soldiers in Syria, Damascus.

And the Syrians became servants to David paying tribute. And thus the LORD saved David in all that he went to.

And David took the shields of gold that were upon the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

When Toi, king of Hamath, had heard how David had discomforted all the host of Hadadezer,

he sent Joram his son unto king David to salute him with peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and beaten him - for Toi kept war with Hadadezer - which son brought vessels of silver, gold and of brass with him.

And the other bowed himself and said, "What is thy servant that thou shouldst vouchsafe to look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

Then the king called unto Ziba, Saul's young man, saying unto him, "I give unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his kin.

See therefore that thou and thy sons and thy servants till the land for him, and bring in, that thy master's son may have food to eat. For Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat meat always upon my table." For this Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Then said Ziba unto the king, "All that my lord hath said unto his servant, thy servant shall do." "For," said the king, "Mephibosheth must eat upon my table, as one of the king's sons."

Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And thereupon David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants over the death of his father. Now when David's servants were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

the lords of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, because he hath sent to comfort thee? Nay, he hath rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city and to spy it out, even to overthrow it."

And he said, "If the Syrians overcome me, then succor me. But if the children of Ammon be too good for thee, I will come and succor thee.

Quite thee like a man, and let us fight lustily for our people and for the cities of our God. And the LORD do what seemeth best in his eyes."

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And so Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered them together.

And when it was showed David, he gathered all Israel and passed over Jordan and came to Helam: where the Syrians put themselves in array against David and fought with him.

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with them and served them. And so the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

And it came to pass in the beginning of a new year, in the times when kings are wont to go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

And it chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king's palace; and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to enquire what woman it should be.

And it was answered again, that she was Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam and wife to Uriah the Hittite.

Then David sent to Joab, to send unto him Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

And David said moreover to Uriah, "Go down to thine house and wash thy feet." And Uriah departed out of the king's palace, and there followed him a service from the king's table.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

And Uriah said unto David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in pavilions; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord lie in tents upon the flat earth - and should I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life and as sure as thy soul liveth, I will not do that thing."

Then said David unto Uriah, "Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." And so Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and on the morrow.

And David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And at even he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of the lord, and went not down to his house.

Wherefore on the morrow David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.

And he wrote in the letter saying, "Put Uriah in the forefront of the battle where it is most strong, and come back from him that he may be smitten to death."

if he begin to fume and say unto thee, 'Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city to fight? Wist ye not that men would hurl and shoot from the walls?

And when the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. And as soon as the mourning was ended, David sent and fetched her to his house,

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, "There were two men in one city, a rich and a poor.

And there came a stranger unto the rich man. And he could not find in his heart to take of his own sheep nor of his beasts to dress for the stranger that was come unto him. But took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

And David was exceeding wroth with the man, and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD liveth, the fellow that hath done this thing is the child of death

Then Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, 'I anointed thee king over Israel and rid thee out of the hands of Saul.

And I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah - and would, if that had been too little, have given thee twice so much more.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do wickedness in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to be thy wife.'

And thou didst it secretly, yet will I do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.'"

Then said David unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said again to David, "The LORD hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Howbeit, because in doing this deed thou hast given the enemies of the LORD a cause to rail, the child that is born thee shall die surely."

And the elders of his house arose and went to him to take him up from the earth. But he would not, neither yet eat meat with them.

And it happened the seventh day that the child died. But the servants of David durst not tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "See, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How much more then will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?"

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and went into the house of the LORD and prayed; and after came to his own house and bade that they should set meat before him, and he did eat.

But now, seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him again any more? I shall go to him: but he shall not come again to me."

and sent messengers to David, saying, "I have made assault to Rabbah, and also have taken the castle from whence they had their water.

Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and come and besiege the city and take it: lest if I take it, the victory be ascribed to me."

And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah and assaulted it and gat it.

And this Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for the love of his sister Tamar: for he thought it hard to come by his purpose of her, seeing she was yet a virgin.

Then said Jonadab unto him, "Lie on thy bed and feign thyself sick. And when thy father is come to see thee, say unto him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me meat and dress it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it of her hand."

And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto him, "Let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of fritters in my sight, that I may eat of her hand."

And David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to thy brother Amnon's house and dress him meat.

When Tamar came to her brother Amnon's house, he lay. And she took flour and made paste and made fritters in his sight and did bake them,

and took a platter and poured them out before him. And Amnon would not eat, but commanded to have out all men from him. And they went all out from him.

Then said Amnon unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat it of thine hand." And Tamar took the fritters which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother,

and set them before him to eat. And he took her and said unto her, "Come, lie with me my sister."

And she answered him, "Nay, my brother, do not force me, for it ought not to be so in Israel. Do not this folly.

Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice but was too strong for her and forced her and lay with her.

And it happened, two year after, that Absalom had a sheep shearing in Baal Hazor besides the tribe of Ephraim, and bade all the king's sons.

And he came to the king and said, "Behold, thy servant hath a sheep shearing. Let the king and his servants come with thy servant."

And while they were yet in the way, tidings came to David that Absalom had slain all the king's sons, so that none was left alive.

Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing so grievously to think that all the king's sons were dead, when Amnon only is dead."

But Absalom escaped and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud king of Geshur. And the king mourned for his son continually.

And so Absalom escaped and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

When Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was turned again to Absalom,

he sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, "Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel. And anoint not thyself with oil. But be as a woman that had long time mourned for the death of somebody.

And go to the king and speak of thus manner unto him." And so Joab taught her what she should say.

And when the wife of Tekoa was come to speak with the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, "Help me, O king."

And thy handmaid had two sons which fought together in the fields where was no man to go between them, and the one slew the other.

And the king said unto the wife, "Go home to thine house, and I will give a charge for thee."

And then said the king, "If any man say ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall no more trouble thee."

Then said she, "Let the king remember his LORD God, that the next of the blood gather not on heaps together to destroy, and that they slay not my son." And he said, "As sure as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son's head fall to the earth."

For we must needs die, and perish as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again: and God will not take away the life, but find the means that the banished be not utterly expelled from him.

And now, concerning that, I am come to speak of this thing unto the king my lord in the presence of the people. Thy handmaid thought, 'Surely I will speak unto the king; peradventure the king will hear the request of his handmaid.

And the turning of my tale another way, that made thy servant Joab. And so I see that my lord is wise, even as an angel of God, to understand all things that are in the earth."

Then said the king to Joab, "Behold, I am content to do this thing. Go therefore fetch home the lad Absalom."

And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself and blessed the king and said, "Now thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in the sight of my lord the king in that he hath fulfilled the request of his servant."

And so Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

Then said the king, "Let him turn to his own house, but see that he come not in my presence." And so Absalom went to his own house, but came not in the king's presence.

Moreover, in all Israel there was not so goodly a man as Absalom, or so greatly praised - from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no blemish in him.

And when he shaved his head - for at every years' end he shaved it because it was heavy on him, and therefore he shaved it - the hair thereof weighed two hundred sicles weight of the king's weight.

And this Absalom had three sons born him and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fair woman to look upon.

When Absalom had dwelt two years in Jerusalem without coming into the king's presence he sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king.

But he would not come to him. And he sent again, and for all that he would not come.

Then Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house and said unto him, "Wherefore have thy servants burned my field with fire?"

And Absalom said to Joab, "Behold, I sent for thee desiring thee to come; because I would have sent thee to the king, for to say wherefore I am come from Geshur. It had been as good for me to have bidden there still. Now therefore let me come to the king's presence, or else if there be any trespass in me, kill me."

And Joab went to the king and told him. And he sent for Absalom; which, when he was come, fell to the ground on his face before the king. And the king kissed him.

After this Absalom gat him chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

And thereto he used to rise up early in the mornings and to stand by the wayside that led to the gate of the city. And all the men of Israel that had complaints and came to the king for judgment, he called unto him, and said, "Of what city art thou?" And when the other answered, "thy servant is of such a tribe of Israel,"

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

Then Absalom said moreover, "Oh, that I were a judge in the land, and that all men which have pleas and matter in the law, should come to me. For I would do them justice."

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 on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and therewith stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

And at forty years' end Absalom said unto the king, "Let me go, I pray thee, to Hebron; and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the LORD.