And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the LORD with shouting and trumpet blowing.

And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window and saw King David spring and dance before the LORD, and therefore despised him in her heart.

And when they had brought in the Ark of the LORD, and had set it even in his place, even in the tabernacle that David had prepared for it: David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts;

Then David returned to salute his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out against him, and said, "Oh how glorious was the king of Israel today, which stripped himself today before the eyes of the maidens of his servants, as a light-brained fellow is wont to strip himself."

But David said again to Michal, "I thought to dance before the LORD - which chose me, rather thy father and all his kin, and commanded me to be ruler over all the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

"Go and tell my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD, 'Shalt thou go build me a house for the LORD to dwell in?

Now therefore so say unto my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, 'I took thee out of a shepherd's cote from following sheep to be a ruler over my people Israel.

And when Nathan had told David all these words and all this vision,

then went King David and set him down before the LORD and said, "What am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my kin, that thou shouldest have brought me this far forth?

And what can David say more unto thee, seeing thou knowest thy servant, Lord Jehovah?

And let thy name be great forever, that men may say, 'The LORD of Hosts is the God of Israel.' And let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

After that, David beat the Philistines and subdued them, and took the bridle of bondage out of their hands.

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.

And David took a thousand and seven hundred horsemen of his, and twenty thousand footmen, and destroyed all his chariots - reserving one hundred of them.

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 them also King David did dedicate unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he consecrated of all nations which he subdued:

And David made him a name after he returned from the slaughter of the Syrians in the valley of salt where he slew eighteen thousand men.

And he put keepers in Edom, even throughout all Edom put he soldiers; and all Edom became his servants. And the LORD kept David whatsoever he took in hand.

And David reigned over all Israel and executed right and justice unto all his people.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

Then said David, "Is there yet any man left of the house of Saul, that I may show him mercy for Jonathan's sake?"

And there was, of the household of Saul, a servant named Ziba which was called unto David. And the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is the man."

Then king David sent and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, out of Lodebar.

Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was come unto David, he bowed himself and fell on his face. Then said David, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Behold thy servant."

And David said, "Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan's sake and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat meat on mine own table always."

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."

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants and shaved off the one half of every man's beard and cut off their garments even in the middle, even hard by the buttocks of them and sent them away.

When it was told David he sent against them - for they were men exceedingly ashamed - and said, "Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return."

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank unto David, they sent and hired the sons of Bethrehob of the Syrians of Zobah: twenty thousand footmen; and of king Maacah: a thousand men; and of Ishtob: twelve thousand men.

And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of strong men.

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.

Howbeit, the Syrians fled before Israel. And David destroyed seven hundred chariots of them and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of his host, that he there died.

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 David sent messengers and fetched her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her. And she was straightway purified of her uncleanness, and returned unto her house.

And when the woman had perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

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.

Then they told David, saying, "Uriah descended not into his house." Then said David unto Uriah, "Seeing that thou art come from journeying, why dost thou not go down unto thine 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 the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And there were certain overthrown of the people and of the servants of David - and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Then Joab sent and told David all the process of the war,

And the messengers went and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him with,

and said unto David, "The men prevail against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we stuck unto them, even unto the entering of the gate.

Then said David unto the messenger, "Thus wise say unto Joab, 'Let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage, Joab."

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 she was his wife and bare him a son. But the deed that David had committed displeased the LORD.

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 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.

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.

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child, that Uriah's wife bare David, and it sickened.

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

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?"

But David saw his servants whispering and thereby perceived that the child was dead, and said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "Yea."

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.

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her, and she bare a son whose name was called Solomon, and the LORD loved him.

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

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

And he took the king's crown from off his head, which weighed a hundred weight of gold, and was set with precious stones. And David wore it on his head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in exceeding great abundance.

And he brought out the people that was therein and sawed them and drew harrows of iron upon them, and shred some of them with shredding knives of iron, and thrust some into furnaces. And so he served all the cities of the children of Ammon. And then David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

And it chanced that Absalom, David's son, had a fair sister named Tamar, whom afterward Amnon, another son of David, loved.

But Amnon had a companion called Jonadab, the son of Shimeah the brother of David: which Jonadab was a very wise man.

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

And king David heard of all these things and was very wroth.

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.

Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah David's brother answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons: save Amnon only is dead. For that hath been ever in Absalom's mouth since he forced his sister Tamar.

And Absalom sent also for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, and fetched him out of his city Giloh, when he sacrificed sacrifices. And there was wrought strong treason. And the people drew to Absalom in great multitude.

And there came a messenger to David and said, "The hearts of the men of Israel are to follow Absalom."

Then said David unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Up, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart; lest he come suddenly and catch us and bring some mischief upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

And David went up on Mount Olivet and wept as he went, and had his head covered and went thereto barefoot. And all the people that was with him, had every man his head covered, and as they went, wept also.

And one told David, saying, "Ahithophel is one of them that have conspired with Absalom." Then said David, "O LORD, turn the counsel of Ahithophel unto foolishness."

When David was come to the top of the mount and had bowed himself unto God: behold, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coat torn and earth upon his head.

Unto whom David said, "If thou go with me thou shalt be a burden unto me.

And so Hushai, David's friend, gat him to the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem.

And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came against him with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves and one hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred frayls of dried figs, and a bottle of wine.

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Shimei, the son of Gera; and he came out cursing.

And thereto he cast stones at David and at all the servants of king David, all the people and all the men of war going; part on his righthand, and part on his left.

And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse: for the LORD hath bid him curse David. And who dare presume to say wherefore doth he so?"

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, "Behold, my son which came out of mine own bowels seeketh my life. How much more may this son of Benjamin do it? Suffer him therefore to curse, for the LORD hath bidden him.

And thus as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him and cast dust.

And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counseled in those days, was as a man had asked counsel of God: even so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both unto David and also unto Absalom.

Then Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Let me choose out, I pray thee, twelve thousand men. And I will up and follow after David by night.

Now therefore send quickly and show David, saying, 'Tarry not all night in the fields of the wilderness, but get thee over, lest the king be devoured and all the people that are with him.'"

As for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, they stood by the well of Rogel, and a damsel went thither and told them. They went on their way and told King David, for they durst not be seen to come into the city.

And as soon as they were departed, the other came out of the well, and went and told King David and said unto him, "Up, and get you quickly over the water for such counsel hath Ahithophel given."

Then David arose and all the people that were with him, and they were come over Jordan by that it was day, that there lacked not one of them that was not come over Jordan.

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

And when David was come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash out of Rabbah, the city of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel out of Lodebar and Barzillai the Gileadite out of Rogelim,

honey, butter, sheep and cheese of kine - for David, and all the people that were with him, to eat. For they supposed that the people should be hungry, fainty, and thirsty in the wilderness.