Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee, for otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smit And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king shall choose. read more.
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and they remained in Beth-merhak. And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why do thou also go with us? Return, and abide with the king, for thou are a foreigner, and also an exile. [Return] to thine own place. Whereas thou came but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go where I may? Return thou, and take back thy brothers. Mercy and truth be with thee. And Ittai answered the king, and said, As LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there thy servant will also be. And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king himself also passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness. And, lo, Zadok also [came], and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing out of the city. And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of LORD he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation. But if he says thus, I have no delight in thee, behold, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him. The king said also to Zadok the priest, Are thou [not] a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will remain at the fords of the wilderness until there comes word from you to report to me. Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they abode there. And David went up by the ascent of the [mount of] Olives, and wept as he went up, and he had his head covered, and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they we And it was told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.


Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night. And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid. And all the people who are with him shall flee. And I will only smite the king, and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seek is as if all returned, [so] all the people shall be in peace. read more.
And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. Then Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says. And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner. Shall we do [after] his saying? If not, speak thou. And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good. Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place. And it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom. And even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until there be 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 LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that LORD might bring evil upon A

And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Live, O king. Live, O king. And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why did thou not go with thy friend? read more.
And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will abide. And again, whom should I serve? [Is it] not in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so I will be in thy presence.

And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.


And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night. And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid. And all the people who are with him shall flee. And I will only smite the king, and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seek is as if all returned, [so] all the people shall be in peace. read more.
And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. Then Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says. And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner. Shall we do [after] his saying? If not, speak thou. And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good. Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place. And it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom. And even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until there be 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 LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that LORD might bring evil upon A Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled. Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Do not lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel. And a maid-servant used to go and tell them, and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city. But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And they went away quickly, both of them, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his court, and they went down there. And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it. And nothing was known. And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they return And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David. And they said to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you. Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who was not gone over the Jordan.


And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.

And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to LORD my God,

And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head.


And Ahithophel was the king's counselor. And Hushai the Archite was the king's friend.

And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. read more.
And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, Live, O king. Live, O king. And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why did thou not go with thy friend? And Hushai said to Absalom, No, but whom LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will abide. read more.
And again, whom should I serve? [Is it] not in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so I will be in thy presence.


The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to nothing. For in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, [and] brought to nothing.

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.

And Israel set an ambushment against Gibeah round about. And the sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city. And they began to smite and kill of the people as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in read more.
And the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways. And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the ambushment of Israel broke forth out of their place, even out of Maareh-geba. And there came opposite Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was severe, but they knew not that evil was close upon them. And LORD smote Benjamin before Israel, and the sons of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand and a hundred men. All these drew the sword. So the sons of Benjamin saw that they were smitten, for the men of Israel gave place to Benjamin because they trusted to the ambushment whom they had set against Gibeah. And the ambushment hastened, and rushed upon Gibeah. And the ambushment drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. Now the appointed sign between the men of Israel and the ambushment was, that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city. And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons, for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us as in the first battle. But when the cloud began to arise up out of the city in a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the whole of the city went up [in smoke] to heaven. And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that evil had come upon them. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness. But the battle followed hard after them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of it. They enclosed the Benjamites round about, [and] chased them, [and] trod them down at [their] resting-place, as far as opposite Gibeah toward the sunrise.

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good. Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place. And it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom. read more.
And even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until there be 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 LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that LORD might bring evil upon A

And the sons of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us as at the first. But the sons of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. And he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies. And he said, If Esau comes to the one company, and smites it, then the company which is left shall escape.

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lay in ambush against the city, behind the city. Go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready, and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach to the city. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them. read more.
And they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first. So we will flee before them. And ye shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city, for LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when ye have seized upon the city, that ye shall set the city on fire. According to the word of LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you. And Joshua sent them forth, and they went to the ambushment, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai, but Joshua lodged that night among the people. And Joshua arose up early in the morning, and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all the people, [even] the [men of] war who were with him, went up, and drew near, and came before the city, and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. So they set the people, even all the army that was on the north of the city, and their ambushment that were on the west of the city, and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hastened and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah, but he did not know And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them, and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. And they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. And LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and entered into the city, and took it. And they hastened and set the city on fire. And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. And the people who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursu And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and killed the men of Ai. And the others came forth out of the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And they smote them so that they let none of them remain or escape. And they took the king of Ai alive, and brought him to Joshua. And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they were all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all And all who fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers. And he said to them, Look on me, and do likewise, and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so ye shall do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For LORD and for Gideon. read more.
So Gideon, and the hundred men who were with him, came to the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch when they had but newly set the watch. And they blew the trumpets, and broke in pieces the pitchers that And the three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow. And they cried out, The sword of LORD and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp. And all the army ran, and they shouted, and put [them] to flight. And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian.

And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach to the city. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them.


And, lo, Zadok also [came], and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing out of the city. And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of LORD he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation. But if he says thus, I have no delight in thee, behold, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him. read more.
The king said also to Zadok the priest, Are thou [not] a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will remain at the fords of the wilderness until there comes word from you to report to me. Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they abode there. And David went up by the ascent of the [mount of] Olives, and wept as he went up, and he had his head covered, and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they we And it was told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And it came to pass, that, when David came to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and dirt upon his head. And David said to him, If thou pass on with me, then thou will be a burden to me, but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king. As I have been thy father's servant in time past, so I will now be thy servant, then thou will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. And have thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing thou shall hear out of the king's house, thou shall tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear.

Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel. And a maid-servant used to go and tell them, and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city. But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And they went away quickly, both of them, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his court, and they went down there. And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it. And nothing was known. read more.
And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they return And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David. And they said to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.