18 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city. 4And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. 5And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

6So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. 7And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. 8For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

9And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went on. 10And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. 11And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle. 12And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. 13Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. 14Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15And ten young men that bare Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

16And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people. 17And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. 18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king’s dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom’s monument, unto this day.

19Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that Jehovah hath avenged him of his enemies. 20And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead. 21Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. 22Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings? 23But come what may, said he, I will run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.

24Now David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone. 25And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. 26And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. 27And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

28And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 29And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. 30And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.

31And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Tidings for my lord the king; for Jehovah hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 32And the king said unto the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 33And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

19 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people; for the people heard say that day, The king grieveth for his son. 3And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 4And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 5And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; 6in that thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that princes and servants are nought unto thee: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. 7Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now. 8Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate: and all the people came before the king.

Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.

9And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom. 10And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

11And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, to bring him to his house. 12Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 13And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab. 14And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent unto the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants. 15So the king returned, and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.

16And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 17And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king. 18And there went over a ferry-boat to bring over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he was come over the Jordan. 19And he said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. 20For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.

21But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah’s anointed? 22And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? 23And the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

24And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. 25And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth? 26And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because thy servant is lame. 27And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more unto the king? 29And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 30And Mephibosheth said unto the king, yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.

31And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan. 32Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. 33And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem. 34And Barzillai said unto the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35I am this day fourscore years old: can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? 36Thy servant would but just go over the Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? 37Let 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 behold, thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. 38And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee. 39And all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.

40So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him: and all the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel. 41And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him? 42And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all at the king’s cost? or hath he given us any gift? 43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

20 And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. 2So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4Then said the king to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be thou here present. 5So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight. 7And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. 9And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.

And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 11And there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab. 12And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still. 13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him. 15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down. 16Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 17And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear. 18Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter. 19I am of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah? 20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21The matter is not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22Then the woman went unto 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 trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

23Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24and Adoram was over the men subject to taskwork; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 25and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister unto David.

21 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Jehovah. And Jehovah said, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites. 2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah); 3and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah? 4And the Gibeonites said unto him, It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you. 5And they said unto the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, 6let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto Jehovah in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah. And the king said, I will give them.

7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bare to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: 9and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Jehovah, and they fell all seven together. And they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul in Gilboa; 13and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son: and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land.

15And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. And David waxed faint; 16and Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.

18And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. 19And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. 21And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, slew him. 22These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

22 And David spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2and he said,

Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;

3God, my rock, in him will I take refuge;

My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge;

My saviour, thou savest me from violence.

4I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised:

So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

5For the waves of death compassed me;

The floods of ungodliness made me afraid:

6The cords of Sheol were round about me;

The snares of death came upon me.

7In my distress I called upon Jehovah;

Yea, I called unto my God:

And he heard my voice out of his temple,

And my cry came into his ears.

8Then the earth shook and trembled,

The foundations of heaven quaked

And were shaken, because he was wroth.

9There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,

And fire out of his mouth devoured:

Coals were kindled by it.

10He bowed the heavens also, and came down;

And thick darkness was under his feet.

11And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly;

Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12And he made darkness pavilions round about him,

Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

13At the brightness before him

Coals of fire were kindled.

14Jehovah thundered from heaven,

And the Most High uttered his voice.

15And he sent out arrows, and scattered them;

Lightning, and discomfited them.

16Then the channels of the sea appeared,

The foundations of the world were laid bare,

By the rebuke of Jehovah,

At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17He sent from on high, he took me;

He drew me out of many waters;

18He delivered me from my strong enemy,

From them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

19They came upon me in the day of my calamity;

But Jehovah was my stay.

20He brought me forth also into a large place;

He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21Jehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness;

According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

22For I have kept the ways of Jehovah,

And have not wickedly departed from my God.

23For all his ordinances were before me;

And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

24I was also perfect toward him;

And I kept myself from mine iniquity.

25Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness,

According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

26With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful;

With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

27With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure;

And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

28And the afflicted people thou wilt save;

But thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

29For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah;

And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.

30For by thee I run upon a troop;

By my God do I leap over a wall.

31As for God, his way is perfect:

The word of Jehovah is tried;

He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

32For who is God, save Jehovah?

And who is a rock, save our God?

33God is my strong fortress;

And he guideth the perfect in his way.

34He maketh his feet like hinds’ feet,

And setteth me upon my high places.

35He teacheth my hands to war,

So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

36Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation;

And thy gentleness hath made me great.

37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me;

And my feet have not slipped.

38I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them;

Neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

39And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise:

Yea, they are fallen under my feet.

40For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle;

Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

41Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me,

That I might cut off them that hate me.

42They looked, but there was none to save;

Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.

43Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth,

I did crush them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad.

44Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people;

Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations:

A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

45The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me:

As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.

46The foreigners shall fade away,

And shall come trembling out of their close places.

47Jehovah liveth; And blessed be my rock;

And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

48Even the God that executeth vengeance for me,

And that bringeth down peoples under me,

49And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies:

Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me;

Thou deliverest me from the violent man.

50Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations,

And will sing praises unto thy name.

51Great deliverance giveth he to his king,

And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed,

To David and to his seed, for evermore.