1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; The Argument - This book and the former are called Samuel, because they contain the conception, birth and the whole course of his life, and also the lives and acts of two kings, that is, of Saul and David, whom he anointed and consecrated kings by the ordinance of God. The first book contains those things which God brought to pass among this people under the government of Samuel and Saul. This second book declares the noble acts of David, after the death of Saul when he began to reign, to the end of his kingdom, and how it was expanded by him. It also contains the great troubles and dangers he sustained both within his house and without, the horrible and dangerous insurrections, uproars, and treasons wrought against him, partly by false counsellors, feigned friends and flatterers and partly by his own children and people. By God's assistance he overcame all difficulties, and enjoyed his kingdom in rest and peace. In the person of David the scripture sets forth Christ Jesus the chief king, who came from David according to the flesh, and was persecuted on every side with outward and inward enemies, as well in his own person, as in his members, but at length he overcomes all his enemies, and gives his Church victory against all power both spiritual and temporal; and so reigns with them, king for ever.
2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with Seeming to lament the overthrow of the people of Israel. his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and [so] it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 Then Dauid saide vnto him, Whence commest thou? And he said vnto him, Out of the host of Israel I am escaped.
4 And Dauid saide vnto him, What is done? I pray thee, tell me. Then he said, that the people is fled from the battel, and many of the people are ouerthrowen, and dead, & also Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead.
5 And Dauid saide vnto the yong man that tolde it him, Howe knowest thou that Saul and Ionathan his sonne be dead?
6 And the young man that told him said, As I fled the chase. As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.
7 And when he looked backe, he saw me, and called me; I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said unto me, Who [art] thou? And I answered him, I [am] an He was an Amalekite born, but renounced his country and joined with the Israelites. Amalekite.
9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my I am sorry, because I am yet alive. life [is] yet whole in me.
10 So I came vpon him, and slewe him, and because I was sure that hee coulde not liue, after that hee had fallen, I tooke the crowne that was vpon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arme, and brought them hither vnto my lord.
11 Then Dauid tooke hold on his clothes, & rent them, and likewise al the men that were with him.
12 And they mourned and wept, and fasted vntil euen, for Saul and for Ionathan his sonne, & for the people of the Lorde, and for the house of Israel, because they were slaine with the sword.
13 After the lamentation, he examined him again.And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence [art] thou? And he answered, I [am] the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And Dauid said vnto him, How wast thou not afrayd, to put forth thine hand to destroy the Anoynted of the Lord?
15 Then Dauid called one of his yong men, and said, Goe neere, and fall vpon him; hee smote him that he dyed.
16 And David said unto him, You are justly punished for your fault. Thy blood [be] upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
17 Then Dauid mourned with this lamentation ouer Saul, and ouer Ionathan his sonne,
18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah That they might be able to match their enemies the Philistines in that art. [the use of] the bow: behold, [it is] written in the book of Jasher.)
19 The beauty of Israel is Meaning Saul. slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streetes of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce, lest the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph.
21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, [let there be] no dew, neither [let there be] rain, upon you, nor Let their fertile fields be barren, and bring forth no fruit to offer to the Lord. fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, [as though he had] not [been] anointed with oil.
22 The bow of Ionathan neuer turned backe, neither did the sword of Saul returne emptie from the blood of the slaine, and from the fatte of the mightie.
23 Saul and Jonathan [were] lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not They died both together in Gilboa. divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, As rich garments and costly jewels. with [other] delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 Howe were the mightie slaine in the mids of the battel! O Ionathan, thou wast slaine in thine hie places.
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of Either toward their husbands or their children. women.
27 Howe are the mightie ouerthrowen, and the weapons of warre destroyed!
1 And it came to pass after this, that David By means of the high priest, (1Sa_23:2; 2Sa_5:19). enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Which was also called Kirjatharba (Jos_14:15). Hebron.
2 So Dauid went vp thither, and his two wiues also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite.
3 And his men that [were] with In the time of his persecution. him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 Then the men of Iudah came, and there they anoynted Dauid King ouer the house of Iudah; they tolde Dauid, saying, that the men of Iabesh Gilead buried Saul.
5 And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men of Iabesh Gilead, and said vnto them, Blessed are ye of the Lord, that yee haue shewed such kindenes vnto your lord Saul, that you haue buried him.
6 And now the LORD shew kindness and According to his promise, which is to repay those who are merciful. truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me So that you shall not want a captain and a defender. king over them.
8 But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,
9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over Over the eleven tribes. all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne was fourtie yeere olde wen he began to reigne ouer Israel, and reigned two yeere: but the house of Iudah followed Dauid.
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six After this he reigned over all the country 33 years, (2Sa_5:5). months.
12 And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah, and the seruants of Dauid went out and met one another by the poole of Gibeon: and they sate downe, the one on the one side of the poole, and the other on the otherside of the poole.
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and Let us see how they can handle their weapons. play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
15 Then there arose and went ouer twelue of Beniamin by number, which perteined to Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and twelue of the seruants of Dauid.
16 And they caught every one his Meaning his adversary. fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon.
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, After that these four and twenty were slain. before the servants of David.
18 And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel; Asahel was as light on foote as a wilde roe.
19 And Asahel followed after Abner, and in going he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from Abner.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.
21 Then Abner said, Turne thee either to the right hande, or to the left, and take one of the yong men, and take thee his weapons: and Asahel would not depart from him.
22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: Why do you provoke me to kill you? wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the Some read, in those parts where the lively parts lie, the heart, lungs, liver, and gall bladder. fifth [rib], that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, [that] as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24 Ioab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sunne went downe, when they were come to the hill Ammah, that lieth before Giah, by the way of the wildernesse of Gibeon.
25 And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, and were on an heape and stoode on the top of an hill.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the Shall we not make an end of murdering? sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
27 And Joab said, [As] God liveth, unless thou hadst If you had not provoked them to battle, (2Sa_2:14). spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
28 So Ioab blew a trumpet, and all the people stoode still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plaine, and went ouer Iorden, and past through all Bithron till they came to Mahanaim.
30 Ioab also returned backe from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruants nineteene men and Asahel.
31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, [so that] three Thus God would confirm David in his kingdom by the destruction of his adversaries. hundred and threescore men died.
32 And they tooke vp Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem: and Ioab and his men went all night, & when they came to Hebron, the day arose.
1 Now there was That is, without intermission enduring two years, which was the whole reign of Ishbosheth. long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
2 And vnto Dauid were children borne in Hebron: and his eldest sonne was Amnon of Ahinoam the Izreelite,
3 And his second, Who is also called Daniel, (1Ch_3:1). Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith, and the fifth, Shephatiah the sonne of Abital,
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Within seven years and six months. Hebron.
6 Nowe while there was warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiiah; Ish-bosheth sayde to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in to my fathers concubine?
8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, [Am] I a Do you esteem me no more than a dog, for all my service done to your father's house? dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
9 We see how the wicked cannot abide being admonished about their faults, but seek their displeasure, who go about to bring them from their wickedness.So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
10 To remoue the kingdome from the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid may be stablished ouer Israel, and ouer Iudah, euen from Dan to Beer-sheba.
11 And he durst no more answere to Abner: for he feared him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to Dauid on his behalfe, saying, Whose is the lande? who should also say, Make couenant with me, and beholde, mine hande shalbe with thee, to bring all Israel vnto thee.
13 Who saide, Well, I will make a couenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face except thou bring Michal Sauls daughter when thou commest to see me.
14 Then Dauid sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne, saying, Deliuer me my wife Michal, which I marryed for an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistims.
15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and tooke her from her husband Phaltiel the sonne of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, & came weeping behinde her, vnto Bahurim: then saide Abner vnto him, Go, and returne. So he returned.
17 And Abner had Rather for malice that he bore toward Ishbosheth, than for love he bore to David. communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past [to be] king over you:
18 Nowe then doe it: for the Lord hath spoken of Dauid, saying, By the hand of my seruant Dauid I will saue my people Israel out of the handes of the Philistims, and out of the handes of all their enemies.
19 And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole Who challenged the kingdom, because of their father Saul. house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him, and Dauid made a feast vnto Abner, and to the men that were with him.
21 Then Abner sayde vnto Dauid, I will rise vp, and goe gather all Israel vnto my lorde the King, that they may make a couenant with thee, and that thou mayest reigne ouer all that thine heart desireth. Then Dauid let Abner depart, who went in peace.
22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came From war against the Philistines. from [pursuing] a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner [was] not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
23 When Ioab, & all the hoste that was with him were come, men tolde Ioab, saying, Abner the sonne of Ner came to the King, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, Here appears the malicious mind of Joab, who would have had the king slay Abner for his private grudge. What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why [is] it [that] thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
25 Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner: for he came to deceiue thee, and to knowe thy outgoing and ingoing, and to knowe all that thou doest.
26 And when Ioab was gone out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him againe from the well of Siriah vnknowing to Dauid.
27 And when Abner was come againe to Hebron, Ioab tooke him aside in the gate to speake with him peaceably, and smote him vnder the fift ryb, that he dyed, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 And afterward when David heard [it], he said, I and my kingdom [are] the Lord knows that I did not consent to his death. guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
29 Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab, and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without some that haue running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doeth fall on the sworde, or that lacketh bread.
30 So Joab and Abishai is said to slay him with Joab, because he consented to the murder. Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that [were] with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn Meaning before the corpse. before Abner. And king David [himself] followed the bier.
32 And when they had buryed Abner in Hebron, the King lift vp his voyce, and wept beside the sepulchre of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner He declares that Abner died not as a wretch or vile person, but as a valiant man might do, being traitorously deceived by the wicked. as a fool dieth?
34 Thine handes were not bounde, nor thy feete tyed in fetters of brasse: but as a man falleth before wicked men, so diddest thou fall; all the people wept againe for him.
35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat According to their custom, which was to feast at burials. meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
36 And all the people took notice [of it], and it It is expedient sometimes not only to conceive inward sorrow, but also that it may appear to others, so that they may be satisfied. pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel vnderstoode that day, howe that it was not the Kings deede that Abner the sonne of Ner was slaine.
38 And the King said vnto his seruants, Know ye not, that there is a prince & a great man falle this day in Israel?
39 And I am this day weake and newly anoynted King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too harde for me: the Lorde rewarde the doer of euill according to his wickednesse.
1 And when Saul's That is, Ishbosheth. son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were Meaning, that he was discouraged. feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2 And Saul's son had two men [that were] captains of bands: the name of the one [was] Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for This city Beeroth was in the tribe of Benjamin, (Jos_18:25). Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
3 And the Beerothites fled to After the death of Saul, for fear of the Philistines. Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4 And Ionathan Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete: he was fiue yere olde when the tydings came of Saul and Ionathan out of Israel: then his nourse tooke him, and fledde away; as she made haste to flee, the childe fell, and beganne to halte, and his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth (who slept on a bed at noone)
6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, [as though] they They disguised themselves as merchants, who came to buy wheat. would have fetched wheat; and they There is nothing so vile and dangerous, which the wicked will not undertake in hope of money and favour. smote him under the fifth [rib]: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, & they smote him, and slewe him, and beheaded him, and tooke his head, and gate them away through the plaine all the night.
8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth vnto Dauid to Hebron, and saide to the King, Beholde the head of Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne thine enemie, who sought after thy life: and the Lorde hath auenged my lorde the King this day of Saul, and of his seede.
9 Then Dauid answered Rechab & Baanah his brother, the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saide vnto them, As the Lorde liueth, who hath deliuered my soule out of al aduersity,
10 When one tolde me, and sayde that Saul was dead, (thinking to haue brought good tydings) I tooke him and slewe him in Ziklag, who thought that I woulde haue giuen him a rewarde for his tidings:
11 How In that neither the example of him that slew Saul, nor duty to their master, nor the innocency of the person, nor reverence for the place, nor time moved them, they deserved most grievous punishment. much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
12 Then Dauid commanded his yong men, & they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron: but they tooke the head of Ish-bosheth, & buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we [are] thy We are of your kindred and closely related to you. bone and thy flesh.
2 And in time past when Saul was our King, thou leddest Israel in and out: and the Lord hath sayde to thee, Thou shalt feede my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captaine ouer Israel.
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron That is, taking the Lord to witness: for the ark was still in Abinadab's house. before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 Dauid was thirtie yeere olde when he began to reigne: and hee reigned fortie yeere.
5 In Hebron hee reigned ouer Iudah seuen yeere, and sixe moneths: and in Ierusalem hee reigned thirtie and three yeeres ouer all Israel and Iudah.
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the The children of God called idols blind and lame guides: therefore the Jebusites meant that they should prove that their gods were neither blind nor lame. blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
7 But Dauid tooke the fort of Zion: this is the citie of Dauid.
8 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, [that are] hated of David's soul, [he shall be chief and captain]. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not The idols should no longer enter into that place. come into the house.
9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from He built from the town house round about to his own house (1Ch_11:8). Millo and inward.
10 And Dauid prospered and grewe: for the Lord God of hostes was with him.
11 Hiram also king of Tyrus sent messengers to Dauid, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walles: and they built Dauid an house.
12 Then Dauid knewe that the Lorde had stablished him King ouer Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdome for his people Israels sake.
13 And Dauid tooke him mo concubines & wiues out of Ierusalem, after hee was come from Hebron, & mo sonnes and daughters were borne to Dauid.
14 And these bee the names of the sonnes that were borne vnto him in Ierusale: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Salomon,
15 And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Iaphia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
17 But when the Philistims hearde that they had anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel, all the Philistims came vp to seeke Dauid: and when Dauid heard, he went downe to a fort.
18 But the Philistims came, and spred themselues in the valley of Rephaim.
19 And David By Abiathar the priest. enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
20 Then Dauid came to Baal-perazim, & smote them there, and sayde, The Lorde hath deuided mine enemies asunder before mee, as waters be deuided asunder: therefore he called the name of that place, Baal-perazim.
21 And there they left their images, and Dauid and his men burnt them.
22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Meaning the valley of giants, which David called Baalperazim, because of his victory. Rephaim.
23 And when Dauid asked counsell of the Lorde, hee answered, Thou shalt not goe vp, but turne about behinde them, and come vpon them ouer against the mulberie trees.
24 And when thou hearest the noyse of one going in the toppes of the mulberie trees, then remoue: for then shall the Lord goe out before thee, to smite the hoste of the Philistims.
25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Which was in the tribe of Benjamin, but the Philistines possessed it. Gazer.
1 Againe Dauid gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, euen thirtie thousand,
2 And David arose, and went with all the people that [were] with him from This was a city in Judah called also Kirjathjearim, (Jos_15:9). Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth [between] the cherubims.
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that [was] in which was a high place in the city of Baale. Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
4 And when they brought the Arke of God out of the house of Abinadab, that was at Gibeah, Ahio went before the Arke,
5 And David and all the house of Israel Praised God, and sang Psalms. played before the LORD on all manner of [instruments made of] fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachons threshing floore, Vzzah put his hande to the Arke of God, and helde it: for the oxen did shake it.
7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God Here we see the danger it is to follow good intentions, or to do anything in God's service without his express word. smote him there for [his] error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8 And Dauid was displeased, because the Lord had smitten Vzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez Vzzah vntill this day.
9 Therefore Dauid that day feared the Lord, and sayd, How shall the Arke of the Lorde come to mee?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom Who was a Levite, and had dwelt in Gittaim, (1Ch_15:21). the Gittite.
11 And the Arke of the Lorde continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, three moneths, and the Lorde blessed Obed-edom, and all his houshold.
12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that [pertaineth] unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and Meaning, he caused the Levites to bear it according to the law. brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
13 And when they that bare the Arke of the Lord had gone sixe paces, he offred an oxe, and a fatte beast.
14 And David danced before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen With a garment like the priest's garment. ephod.
15 So Dauid & all the house of Israel, brought the Arke of the Lord with shouting, and sound of trumpet.
16 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 leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she The worldlings are not able to comprehend the emotions that move the children of God to praise God in all kinds of ways. despised him in her heart.
17 And when they had brought in the Arke of the Lord, they set it in his place, in the mids of the tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it: then Dauid offred burnt offrings, and peace offrings before the Lord.
18 And assoone as Dauid had made an ende of offring burnt offrings and peace offrings, hee blessed the people in the Name of the Lorde of hostes,
19 And gaue among all the people, euen among the whole multitude of Israel, aswel to the women as men, to euerie one a cake of bread, and a piece of flesh, and a bottell of wine: so all the people departed euerie one to his house.
20 Then David returned to That is, to pray for his house, as he had done for the people. bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
21 And David said unto Michal, It was for no worldly affection, but only for that zeal that I bore to God's glory. [It was] before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
22 And will yet be more vile then thus, and will be low in mine owne sight, and of the verie same maidseruants, which thou hast spoken of, shal I be had in honour.
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had Which was a punishment because she mocked the servant of God. no child unto the day of her death.
1 Afterwarde when the King sate in his house and the Lorde had giuen him rest rounde about from all his enemies,
2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within Within the tabernacle covered with skins, (Exo_26:7). curtains.
3 Then Nathan sayde vnto the King, Go, and doe all that is in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee.
4 And the same night the worde of the Lorde came vnto Nathan, saying,
5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Meaning, he should not: yet Nathan speaking according to man's judgment and not by the spirit of prophecy permitted him. Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
6 For I haue dwelt in no house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt vnto this day, but haue walked in a tent and tabernacle.
7 In all [the places] wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a Concerning building a house: meaning without God's express word, nothing should be attempted. word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
8 Nowe therefore so say vnto my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord of hostes, I tooke thee from the sheepecote following the sheepe, that thou mightest bee ruler ouer my people, ouer Israel.
9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a I have made you famous through all the world. great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that [are] in the earth.
10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move He promises them quietness, if they will walk in his fear and obedience. no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
11 And since the time that I set Iudges ouer my people of Israel) & I will giue thee rest from al thine enemies: also the Lorde telleth thee, that he will make thee an house.
12 And when thy daies bee fulfilled, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and I wil set vp thy seede after thee, which shall proceede out of thy body, and will stablish his kingdome.
13 He shall buyld an house for my Name, & I will stablish ye throne of his kingdome for euer.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the That is, gently, as fathers use to chastise their children. rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I tooke it from Saul whome I haue put away before thee.
16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be This was begun in Solomon, as a figure, but accomplished in Christ. established for ever.
17 According to all these wordes, and according to all this vision, Nathan spake thus vnto Dauid.
18 Then King Dauid went in, and sate before the Lorde, and sayde, Who am I, O Lorde God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And [is] this the manner of Does this not come rather from your free mercy, than from any worthiness that can be in man? man, O Lord GOD?
20 And what can Dauid say more vnto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy seruant.
21 For thy words sake, and according to thine owne heart hast thou done all these great things, to make them knowen vnto thy seruant.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lorde God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that wee haue heard with our eares.
23 And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people, [even] like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for O Israel. you great things and terrible, for And inheritance, which is Israel. thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, [from] the From the Egyptians and their idols. nations and their gods?
24 For thou hast He shows that God's free election is the only reason why the Israelites were chosen to be his people. confirmed to thyself thy people Israel [to be] a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
25 Nowe therefore, O Lorde God, confirme for euer the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and his house, and doe as thou hast sayde.
26 And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts [is] the God over Israel: and let the This prayer is most effective when we chiefly seek God's glory, and the accomplishment of his promise. house of thy servant David be established before thee.
27 For thou, O Lord of hostes, God of Israel, hast reueiled vnto thy seruant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy seruant bene bold to pray this prayer vnto thee.
28 Therefore now, O Lord God, (for thou art God, and thy words be true, and thou hast tolde this goodnes vnto thy seruant)
29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast Therefore I firmly believe it will come to pass. spoken [it]: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
1 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the So that they paid no more tribute. hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with He slew two parts as it pleased him, and reserved the third. two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And [so] the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts.
3 Dauid smote also Hadadezer the sonne of Rehob King of Zobah, as he went to recouer his border at the riuer Euphrates.
4 And Dauid tooke of them a thousand and seuen hundreth horsemen, and twenty thousande footemen, and Dauid destroyed all the charets, but he reserued an hundreth charets of them.
5 Then came the Aramites of Dammesek to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, but Dauid slewe of the Aramites two and twenty thousande men.
6 Then David put garrisons in In that part of Syria, where Damascus was. Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, They paid yearly tribute. [and] brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to For the use of the temple. Jerusalem.
8 And out of Betah, and Berothai (cities of Hadadezer) king Dauid brought exceeding much brasse.
9 Then Toi king of Hamath heard howe Dauid had smitten all the hoste of Hadadezer,
10 Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to For seeing David victorious, he was glad to ask for peace. bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:
11 And King Dauid did dedicate them vnto the Lord with the siluer & golde that he had dedicate of all the nations, which he had subdued:
12 Of Aram, and of Moab, & of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistims, and of Amalek, & of the spoyle of Hadadezer ye sonne of Rehob King of Zobah.
13 So Dauid gate a name after that hee returned, & had slayne of the Aramites in the valley of salt eighteene thousand men.
14 And he put a garison in Edom: throughout all Edom put he souldiers, and all they of Edom became Dauids seruants: and the Lord kept Dauid whithersoeuer he went.
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed He gave judgment in controversies, and was merciful toward the people. judgment and justice unto all his people.
16 And Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah was ouer the hoste, and Ioshaphat the sonne of Ahilud was recorder.
17 And Zadok the sonne of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the sonne of Abiathar were the Priestes, and Seraiah the Scribe.
18 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] both the The Cherethites and Pelethites were as the king's guard, and had charge of his person. Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.
1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Because of my oath and promise made to Jonathan, (1Sa_20:15). Jonathan's sake?
2 And there was of the housholde of Saul a seruant whose name was Ziba, & when they had called him vnto Dauid, the King sayd vnto him, Art thou Ziba? And he sayd, I thy seruant am he.
3 And the king said, [Is] there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the Such mercy as shall be acceptable to God. kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, [which is] lame on [his] feet.
4 Then the King said vnto him, Where is he? And Ziba said vnto the King, Behold, he is in the house of Machir ye sonne of Ammiel of Lo-debar.
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Who was also called Eliam the father of Bathsheba, David's wife. Ammiel, from Lodebar.
6 Nowe when Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan, the sonne of Saul was come vnto Dauid, he fel on his face, and did reuerence; Dauid sayde, Mephibosheth? And he answered, Beholde thy seruant.
7 Then Dauid sayd vnto him, Feare not: for I wil surely shewe thee kindnes for Ionathan thy fathers sake, and will restore thee all the fieldes of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually.
8 And he bowed himself, and said, What [is] thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such Meaning, a despised person. a dead dog as I [am]?
9 Then the king called Ziba Sauls seruant, & said vnto him, I haue giue vnto thy masters sonne all that perteined to Saul and to all his house.
10 Thou therefore, and Be ye provident overseers and governors of his lands, that they may be profitable. thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in [the fruits], that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. That Mephibosheth may have all things at commandment, as becomes a king's son. As for Mephibosheth, [said the king], he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.
12 Mephibosheth also had a yong sonne named Micha, and all that dwelled in the house of Ziba, were seruants vnto Mephibosheth.
13 And Mephibosheth dwelt in Ierusalem: for he did eate continually at the Kings table, & was lame on both his feete.
1 After this, the King of the children of Ammon dyed, and Hanun his sonne reigned in his steade.
2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father The children of God are not unmindful of a benefit received. shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David [rather] sent his servants unto thee, Their arrogant malice would not allow them to see the simplicity of David's heart: therefore their counsel turned to the destruction of their country. to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanun tooke Dauids seruants, and shaued off the halfe of their beard, & cut off their garments in the middle, euen to their buttockes, and sent them away.
5 When it was told vnto Dauid, he sent to meete them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the King sayde, Tary at Iericho, vntill your beards be growen, then returne.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they That they deserved David's displeasure, for the harm done to his ambassadors. stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.
7 And when Dauid heard of it, he sent Ioab, and all the hoste of the strong men.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of These were various parts of the country of Syria, by which it appears that the Syrians served where they might have entertainment, as now the Sweitzers do. Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, [were] by themselves in the field.
9 When Ioab saw that the front of the battel was against him before and behinde, he chose of all the choyse of Israel, and put them in aray against the Aramites.
10 And the rest of the people hee deliuered into the hande of Abishai his brother, that hee might put them in aray against the children of Ammon.
11 And he sayde, If the Aramites be stronger then I, thou shalt helpe me, and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will come and succour thee.
12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for Here it is declared why war should be undertaken: for the defence of true religion and God's people. our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.
13 Then Ioab, and the people that was with him, ioyned in battel with the Aramites, who fled before him.
14 And when the children of Ammon sawe that the Aramites fled, they fled also before Abishai, & entred into the citie. so Ioab returned fro the children of Ammon, and came to Ierusalem.
15 And when the Aramites sawe that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered them together.
16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Aramites that were beyond the Riuer: and they came to Helam, and Shobach the captaine of the hoste of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered Meaning, the greatest part. all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew [the men of] Who were the chief and most principal: for in all he destroyed 7000, as in (1Ch_19:18), or the soldiers who were in 700 chariots. seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.
19 And when all the Kings, that were seruants to Hadarezer, saw that they fell before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and serued them; the Aramites feared to helpe the children of Ammon any more.
1 And it came to pass, after the year was The year following about the spring time. expired, at the time when kings 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.
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his Upon which he used to rest in the afternoon, as was read of Ishbosheth in (2Sa_4:7). bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman [was] very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And [one] said, [Is] not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Who was not an born an Israelite, but converted to the true religion. Hittite?
4 Then Dauid sent messengers, & tooke her away: and she came vnto him & he lay with her: (now she was purified from her vncleannes) & she returned vnto her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and sent and Fearing lest she be stoned according to the law. told David, and said, I [am] with child.
6 Then Dauid sent to Ioab, saying, Send me Vriah the Hittite; Ioab sent Vriah to Dauid.
7 And when Vriah came vnto him, Dauid demanded him how Ioab did, and howe the people fared, and how the warre prospered.
8 And David said to Uriah, David thought that if Uriah lay with his wife, his sin might be covered. Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess [of meat] from the king.
9 But Vriah slept at the doore of the Kings palace with all the seruants of his lord, and went not downe to his house.
10 Then they tolde Dauid, saying, Vriah went not downe to his house: and Dauid saide vnto Vriah, Commest thou not from thy iourney? why didst thou not go downe to thine house?
11 And Uriah said unto David, By this God would touch David's conscience, for seeing the fidelity and religion of his servant, he would declare himself forgetful of God, and injurious to his servant. The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? [as] thou livest, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12 Then Dauid sayd vnto Vriah, Tary yet this day, & to morow I will send thee away. So Vriah abode in Ierusalem that day, and the morowe.
13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him He made him drink more liberally than he was wont to do, thinking by this he would have slept with his wife. drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14 And on the morowe Dauid wrote a letter to Ioab, and sent it by the hand of Vriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Except God continually uphold us with his mighty Spirit, the most perfect fall headlong into all vice and abomination. Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 So when Ioab besieged the citie, he assigned Vriah vnto a place, where he knewe that strong men were.
17 And the men of the citie came out, and fought with Ioab: and there fell of the people of the seruants of Dauid, and Vriah the Hittite also dyed.
18 Then Ioab sent and tolde Dauid all the things concerning the warre,
19 And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an ende of telling all the matters of the warre vnto the King,
20 And if the kings anger arise, so that he say vnto thee, Wherefore approched ye vnto the citie to fight? knewe ye not that they would hurle from the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Meaning Gideon, (Jdg_9:52-53). Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
22 So the messenger went, and came & shewed Dauid all that Ioab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said vnto Dauid, Certainely the men preuailed against vs, and came out vnto vs into the field, but we pursued them vnto the entring of the gate.
24 But the shooters shot from ye wall against thy seruants, and some of the Kings seruants be dead: & thy seruant Vriah the Hittite is also dead.
25 Then David said unto the messenger, He conceals the truth from the messenger, so that neither his cruel commandment, nor Joab's wicked obedience would be discovered. Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
26 And when the wife of Vriah heard that her husband Vriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27 So when the mourning was past, Dauid sent and tooke her into his house, and shee became his wife, and bare him a sonne: but ye thing that Dauid had done, displeased the Lord.
1 And the LORD sent Because David lay now drowned in sin, the loving mercy of God which does not allow his own to perish, wakes his conscience by this story and brings him to repentance. Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many sheepe and oxen:
3 But the poore had none at all, saue one litle sheepe which he had bought, and nourished vp: and it grew vp with him, and with his children also, and did eate of his owne morsels, and dranke of his owne cup, and slept in his bosome, and was vnto him as his daughter.
4 Now there came a stranger vnto the rich man, who refused to take of his owne sheepe, and of his owne oxen to dresse for the stranger that was come vnto him, but tooke the poore mans sheepe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 Then Dauid was exceeding wroth with the man, and sayde to Nathan, As the Lorde liueth, the man that hath done this thing, shall surely dye,
6 And he shall restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thing, and had no pitie thereof.
7 Then Nathan sayd to Dauid, Thou art the man. Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, I anoynted thee King ouer Israel, and deliuered thee out of the hand of Saul,
8 And I gave thee thy master's For David succeeded Saul in his kingdom. house, and thy master's The Jews take this to be Eglah and Michal, or Rizpah and Michal. wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee That is, greater things than these: for God's love and benefits increase toward his own, if they do not hinder him by their ingratitude. such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the You have most cruelly given him into the hands of God's enemies. children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sworde shall neuer depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this Meaning openly, at noon. sun.
12 For thou diddest it secretly: but I will doe this thing before all Israel, and before the sunne.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath For the Lord seeks the sinner to turn to him. put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to In saying, that the Lord has appointed a wicked man to reign over his people. blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.
15 So Nathan departed vnto his house: and the Lord stroke the childe that Vriahs wife bare vnto Dauid, and it was sicke.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and That is, to his private chamber. went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat Thinking by his constant prayer that God would have restored his child, but God had determined otherwise. bread with them.
18 So on the seuenth day the child dyed: and the seruants of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead: for they sayde, Beholde, while the childe was aliue, we spake vnto him, and he woulde not hearken vnto our voyce: how then shall we say vnto him, The childe is dead, to vexe him more?
19 But when Dauid sawe that his seruantes whispered, Dauid perceiued that the childe was dead: therefore Dauid sayde vnto his seruants, Is the childe dead? And they sayd, He is dead.
20 Then David Showing that our lamentations should not be excessive, but moderate: and that we must praise God in all his doings. arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed [himself], and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21 Then As they who did not consider that God grants many things to the sobs and tears of the faithful. said his servants unto him, What thing [is] this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, [while it was] alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 And he sayde, While the childe was yet aliue, I fasted, and wept: for I sayde, Who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me, that the childe may liue?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? By this consideration he appeased his sorrow. can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and That is, the Lord, (1Ch_22:9). he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the To call him Solomon. prophet; and Meaning, David. he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
26 Then Ioab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and tooke the citie of the kingdome.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of That is, the chief city and where all the water pipes are, is as good as taken. waters.
28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, & besiege the city, that thou mayest take it, lest the victorie be attributed to me.
29 So Dauid gathered al the people together, and went against Rabbah, and besieged it, and tooke it.
30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a That is, 60 pounds after the weight of the common talent. talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under Signifying that as they were malicious enemies of God, so he put them to cruel death. saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name [was] Tamar was Absalom's sister both by father and mother, and Amnon's only by father. Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she [was] a And therefore kept her father's house, as virgins were accustomed. virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
3 But Amnon had a friend called Ionadab, the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother: and Ionadab was a very subtile man.
4 Who sayde vnto him, Why art thou the Kings sonne so leane from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? Then Amnon answered him, I loue Tamar my brother Absaloms sister.
5 And Jonadab said unto him, Here we see that there is no enterprise so wicked that it cannot be encouraged to further wickedness. Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see [it], and eat [it] at her hand.
6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of Meaning, some delicate and dainty meat. cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
7 Then Dauid sent home to Tamar, saying, Goe now to thy brother Amnons house, and dresse him meate.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnons house, and he lay downe: and she tooke floure, and knead it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
9 And she took a pan, and That is, she served them on a dish. poured [them] out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from For the wicked are ashamed to do that before men, which they are not afraid to commit in the sight of God. me. And they went out every man from him.
10 Then Amnon said vnto Tamar, Bring the meate into the chamber, that I may eate of thine hand; Tamar tooke the cakes which shee had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11 And when she had set them before him to eate, he tooke her, and sayd vnto her, Come, lye with me, my sister.
12 But shee answered him, Nay, my brother, doe not force me: for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: commit not this follie.
13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of As a lewd and wicked person. the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
14 Howbeit he would not hearken vnto her voyce, but being stronger then she, forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater then the loue, wherewith hee had loued her: and Amnon sayde vnto her, Vp, get thee hence.
16 And she answered him, There is no cause: this euill (to put mee away) is greater then the other that thou diddest vnto me: but he would not heare her,
17 But called his seruant that serued him, & sayd, Put this woman now out from me, & locke the doore after her.
18 And [she had] a garment of For that which was of various colours or pieces, in those days was greatly esteemed, (Gen_37:3; Jdg_5:30). divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters [that were] virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent the garment of diuers colours which was on her, and layde her hand on her head, and went her way crying.
20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but For though he conceived sudden vengeance in his heart, yet he concealed it till an opportunity arose, and comforted his sister. hold now thy peace, my sister: he [is] thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21 But when King Dauid heard all these things, he was very wroth.
22 And Absalom sayde vnto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which [is] beside Ephraim: and That is, to a banquet, thinking by it to fulfil his wicked purpose. Absalom invited all the king's sons.
24 And Absalom came to the King and sayd, Beholde now, thy seruant hath sheepesherers: I pray thee, that the King with his seruants would goe with thy seruant.
25 But the King answered Absalom, Nay my sonne, I pray thee, let vs not goe all, lest we be chargeable vnto thee. Yet Absalom lay sore vpon him: howbeit he would not go, but thaked him.
26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Pretending to the king that Amnon was most dear to him. Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
27 But Absalom was instant vpon him, & he sent Amnon with him, & all the Kings children.
28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not Such is the pride of the wicked masters, that in all their wicked commandments they think to be obeyed. I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
29 And the seruantes of Absalom did vnto Amnon, as Absalom had commanded: and al the Kings sonnes arose, and euery man gate him vp vpon his mule, and fled.
30 And while they were in the way, tydings came to Dauid, saying, Absalom hath slaine al the Kings sonnes, & there is not one of them left.
31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the Lamenting, as he that felt the wrath of God on his house, (2Sa_12:10). earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
32 And Ionadab the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother answered and sayde, Let not my lord suppose that they haue slayne all the yong men the Kings sonnes: for Amnon onely is dead, because Absalom had reported so, since hee forced his sister Tamar.
33 Nowe therefore let not my lord the King take the thing so grieuously, to thinke that all ye Kings sonnes are dead: for Amnon only is dead.
34 Then Absalom fled: and the yong man that kept the watch, lift vp his eyes, and looked, and behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behinde him.
35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy servant said, That only Amnon is dead. so it is.
36 And assoone as hee had left speaking, behold, the Kings sonnes came, & lift vp their voyces, and wept: and the King also and all his seruants wept exceedingly sore.
37 But Absalom fled, and went to For Maachah his mother was the daughter of this Talmai, (2Sa_3:3). Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day.
38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three yeeres.
39 And King Dauid desired to go forth vnto Absalom, because he was pacified concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's That the king favoured him. heart [was] toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and In token of mourning: for they used anointing to seem cheerful. anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3 And come to the King, and speake on this maner vnto him, (for Ioab taught her what she should say).
4 Then the woman of Tekoah spake vnto the king, & fel downe on her face to the ground, and did obeysance, and sayd, Helpe, O King.
5 Then the King sayd vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am in deede a widow, and mine husband is dead:
6 And thy handmaid had two Under this parable she describes the death of Amnon by Absalom. sons, and they two strove together in the field, and [there was] none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the Because he has slain his brother he ought to be slain according to the law, (Gen_9:6; Exo_21:12). life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband [neither] name nor remainder upon the earth.
8 And the King said vnto the woman, Go to thine house, and I wil giue a charge for thee.
9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the Concerning the breach of the Law which punishes blood, let me bear the blame. iniquity [be] on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne [be] guiltless.
10 And the King sayde, Bring him to me that speaketh against thee, and he shall touche thee no more.
11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king Swear that they will not revenge the blood, which are many in number. remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake a worde to my lord the King; he sayd, Say on.
13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou Why do you give contrary sentence to your son Absalom? thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14 For we must needs die, and [are] as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect [any] person: yet doth he devise God has often provided ways (as sanctuaries) to save them, whom man judges worthy of death. means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, [it is] because the people For I thought they would kill my son. have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 For the King wil heare, to deliuer his handmayde out of the hande of the man that woulde destroy mee, and also my sonne from the inheritance of God.
17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an Is of great wisdom to discern right from wrong. angel of God, so [is] my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
18 Then the King answered, and said vnto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall aske thee; the woman sayde, Let my lord the King now speake.
19 And the king said, [Is not] Have you not done this by the counsel of Joab. the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, [As] thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20 To fetch about this By speaking further in a parable than plainly. form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord [is] wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all [things] that [are] in the earth.
21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have I have granted your request. done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22 And Ioab fell to the grounde on his face, and bowed himselfe, & thanked the King. Then Ioab sayde, This day thy seruant knoweth, that I haue found grace in thy sight, my lord the King, in that the King hath fulfilled the request of his seruant.
23 And Ioab arose, and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Ierusalem.
24 And the king said, Let him Covering by this his affection, and showing some part of justice to please the people. turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 Nowe in all Israel there was none to be so much praysed for beautie as Absalom: from the sole of his foote euen to the toppe of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled [it]: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred Which weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces after half an ounce the shekel. shekels after the king's weight.
27 And Absalom had three sonnes, and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fayre woman to looke vpon.
28 So Absalom dwelt the space of two yeres in Ierusalem, and saw not the Kings face.
29 Therefore Absalom sent for Ioab to sende him to the King, but he would not come to him: and when he sent againe, he would not come.
30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it The wicked are impatient in their affections, and spare no unlawful means to accomplish them. on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Ioab arose, & came to Absalom vnto his house, & sayd vnto him, Wherefore haue thy seruants burnt my field with fire?
32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? [it had been] good for me [to have been] there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and If I have offended by revenging my sister's dishonour: thus the wicked justify themselves in their evil. if there be [any] iniquity in me, let him kill me.
33 Then Ioab came to the King, & told him: & he called for Absalom, who came to the King, and bowed himselfe to the grounde on his face before the King, and the King kissed Absalom.
1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to Which were as a guard to set forth his estate. run before him.
2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was [so], that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city [art] thou? And he said, Thy servant [is] of one of the That is, noting of what city or place he was. tribes of Israel.
3 Then Absalom said vnto him, See, thy matters are good and righteous, but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee.
4 Absalom said moreover, Thus by slander, flattery and fair promises, the wicked seek preference. Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
5 And when any man came neere to him, and did him obeisance, he put forth his hand, & tooke him, and kissed him.
6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom By enticing them from his father to himself. stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And it came to pass after Counting from the time that the Israelites had asked a king of Samuel. forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron.
8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will By offering a peace-offering, which was lawful to do in any place. serve the LORD.
9 And the King sayd vnto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.
10 Then Absalom sent spyes throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When yee heare the sound of the trumpet, Ye shal say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, [that were] And bid to his feast in Hebron. called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.
12 Also Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, from his citie Giloh, while he offred sacrifices: & the treason was great: for the people encreased still with Absalom.
13 Then came a messenger to Dauid, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.
14 And David said unto all his servants that [were] with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not [else] escape from Whose heart he saw that Satan had so possessed that he would leave no mischief unattempted. Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the Kings seruants sayd vnto him, Behold, thy seruants are ready to do according to all that my lord the King shal appoynt.
16 So the King departed and all his houshold after him, and the King left ten concubines to keepe the house.
17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was That is, from Jerusalem. far off.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the These were as the king's guard, or as some write, his counsellors. Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then said the king to Who as some write was the king's son of Gath. Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou [art] a stranger, and also an exile.
20 Whereas thou camest [but] yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy Meaning, those of his family. brethren: mercy and God require of you your friendship and fidelity. truth [be] with thee.
21 And Ittai answered the King, and sayde, As the Lorde liueth, and as my lord the King liueth, in what place my lord the King shalbe, whether in death or life, euen there surely will thy seruant bee.
22 Then Dauid sayd to Ittai, Come, & go forward; Ittai the Gittite went, and all his men, and all the children that were with him.
23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and That is, the four hundred men. all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites [were] with him, Which was the charge, of the Kohathites, (Num_4:4). bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went To stand by the ark. up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
25 Then the King said vnto Zadok, Carie the Arke of God againe into the citie: if I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde, he will bring me againe, and shewe me both it, and the Tabernacle thereof.
26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, The faithful in all their afflictions show themselves obedient to God's will. [here am] I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
27 The King sayde againe vnto Zadok the Priest, Art not thou a Seer? returne into the citie in peace, and your two sonnes with you: to wit, Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar.
28 Behold, I wil tarie in the fieldes of the wildernesse, vntill there come some worde from you to be tolde me.
29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar caried the Arke of God againe to Ierusalem, and they taried there.
30 And David went up by the ascent of [mount] Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head With ashes and dust in sign of sorrow. covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that [was] with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
31 And [one] told David, saying, Ahithophel [is] among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the The counsel of the crafty worldlings does more harm than the open force of the enemy. counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32 Then Dauid came to the toppe of the mount where he worshipped God: and beholde, Hushai the Archite came against him with his coate torne, and hauing earth vpon his head.
33 Vnto whom Dauid sayd, If thou goe with me, thou shalt be a burthen vnto me.
34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy Though Hushai was deceitful here at the king's request, we may not use this example to excuse our deceit. servant, O king; [as] I [have been] thy father's servant hitherto, so [will] I now also [be] thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the Priests? therefore what so euer thou shalt heare out of the Kings house, thou shalt shew to Zadok and Abiathar the Priests.
36 Beholde, there are with them their two sonnes: Ahimaaz Zadoks sonne, and Ionathan Abiathars sonne: by them also shall ye send me euery thing that ye can heare.
37 So Hushai Dauids friend went into the citie: and Absalom came into Ierusalem.
1 And when David was a little past the Which was the hill of olives, (2Sa_15:30). top [of the hill], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred [loaves] of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The Commonly there are no viler traitors than they, who under the pretence of friendship accuse others. asses [be] for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.
3 And the king sayde, But where is thy masters sonne? Then Ziba answered the King, Beholde, he remayneth in Ierusalem: for he sayde, This day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdome of my father.
4 Then said the King to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that perteined vnto Mephibosheth; Ziba saide, I beseech thee, let me finde grace in thy sight, my lord, O King.
5 And when king David came to Which was a city in the tribe of Benjamin. Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men [were] on his That is, round about him. right hand and on his left.
7 And thus sayde Shimei when hee cursed, Come forth, come foorth thou murtherer, and wicked man.
8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the Reproaching him, as though by his means Ishbosheth and Abner were slain. blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou [art taken] in thy mischief, because thou [art] a bloody man.
9 Then saide Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah vnto the King, Why doeth this dead dog curse my lord the King? let me goe, I pray thee, and take away his head.
10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath David felt that this was the judgment of God for his sin, and therefore humbles himself to his rod. said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
11 And Dauid sayd to Abishai, and to all his seruants, Beholde, my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels, seeketh my life: then howe much more now may this sonne of Iemini? Suffer him to curse: for the Lord hath bidden him.
12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will Meaning, that the Lord will send comfort to his, when they are oppressed. requite me good for his cursing this day.
13 And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Shimei went by the side of the mountaine ouer against him, and cursed as he went, & threw stones against him, and cast dust.
14 And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves That is, at Bahurim. there.
15 And Absalom, & all the people, the men of Israel, came to Ierusalem, and Ahithophel with him.
16 And when Hushai the Archite Dauids friend was come vnto Absalom, Hushai said vnto Absalom, God saue the King, God saue the King.
17 And Absalom said to Hushai, [Is] this thy kindness to thy Meaning, David. friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?
18 Hushai then answered vnto Absalom, Nay, but whome the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel chuse, his will I be, and with him will I dwell.
19 And moreouer vnto whome shall I doe seruice? not to his sonne? as I serued before thy father, so will I before thee.
20 Then spake Absalom to Ahithophel, Giue counsell what we shall doe.
21 And Suspecting the change of the kingdom, and so his own overthrow, he gives such counsel as might most hinder his father's reconciliation: and also declare to the people that Absalom was in highest authority. Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that [are] with thee be strong.
22 So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel.
23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, [was] as if a man had It was so esteemed for the success of it. enquired at the oracle of God: so [was] all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, The wicked are so greedy to execute their malice, that they leave no opportunity that may further the same. Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night:
2 And I will come vpon him: for he is wearie, and weake handed: so I will feare him, and all the people that are with him, shall flee, and I will smite the King onely,
3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: Meaning David. the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.
4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the Elders of Israel.
5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let vs heare likewise what he sayth.
6 So when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spake vnto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken thus: shall we doe after his saying, or no? tell thou.
7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given [is] not Hushai shows himself faithful to David, in that he reproves this wicked counsel and purpose. good at this time.
8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father, and his men, that they be strong men, and are chafed in minde as a beare robbed of her whelps in the fielde: also thy father is a valiant warrier, and will not lodge with the people.
9 Behold, he is hid now in some caue, or in some place: and though some of them be ouerthrowen at the first, yet the people shall heare, and say, The people that follow Absalom, be ouerthrowen.
10 Then he also that is valiant whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall shrinke and faint: for all Israel knoweth, that thy father is valiant, and they which be with him, stout men.
11 Therefore my counsell is, that all Israel be gathered vnto thee, from Dan euen to Beer-sheba as the sand of the sea in nomber, and that thou goe to battell in thine owne person.
12 So shall we come vpon him in some place, where we shall finde him, and we will vpon him as the dewe falleth on the ground: and of all the men that are with him, wee will not leaue him one.
13 Moreouer if he be gotten into a citie, then shall all the men of Israel bring ropes to that citie, and we will draw it into the riuer, vntill there be not one small stone founde there.
14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the That counsel which seemed good at first to Absalom, (2Sa_17:4). good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might For by the counsel of Hushai, he went to the battle, where he was destroyed. bring evil upon Absalom.
15 Then said Hushai vnto Zadok and to Abiathar the Priests, Of this and that maner did Ahithophel and the Elders of Israel counsell Absalom: and thus and thus haue I counseled.
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass That is, over Jordan. over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [are] with him.
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told Meaning, the message from their fathers. them; and they went and told king David.
18 Neuerthelesse a yong man sawe them, and tolde it to Absalom. therefore they both departed quickely, and came to a mans house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, into the which they went downe.
19 And Thus God sends help to his, in their greatest dangers. the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where [is] Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the The Chaldee text reads: Now they have passed the Jordan. brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find [them], they returned to Jerusalem.
21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for That is, to pursue you with all haste. thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
22 Then David arose, and all the people that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: They travelled all night, and by morning had all their company passed over. by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and God's just vengeance even in this life is poured on them who are enemies, traitors, or persecutors of his Church. hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
24 Then Dauid came to Mahanaim; Absalom passed ouer Iorden, he, and all the men of Israel with him.
25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Who was also called Jesse, David's father. Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
27 And when Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Shobi the sonne of Nahash out of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the sonne of Ammiel out of Lo-debar, and Barzelai the Gileadite out of Rogel
28 God shows himself most liberal to his, when they seem to be utterly destitute.Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentiles, and parched [pulse],
29 And they brought honie, and butter, and sheepe, and cheese of kine for Dauid and for the people that were with him, to eate: for they said, The people is hungry, and wearie, and thirstie in the wildernesse.
1 And David For certain of the Reubenites, Gadites, and of the half tribe could not bear the insolence of the son against the father, and therefore joined with David. numbered the people that [were] with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 And Dauid sent foorth the third part of the people vnder the hand of Ioab, and the thirde part vnder the hand of Abishai Ioabs brother the sonne of Zeruiah: and the other third part vnder the hand of Ittai the Gittite; the King said vnto the people, I will go with you my selfe also.
3 But the people answered, 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 Signifying that a good governor is so dear to his people that they would rather lose their lives than have anything happen to him. now [thou art] worth ten thousand of us: therefore now [it is] better that thou succour us out of the city.
4 Then the King said vnto them, What seemeth you best, that I will doe. So the King stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreths and by thousands.
5 And the King commanded Ioab and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Entreate the yong man Absalom gently for my sake; all the people heard whe the King gaue al the captaines charge concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the So called, because the Ephraimites (as some say) fed their cattle beyond Jordan in this wood. wood of Ephraim;
7 Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruants of Dauid: so there was a great slaughter that day, euen of twentie thousande.
8 For the battel was skattered ouer all the countrey: and the wood deuoured much more people that day, then did the sworde.
9 Nowe Absalom met the seruants of Dauid, and Absalom rode vpon a mule, and the mule came vnder a great thicke oke: and his head caught holde of the oke, and he was taken vp betweene the heauen and the earth: and the mule that was vnder him went away.
10 And one that sawe it, tolde Ioab, saying, Beholde, I sawe Absalom hanged in an oke.
11 Then Ioab saide vnto the man that tolde him, And hast thou in deede seene? why then diddest thou not there smite him to the grounde, and I woulde haue giuen thee ten shekels of siluer, and a girdle?
12 Then the man saide vnto Ioab, Though I should receiue a thousande shekels of siluer in mine hande, yet woulde I not lay mine hande vpon the Kings sonne: for in our hearing the King charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Beware, least any touche the yong man Absalom.
13 If I had done it, it had bene the danger of my life: for nothing can be hid from the King: yea, thou thy selfe wouldest haue bin against me.
14 Then saide Ioab, I will not thus tary with thee; he tooke three dartes in his hande, and thrust them through Absalom, while he was yet aliue in the middes of the oke.
15 And tenne seruants that bare Ioabs armour, compassed about and smote Absalom, and slewe him.
16 And Joab For he had pity on the people, who were seduced by Absalom's flattery. blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great Thus God turned his vain glory to shame. pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which [is] in the king's dale: for he said, I have no It seemed that God had punished him by taking away his children, (2Sa_14:27). son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the sonne of Zadok, I pray thee, let me runne, and beare the King tidings that the Lorde hath deliuered him out of the hande of his enemies.
20 And Joab said unto him, Thou For Joab bore a good affection to Ahimaaz and doubted how David would take the report of Absalom's death. shalt not bear 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.
21 Then said Ioab to Cushi, Goe, tel the king, what thou hast seene; Cushi bowed himselfe vnto Ioab, and ran.
22 Then saide Ahimaaz the sonne of Zadok againe to Ioab, What, I pray thee, if I also runne after Cushi? And Ioab said, Wherefore now wilt thou runne, my sonne, seeing that thou hast no tidings to bring?
23 Yet what if I runne? Then he saide vnto him, Runne. So Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the plaine, and ouerwent Cushi.
24 And David sat between the two He sat in the gate of the city of Mahanaim. gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
25 And the watchman cryed, & tolde ye king; the King said, If he be alone, he bringeth tidings; he came apace, and drew neere.
26 And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called vnto the porter, and said, Behold, another man runneth alone; the King said, He also bringeth tidings.
27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He [is] a He had experienced his fidelity, (2Sa_17:21). good man, and cometh with good tidings.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and sayde vnto the King, Peace be with thee: and he fell downe to the earth vpon his face before the King, and saide, Blessed be the Lorde thy God, who hath shut vp the men that lift vp their handes against my lorde the King.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's That is, Cushi, who was an Ethiopian. servant, and [me] thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what [it was].
30 And the King said vnto him, Turne aside, and stand here. so he turned aside & stoode still.
31 And beholde, Cushi came, and Cushi saide, Tidings, my lorde the King: for the Lord hath deliuered thee this day out of the hande of all that rose against thee.
32 Then the King saide vnto Cushi, Is the yong man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lorde the King, and all that rise against thee to doe thee hurt, be as that yong man is.
33 And the king was much Because he considers both the judgment of God against his sin, and could not otherwise hide his fatherly affection for his son. 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 God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
1 And it was tolde Ioab, Behold, the King weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.
2 Therefore the victorie of that day was turned into mourning to all the people: for the people heard say that day, The King soroweth for his sonne.
3 And the people went that day into the citie secretly, as people confounded hide them selues when they flee in battell.
4 But the king As they do that mourn. covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
5 And Joab came into the At Mahanaim. house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which 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;
6 In that thou louest thine enemies, and hatest thy friendes: for thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy princes nor seruants: therefore this day I perceiue, that if Absalom had liued, and we all had dyed this day, that then it would haue pleased thee well.
7 Nowe therefore vp, come out, and speake comfortably vnto thy seruants: for I sweare by the Lorde, except thou come out, there will not tarie one man with thee this night: and that wil be worse vnto thee, then all the euill that fell on thee from thy youth hitherto.
8 Then the king arose, and sat in the Where the most resort of the people haunted. gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.
9 And all the people were at Everyone blamed another and strove who should first bring him home. strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10 And Absalom, whome we anoynted ouer vs, is dead in battel: therefore why are ye so slow to bring the King againe?
11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the That they should reprove the negligence of the elders, seeing the people were so forward. 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, [even] to his house.
12 Ye are my brethren: my bones and my flesh are ye: wherefore then are ye the last that bring the King againe?
13 And say ye to Amasa, [Art] thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the By this policy David thought that by winning the captain, he would have the hearts of all the people. room of Joab.
14 So he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iudah, as of one man: therefore they sent to the King, saying, Returne thou with all thy seruants.
15 So the King returned, and came to Iorden; Iudah came to Gilgal, for to goe to meete the King, and to conduct him ouer Iorde.
16 And Who had before reviled him, (2Sa_16:13). Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which [was] of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
17 And a thousande men of Beniamin with him, and Ziba the seruant of the house of Saul, and his fifteene sonnes and twentie seruants with him: and they went ouer Iorden before ye king.
18 And there went ouer a boate to carie ouer the Kings houshold, and to do him pleasure. Then Shimei the sonne of Gera fell before the King, when he was come ouer Iorden,
19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did For in his adversity he was his most cruel enemy, and now in his prosperity, seeks by flattery to creep into favour. perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of By Joseph he means Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin (of which he was) because those three were under one standard, (Num_2:18). Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
21 But Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah answered, and said, Shal not Shimei die for this, because he cursed the Lordes anoynted?
22 And Dauid saide, What haue I to do with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah, that this day ye should be aduersaries vnto me? Shall there any man die this day in Israel? For doe not I know that I am this day King ouer Israel?
23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not By my hands, or during my life, see (1Ki_2:8,9). die. And the king sware unto him.
24 And Mephibosheth the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the king, and had neither washed his feete, nor dressed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the time the king departed, vntill he returned in peace.
25 And it came to pass, when When Mephibosheth being at Jerusalem had met the King. he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?
26 And he answered, My lorde the king, my seruant deceiued me: for thy seruant said, I would haue mine asse sadled to ride thereon, for to goe with the king, because thy seruant is lame.
27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king [is] as an Able for his wisdom to judge in all matters. angel of God: do therefore [what is] good in thine eyes.
28 For all [of] my father's house were Worthy to die for Saul's cruelty to you. 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 to cry any more unto the king?
29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the David did evil in taking his land from him before he knew the cause, but much worse, that knowing the truth, he did not restore them. land.
30 And Mephibosheth saide vnto the king, Yea, let him take all, seeing my lorde the king is come home in peace.
31 Then Barzillai the Gileadite came downe from Rogelim, & went ouer Iorden with the king, to conduct him ouer Iorden.
32 Nowe Barzillai was a very aged man, euen fourescore yeere olde, and he had prouided the king of sustenance, while he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substance.
33 And the king said vnto Barzillai, Come ouer with me, and I will feede thee with me in Ierusalem.
34 And Barzillai said vnto the king, Howe long haue I to liue, that I should goe vp with the king to Ierusalem?
35 I [am] this day fourscore years old: [and] can I discern between good and evil? 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 He thought it was not fitting to receive benefits from him to whom he was not able to do service again. burden unto my lord the king?
36 Thy seruant will goe a litle way ouer Iorden with the King, and why wil the king recompence it me with such a rewarde?
37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, [and be buried] by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant My son. Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.
38 And the king answered, Chimham shal go with me, and I will do to him that thou shalt be content with: and whatsoeuer thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.
39 So all the people went ouer Iorden: and the King passed ouer: and the King kissed Barzillai, and blessed him, and hee returned vnto his owne place.
40 Then the king went on to Where the tribe of Judah waited to receive him. Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Who had taken the side of the king. Israel.
41 And, 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 have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Toward Jerusalem. Jordan?
42 And all the men of Iudah answered the men of Israel, Because the King is neere of kin to vs: and wherefore now be ye angry for this matter? Haue we eaten of the Kings cost, or haue wee taken any bribes?
43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Iudah, and saide, Wee haue ten partes in the King, and haue also more right to Dauid then ye: Why then did ye despise vs, that our aduise should not bee first had in restoring our King? And the wordes of the men of Iudah were fiercer then the wordes of the men of Israel.
1 And there happened to be Where the ten tribes contended against Judah. there a man of Belial, whose name [was] Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in As they of Judah say. David, neither have we inheritance in the son He thought by speaking contemptuously of the king, to stir the people farther to sedition, or else by causing Israel to depart, thought that they of Judah would have esteemed him less. of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, [and] followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from From Gilgal which was near Jordan. Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 When Dauid then came to his house to Ierusalem, the King tooke the ten women his concubines, that hee had left behinde him to keepe the house, and put them in warde, and fed them, but lay no more with them: but they were enclosed vnto the day of their death, liuing in widowhode.
4 Then said the king to Who was his chief captain in Joab's place, (2Sa_19:13). Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
5 So Amasa went to assemble Iudah, but hee taried longer then the time which he had appoynted him.
6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy Either those who had been under Joab or David's men. lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
7 And there went out after him Ioabs men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mightie men: and they departed out of Ierusalem, to followe after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.
8 When they [were] at the great stone which [is] in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's Which was his coat, that he used to wear in the wars. garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle [with] a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9 And Ioab sayde to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? & Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.
10 But Amasa tooke no heede to the sworde that was in Ioabs hande: for therewith he smote him in the fift rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and smote him not the second time: so he dyed. then Ioab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.
11 And one of Joab's men He stood by Amasa at Joab's appointment. stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that [is] for David, [let him go] after Joab.
12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the mids of the way: and when the man sawe that all the people stood still, he remooued Amasa out of the way into the fielde, and cast a cloth vpon him, because he saw that euery one that came by him, stoode still.
13 When hee was remoued out of the way, euerie man went after Ioab, to followe after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.
14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to To the city Abel, which was near Bethmaachah. Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that [were] with Joab That is, he went about to overthrow it. battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare, I pray you, say vnto Ioab, Come thou hither, that I may speake with thee.
17 And when hee came neere vnto her, the woma said, Art thou Ioab? And he answered, Yea; she said to him, Heare the wordes of thine handmaid; he answered, I do heare.
18 Then she spake, saying, She shows that the old custom was not to destroy a city before peace was offered, (Deu_20:10-11). They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so they ended [the matter].
19 I [am She speaks in the name of the city. one 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 the LORD?
20 And Ioab answered, & said, God forbid, God forbid it me, that I should deuoure, or destroy it.
21 The Hearing his fault, he gave in to reason, and required only he that was instigator of the treason. matter [is] not so: but a man of mount 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.
22 Then the woman went vnto all the people with her wisedome, and they cut off the head of Sheba the sonne of Bichri, and cast it to Ioab: the he blewe the trumpet, and they retired from the citie, euery man to his tent: and Ioab returned to Ierusalem vnto the King.
23 Then Ioab was ouer all the hoste of Israel, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada ouer the Cherethites and ouer the Pelethies,
24 And Adoram ouer the tribute, and Ioshaphat the sonne of Ahilud the recorder,
25 And Sheia was Scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar the Priests,
26 And Ira also the Jairite was a Either in dignity or familiarity. chief ruler about David.
1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, [It is] for Saul, and for [his] bloody house, because he slew the Thinking to gratify the people, because these were not of the seed of Abraham. Gibeonites.
2 Then ye King called the Gibeonites and said vnto them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but a remnant of the Amorites, vnto whom ye children of Israel had sworne: but Saul sought to slay them for his zeale toward the children of Israel and Iudah)
3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, With what may your wrath be appeased, that you may pray to God to remove this plague from his people. What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill Save only of Saul's stock. any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, [that] will I do for you.
5 Then they answered the King, The man that consumed vs and that imagined euill against vs, so that we are destroyed from remaining in any coast of Israel,
6 Let seven men of his Of Saul's kinsmen. sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up To pacify the Lord. unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, [whom] the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give [them].
7 But the King had compassion on Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lordes othe, that was betweene them, euen betweene Dauid and Ionathan the sonne of Saul.
8 But 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 Here Michal is named for Merab Adriel's wife, as it appears in (1Sa_18:19) for Michal was the wife of Paltiel, (1Sa_25:44) and never had a child (2Sa_6:23). Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell [all] seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the Which was in the month Abib or Nisan which contained part of March and part of April. first [days], in the beginning of barley harvest.
10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took To make her a tent in which she prayed to God to turn away his wrath. sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until Because drought was the cause of this famine, God by sending rain showed that he was pacified. water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11 And it was told Dauid, what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah ye concubine of Saul had done.
12 And Dauid went and tooke the bones of Saul and the bones of Ionathan his sonne from the citizens of Iabesh Gilead, which had stollen them from the streete of Beth-shan, where the Philistims had hanged them, when the Philistims had slaine Saul in Gilboa.
13 So hee brought thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Ionathan his sonne, and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.
14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was For where the government permits faults to go unpunished, there the plague of God lies on the land. intreated for the land.
15 Againe the Philistims had warre with Israel: and Dauid went downe, and his seruants with him, and they fought against the Philistims, and Dauid fainted.
16 And Ishbibenob, which [was] of the sons of Or, of Haraphah, the race of giants. the giant, the weight of whose spear [weighed] three hundred Which amounts to 9 3/4 pounds. [shekels] of brass in weight, he being girded with a new [sword], thought to have slain David.
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured 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 For the glory and wealth of the country stands in the preservation of the godly magistrate. light of Israel.
18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Called Gezer, and Saph is called Sippai, (1Ch_20:4). Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which [was] of the sons of the giant.
19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew [the brother of] That is, Lahmi the brother of Goliath, whom David slew, (1Ch_20:5). Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear [was] like a weaver's beam.
20 Afterward there was also a battel in Gath, where was a man of a great stature, and had on euerie hand sixe fingers, and on euerie foote sixe toes, foure and twentie in nomber: who was also the sonne of Haraphah.
21 And when hee reuiled Israel, Ionathan the sonne of Shima the brother of Dauid slewe him.
22 These foure were borne to Haraphah in Gath, and died by the hande of Dauid and by the hands of his seruants.
1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this In token of the wonderful benefits that he received from God. song in the day [that] the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The LORD [is] my By the diversity of these comfortable means, he shows how his faith was strengthened in all temptations. rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 God is my strength, in him will I trust: my shielde, and the horne of my saluation, my hie tower and my refuge: my Sauiour, thou hast saued me from violence.
4 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
5 When the As David (who was the figure of Christ) was by God's power delivered from all dangers: so Christ and his Church will overcome most grievous dangers, tyranny and death. waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorowes of the graue compassed mee about: the snares of death ouertooke mee.
7 But in my tribulation did I call vpon the Lord, and crie to my God, and he did heare my voyce out of his temple, and my crie did enter into his eares.
8 Then the earth trembled and quaked: the foundations of the heauens mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
9 There went up a That is, clouds, and vapours. smoke out of his nostrils, and Lightening and thundering. fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He So it seems when the air is dark. bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness [was] under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a To fly in a moment through the world. cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And hee made darkenesse a Tabernacle round about him, euen the gatherings of waters, and the cloudes of the ayre.
13 Through the brightness before him were By this description of a tempest he declares the power of God against his enemies. coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord thundred from heauen, and the most hie gaue his voyce.
15 He shot arrowes also, and scattered them: to wit, lightning, and destroyed them.
16 And the He alludes to the miracle of the Red Sea. channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from aboue, and tooke me: hee drewe me out of many waters.
18 He deliuered me from my strong enemie, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They I was so beset, that all means seemed to fail. prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
20 And brought me foorth into a large place: he deliuered me, because he fauoured me.
21 The LORD rewarded me according to my Toward Saul and my enemies. righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not I attempted nothing without his commandment. wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his lawes were before me, and his statutes: I did not depart therefrom.
24 I was vpright also towarde him, and haue kept me from my wickednesse.
25 Therefore the Lord did reward me according to my righteousnesse, according to my purenesse before his eyes.
26 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the Their wickedness is cause that you seem to forget your usual mercy. froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people: but thine eyes are vpon the hautie to humble them.
29 Surely thou art my light, O Lorde: and the Lorde will lighten my darkenes.
30 For by thee haue I broken through an hoste, and by my God haue I leaped ouer a wall.
31 [As for] God, his way [is] The manner that God uses to aid his own, never fails. perfect; the word of the LORD [is] tried: he [is] a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lorde? and who is mightie, saue our God?
33 God is my strength in battel, and maketh my way vpright.
34 He maketh my feet like He uses extraordinary means to make me win most strongholds. hinds' [feet]: and setteth me upon my high places.
35 He teacheth mine handes to fight, so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
36 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy louing kindnesse hath caused me to increase.
37 Thou hast inlarged my steppes vnder me, and mine heeles haue not slid.
38 I haue pursued mine enemies and destroyed them, and haue not turned againe vntill I had consumed them.
39 Yea, I haue consumed them and thrust them through, and they shall not arise, but shall fall vnder my feete.
40 For thou hast He acknowledges that God was the author of his victories, who gave him strength. girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but [there was] none to save; [even] unto the The wicked in their time of need are forced to flee to God, but it is too late. LORD, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beate them as small as the dust of the earth: I did treade them flat as the clay of the streete, and did spread them abroad.
44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my Meaning, of the Jews, who conspired against me. people, thou hast kept me [to be] head of the heathen: a people [which] I knew not shall serve me.
45 Strangers Not willingly obeying me, but deceitfully. shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
47 The LORD liveth; Let him show his power that he is the governor of all the world. and blessed [be] my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that giueth me power to reuenge me, and subdue the people vnder me,
49 And rescueth me from mine enemies: (thou also hast lift me vp from them that rose against me, thou hast deliuered me from the cruell man.
50 Therefore I will praise thee, O Lord amog the nations, and will sing vnto thy Name)
51 He is the tower of saluation for his King, and sheweth mercie to his anointed, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.
1 Now these [be] the Which he spoke after he had written the psalms. last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man [who was] raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word [was] in my Meaning, he spoke nothing but by the motion of God's Spirit. tongue.
3 The God of Israel spake to me, ye strength of Israel saide, Thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God.
4 And [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [when] the sun riseth, [even] a morning without clouds; [as] the tender Which grows quickly, and fades soon. grass [springing] out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
5 Although my house [be] not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all [things], and sure: for [this is] all my salvation, and all [my] desire, although he make [it] not to But that my kingdom may continue for ever according to his promise. grow.
6 But the wicked shalbe euery one as thornes thrust away, because they can not be taken with handes.
7 But the man that shall touch them, must be defensed with yron, or with the shaft of a speare: and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place.
8 These [be] the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the As one of the king's counsel. seat, chief among the captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: [he lift up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were Meaning, fled from the battle. gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his By a cramp which came from weariness and fighting. hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 After him was Shammah the sonne of Age the Hararite: for the Philistims assembled at a towne, where was a piece of a fielde full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistims.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a Which has no respect for many or few, when he will show his power. great victory.
13 Afterward three of the thirtie captaines went downe, and came to Dauid in the haruest time vnto the caue of Adullam, and the hoste of the Philistims pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And Dauid was then in an holde, and the garison of ye Philistims was then in Beth-lehem.
15 And David Being overcome with weariness and thirst. longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which [is] by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that [was] by the gate, and took [it], and brought [it] to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but Bridling his affection, and also desiring God not to be offended for that rash enterprise. poured it out unto the LORD.
17 And said, O Lord, be it farre from me, that I should doe this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues? Therefore he woulde not drinke it. These things did these three mightie men.
18 And Abishai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Zeruiah, was chiefe among the three, and he lifted vp his speare against three hundreth, and slewe them, and he had the name among the three.
19 For he was most excellent of the three, & was their captaine, but he attained not vnto the first three.
20 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada the sonne of a valiant man, which had done many actes, and was of Kabzeel, slewe two strong men of Moab: he went downe also, and slewe a lyon in the middes of a pit in the time of snowe.
21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a Which was as big as a weavers beam, (1Ch_11:23). spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
22 These things did Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and had the name among the three worthies.
23 He was more honourable than the He was more valiant than the thirty that follow and not so valiant as the six before. thirty, but he attained not to the [first] three. And David set him over his guard.
24 Asahel the brother of Ioab was one of the thirtie: Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Beth-lehem:
25 Shammah the Harodite: Elika ye Harodite:
26 Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonne of Ikkesh the Tekoite:
27 Abiezer the Anethothite, Some of these had two names, (1Ch_11:29) and also many more are mentioned there. Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 Zalmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite:
29 Heleb the sonne of Baanah a Netophathite: Ittai the sonne of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Beniamin:
30 Benaiah the Pirathonite: Hiddai of the riuer of Gaash:
31 Abi-albon the Arbathite: Azmaueth the Barhumite:
32 Elihaba the Shaalbonite: of the sonnes of Iashen, Ionathan:
33 Shammah the Hararite: Ahiam the sonne of Sharar the Hamrite:
34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai the sonne of Maachathi: Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite:
35 Hezrai the Carmelite: Paarai the Arbite:
36 Igal the sonne of Nathan of Zobah: Bani the Gadite:
37 Zelek the Ammonite: Naharai the Becrothite, the armour bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah:
38 Ira the Ithrite: Gareb the Ithrite:
39 Uriah the Hittite: These came to David, and helped restore him to his kingdom. thirty and seven in all.
1 And Before they were plagued with famine, (2Sa_21:1). again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and The Lord permitted Satan, as in (1Ch_21:2). he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which [was] with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the Because he did this to determine his power and to trust in it, it offended God, for otherwise it was lawful to number the people, (Exo_30:12; Num_1:2). number of the people.
3 And Ioab saide vnto the King, The Lorde thy God increase the people an hundreth folde mo then they be, and that the eyes of my lorde the King may see it: but why doeth my lord the King desire this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the Kings worde preuailed against Ioab and against the captaines of the hoste: therefore Ioab and the captaines of the hoste went out from the presence of the King to nomber the people of Israel.
5 And they passed ouer Iorden, & pitched in Aroer at the right side of the citie that is in the middes of the valley of Gad and toward Iazer.
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to Tahtim-hodshi, so they came to Dan Iaan, and so about to Zidon,
7 And came to the fortresse of Tyrus and to all the cities of the Hiuites and of the Canaanites, and went towarde the South of Iudah, euen to Beer-sheba.
8 So when they had gone about all the lande, they returned to Ierusalem at the ende of nine moneths and twentie dayes.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel According to Joab's count: for in all there were eleven hundred thousand, (1Ch_21:5). eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] Including the Benjamites with them, or else they had but four hundred and seventy thousand. five hundred thousand men.
10 Then Dauids heart smote him, after that he had numbred the people: and Dauid said vnto the Lorde, I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done: therefore nowe, Lorde, I beseech thee, take away the trespasse of thy seruant: for I haue done very foolishly.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's Whom God had appointed for David and his time. seer, saying,
12 Go, & say vnto Dauid, Thus saith ye Lord, I offer thee three thinges, chuse thee which of them I shall doe vnto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall Three years of famine were past for the Gibeonites and this was the fourth year to which should have been added another three more years, (1Ch_21:12). seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And Dauid said vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strait: let vs fall nowe into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.
15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from From the one side of the country to the other. Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: The Lord spared this place, because he had chosen it to build his temple there. stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they David did not see the just cause why God plagued the people, and therefore he offers himself for God's correction as the only cause of this evil. done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
18 So Gad came the same day to Dauid, and said vnto him, Go vp, reare an altar vnto the Lord in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite.
19 And Dauid (according to the saying of Gad) went vp, as the Lord had commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and sawe the King and his seruants comming towarde him, and Araunah went out, and bowed himselfe before the King on his face to the ground,
21 And Called also Ornan (1Ch_21:20). Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22 Then Araunah saide vnto Dauid, Let my lord the King take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: beholde the oxen for the burnt offring, and charets, and the instruments of the oxen for wood.
23 All these [things] did Araunah, That is, abundantly, for as some write, he was king of Jerusalem before David won the tower. [as] a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for Some write that every tribe gave 50 which makes 600, or that afterward he bought as much as came to 550 shekels. fifty shekels of silver.
25 And Dauid built there an altar vnto the Lorde, and offred burnt offrings and peace offrings, and the Lord was appeased toward ye lande, and the plague ceased from Israel.