Chapter 1
1 After Saul died and after David had returned from his battle with the Amalechites, David spent a couple of days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, a man arrived from the camp of the army of Saul. His clothes were all torn and his face was covered with dirt. And when he reached David, he fell to the ground and bowed before him, 3 then David asked, ‘Where have you come from?’
And he said, ‘I’ve struggled to make it here from the camp
of
4 Then David asked, ‘What message are you bringing? Tell me!’
And he said, ‘Our army has fled the field of battle, and many have been injured and many more have been killed. Why, Saul and his son JoNathan have both been killed.’
5 Then David asked, ‘How do you know that both Saul and JoNathan are dead?’
6 And the young man said, ‘I happened to be on
11 Well, David started grabbing his clothes and ripping
them; and all of his men started ripping their clothes, 12 beating on their
chests, and crying. Well, they fasted for the rest that day over Saul, his son
JoNathan, the people of
13 Then David asked the man who brought him the message, ‘Where are you from?’
And he replied, ‘I’m the son of an Amalechite man who is living in your land.’
14 And David asked him, ‘So, why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand and kill the anointed one of Jehovah?’ 15 Then David called one of his servants and said, ‘Come here and kill him!’ So, he struck the man and he died. 16 For David said to him, ‘Your blood is on your own head, because your own mouth spoke against you when you said I have killed the anointed one of Jehovah.’
17 Then David went into mourning over Saul and his son
JoNathan. 18 And to teach the sons of
‘Its written in the scroll of the righteous:
19 ‘Erect a stele, O
For those who have died in your hills;
For the mighty who’ve fallen.
20 Don’t announce it
in
Or announce it as good news in
So the daughters of
So the daughters of uncircumcised do not rejoice.
21 May dew not fall on
Gilboa;
May it not rain on you in the fields of the first-fruits;
For the shield of the mighty was treated with contempt,
And the shield of Saul wasn’t anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of
the slain;
From the fat of the mighty;
But JoNathan’s bow did not return empty;
The broadsword of Saul did not return empty.
23 For Saul and
JoNathan, those who were loved…
The beautiful ones were not
parted;
They were handsome in life…
And they’re together in death.
They were swifter than
eagles;
They conquered more than lions.
24 So, Daughters of
For he dressed you in scarlet and jewels… he dressed you in clothing and jewelry of gold.
25 Now the
mighty have fallen in battle;
O JoNathan, you were killed in the mountains.
26 I ache for you, O my brother
For, to me you were a beautiful man.
Your wonderful
affection for me,
Was greater than the love of women.
27 But now the mighty have fallen,
And their weapons of war are destroyed.’
Chapter 2
1 After that, David asked Jehovah,
‘Should I return to one of the cities of
And Jehovah answered, ‘Go!’
Then David asked where he should go, and Jehovah answered, ‘To Hebron.’
2 So, David moved to
4 Thereafter, the men of
Then they reported to David that the men of Jabish Gilead had put Saul’s
[body] in a tomb. 5 So, David sent messengers to the leaders of Jabish of
Gilead, who said to them, ‘You are blest by Jehovah for showing such mercy to
your lord Saul, the anointed
of God, by building a tomb for him and his son JoNathan. 6 Now, may Jehovah
give you mercy and truth, and I will treat you in the same [kind] way that
you’ve treated [Saul and JoNathan]. 7 So, prepare yourselves and make yourselves
strong, for now that your lord Saul has died, I’ve been anointed to rule over
the house of
8 However, AbNer (the son of Ner), Saul’s commander-in-chief, took Saul’s son IshBosheth from his camp to ManaEm, 9 and set him up as the ruler over Gilead, Thasiri, JezreEl, Ephraim, BenJamin, and all the rest of Israel.
10 Well, when IshBosheth became the king over
12 Then AbNer (the son of Ner) and the servants of
IshBosheth came from ManaEm to
And JoAb said, ‘Get up!’
15 So, twelve of IshBosheth’s servants (BenJamites) stood
up, and then twelve of David’s men stood up, 16 and they all grabbed each
other by the head and jabbed each other in the side with their swords, and they
all fell together. So from then on, that place was known in
17 As the result, a battle started that day, which was hard fought;
and AbNer and the men of
18 Now, ZeriJah had three sons who were there; JoAb, AbiShai, and AshaEl… and AshaEl was very light on his feet… like a deer in the field. 19 Well, he chased AbNer without slowing or swerving. 20 And when AbNer looked back and saw him, he shouted, ‘Is that AshaEl in person?’
And he replied, ‘It’s me!’
21 And AbNer shouted, ‘Then turn aside and take the armor from one of your servants [and put it on].’ However, AshaEl didn’t want to slow down, because he was hot on the heels of AbNer. 22 Then AbNer said to AsaheEl, ‘You’d better turn back or I’ll have to kill you, and then how will I ever show my face to JoAb again? 23 What are you doing? Go back to your brother JoAb!’
However, he wasn’t willing to leave. Then AbNer threw his spear and hit him in the stomach, going completely through him, and he fell and died there under [AbNer]. Well, everyone went to the place where he fell and stood there looking [at the body].
24 Now, JoAb and AbiShai also kept chasing AbNer until
sunset, and they had gotten as far as the hill of AmManin in front of Gai, on
the road between
27 And JoAb said, ‘As Jehovah lives, it’s a good thing that you said this, otherwise our people would have been chasing each other all night long.’
28 So, JoAb blew his trumpet, and all his people withdrew
and stopped chasing after
29 Then AbNer and his men left at sunset and marched
through the night. They crossed the
32 Then they picked up AshaEl’s [body] and put it in the
tomb in
Chapter 3
1 Well, the war between the house of David and the house of Saul lasted a long time, and the house of David kept getting stronger, but the house of Saul kept getting weaker.
2 In the meantime, David had sons born to him in
6 Well, a war started between the house of Saul and the
house of David when AbNer was [serving as] the king of
8 Now, this made AbNer furious with IshBosheth, and AbNer
said, ‘Do you dare to speak to me like a dog after the mercy I’ve shown to the
house of your father Saul, and to his family and friends? Why, I never went
over to the side of the house of David, so why are you coming to me and
complaining that I’ve been unjust in regard to some woman today? 9 As Jehovah swore by an oath to David, may God curse AbNer and
add to it if I don’t do the same thing. 10 I will remove the kingship from the
house of Saul and elevate the throne of David over all of
11 Well, IshBosheth didn’t say anything more, because he was so afraid.
12 Then AbNer sent messengers to David right away (he was
in ThaiLam at the time), who told him, ‘Make a treaty with me, because I’m on
your side now, and I’m going to give the whole house of
13 And David replied, ‘Good! I will make an agreement with you; however, there’s just one thing that I want to ask of you… I don’t want to see your face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal with you when you come.’
14 And David sent messengers to Saul’s son IshBosheth, who said, ‘Give me back my wife Michal who I paid for with the foreskins of a hundred Philistines.’
15 So, IshBosheth sent and had her taken from her husband PhaltiEl (the son of SelLe). 16 And her husband followed her back to BarAkim, but AbNer warned him to go back, so he went back home.
17 Then AbNer spoke to the elders of
19 So, AbNer went and spoke to the people of the tribe of
BenJamin (before he went to speak to David in
And then David sent AbNer away in peace.
22 Shortly thereafter, JoAb returned to David with his
army after a battle, and they were carrying many spoils of war. However, by
this time AbNer was no longer there with David in
26 Well, after JoAb left David, he sent messengers to
AbNer (who was at the well of SeiRam), asking him to return… but David didn’t
know about this. 27 And when AbNer returned to
Well, it was a trap; he stabbed him in the stomach and killed him… he did this to [avenge] the blood of his brother AshaEl.
28 Then, when David heard about it, he said, ‘My kingdom
and I are innocent before Jehovah
through the ages over the blood of
AbNer, the son of Ner. 29 May the guilt rest upon JoAb and upon the house of his
father; may the house of JoAb always suffer from gonorrhea and leprosy; may
they walk on crutches; may they starve; and may they be cut down in battle. 30
For JoAb and his brother AbiShai only looked for AbNer because he killed their
brother AshaEl at the battle of
31 Then David said to JoAb and all his men, ‘Now rip your clothes, wrap yourselves in sackcloth, and mourn for AbNer.’
Then David followed AbNer’s casket in his funeral
procession, 32 and they buried him in a tomb in
Then all the people gathered to weep for him. 35 And David invited them all to eat loaves of bread in a funeral meal that day. And David swore an oath, saying, ‘May God curse me and add more to it if I eat anything before the sun sets today.’
36 So, all the people were pleased by the things that the
king had done before them. 37 And all
38 And the king said to his servants, ‘Don’t you know that
a great leader has fallen in
Chapter 4
1 And when Saul’s son IshBosheth heard that AbNer (the son
of Ner) had been killed in
2 Now, there were two men who were leaders of the confederation of IshBosheth; one was BaAna and the other was Rechab. They were both sons of RimMon the BeerOthite of the tribe of BenJamin (for BeerOth was considered part of the tribe of BenJamin). 3 And these BeerOthites fled to GetThaim, where [their families] live to this day.
4 Also, Saul’s son JoNathan had a five-year-old son who was lame. For, when the message came from JezreEl about [the death] of Saul and JoNathan, his nurse picked him up and ran away, but she dropped him, which damaged his legs. His name was MephiBosheth.
5 Well, as they were leaving, the sons of RimMon the
BeerOthite (Rechab and BaAna) went to the house of IshBosheth in the heat
of the day, during his noontime nap. 6 And at the time, the doorman was out
sifting wheat, so they slipped in without being noticed. 7 And there was
IshBosheth in his bedroom asleep in his bed, so they struck him, killed him,
and cut off his head. Then they took the head and traveled west all that day
and night… 8 they brought IshBosheth’s head to David in
9 But David told Rechab and his brother BaAna, ‘As Jehovah (the One who has protected my life) lives, 10 the man who reported to me that Saul had died thought he was bringing me good news, but I had him taken away and killed in Ziklag, despite what he thought. 11 And now, you wicked people have killed a righteous man while he was in his house asleep in bed. So, I will require his blood from you, and I will wipe you off this earth.’
12 And at that, David gave orders to his servants, and they
killed them both… they cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies near
the spring in
Chapter 5
1 Thereafter, all the tribes of
3 Then all the elders of
4 David was thirty years old when he started his rule, and
he reigned for forty years. 5 He reigned over [the tribe of]
6 So, David and all his men then [marched on]
7 However, David took the citadel on
9 Well, David took up living there in the citadel, and the
place became known as the City of
11 Then Hiram (the king of
12 Now, David knew that it was Jehovah who had made him
king over
13 Well, after David moved from
17 Then, when the Philistines heard that David had been
anointed to be the king over
And Jehovah replied, ‘Go, for I will save you and give the Philistines into your hands!’
20 So, David attacked them and breached their lines from the mountain passes, defeating the Philistines. And David said, ‘Jehovah cut through my enemies the Philistines like He cuts through water. So because of this, we will name this place the High Breaches.’
21 Well, the [Philistines] had left behind all [the images
of] their gods, so David and his men took them and carried them along with
them. 22 And then the Philistines came again and met to fight in the Valley of
the Titans. 23 So, David asked of Jehovah, and Jehovah replied, ‘Don’t confront
them, go around them to the other side of the
25 So, David did just as Jehovah told him, and he cut down
the Philistines from
Chapter 6
1 Thereafter, David gathered all the young men of
4 Now, as AminiDab’s sons were leading the wagon along, 5 David and his men were dancing in front of Jehovah and playing musical instruments… they were playing appropriate lively tunes on lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and pipes. 6 And when they arrived at the threshing-floor of Nachon, the oxen [carrying the chest] bolted and Oza stuck out his hand and grabbed the Chest of God to steady it. 7 Well, this enraged Jehovah, so God struck Oza and he died there next to the Chest of Jehovah… in front of God.
8 Well, David was very depressed over Jehovah cutting down Oza. So, he called that place ‘the Cutting Down of Oza,’ which is what it is still called today.
9 Now, David became afraid of Jehovah that day, for he asked, ‘Then how can I bring the Chest of God with me?’ 10 So he decided not to bring the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah into his city. Rather, he turned and carried it to the house of ObedEdom, the GitTite, 11 and the Chest of Jehovah was kept there for three months. But as the result, Jehovah blest the household of ObedEdom and everything that he owned.
12 Well, when it was reported to King David that the house of ObedEdom and all his things were being blest because of the Chest of God, David went and took the Chest of Jehovah from there, and he [had it brought] into the city of David in a joyful [parade]. 13 For, as the Chest of Jehovah was being transported, it was led by seven companies of dancers, along with a calf and lambs that were being brought for a sacrifice, and David [led the way] playing music that was appropriate in the presence of Jehovah.
14 Well, David wore a fine robe for the occasion. 15
And David and the whole house of
17 Well, they brought the Chest of Jehovah and put it in
its place, in the middle of the Tent that David had made for it, then David
sacrificed whole-burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah. 18 And
after he did this, David blest the people in the name of Jehovah of armies,
19 and he distributed bread, grilled meat, and pancakes among all the people of
Well, when he got there, Michal (the daughter of Saul)
came out to meet David, and she started shouting at him. She asked, ‘So, how
was the king of
21 And David replied, ‘When I’m in the presence of Jehovah
I’m going to dance. May Jehovah, who chose me over your father and his house,
be praised for allowing me to take the lead over His people
23 Well, Michal (the daughter of Saul) remained childless until the day she died.
Chapter 7
1 Well, after Jehovah had conquered all [of David’s] enemies around him, the king was sitting in his palace, 2 and he said to the Prophet Nathan, ‘Look, here I am living in a palace of cedar, while the Chest of God is sitting in a tent.’
3 And Nathan said to the king, ‘Then do whatever your heart moves you to do, because Jehovah is with you!’
4 But that night, the word of Jehovah came to Nathan,
which said, 5 ‘Go and speak to My servant David, and tell him that this is what
Jehovah says: You are not to build a house for Me to live in, 6 because I
haven’t stayed in a house from the time that I led the sons of Israel out of
Egypt until now. Rather, I’ve been moving about in a tent 7 in all the places
where
‘Now, as you speak to him, ask: Have I spoken to any
tribe of
10 ‘And I will establish a place for my people
12 ‘For, after your days are finished and you’ve gone to sleep with your ancestors, I will raise up your seed after you – someone who has come from within you – and I will prepare his kingdom. 13 Then He will build Me a House to My Name, and I will make his throne stand through the ages… I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. 14 Then if he acts unrighteously, I will discipline him with the type of switch that men use, and spank him the same way that the sons of men do. 15 But I will never remove My mercy from him in the same way that I’ve removed My mercy from others. 16 Rather, his house and his kingdom will stand before Me through the ages, and his throne will last through the ages.’
17 So, Nathan told David all the words that he heard in the vision. 18 Then King David went in and sat before Jehovah and asked, ‘Just who am I, O my Lord Jehovah, and what is my house that You’re showing such love for me? 19 Why, I was once very small before you, O my Lord Jehovah, yet You spoke about my house long ahead of time. So, what laws are you giving me, O my Lord, 20 and what should David say before You?
‘Now, You know Your servant, O my Lord Jehovah, 21 and You’ve treated Your servant the way that Your heart has directed. 22 You have brought about all these great things to let your servant know that he should glorify You, O my Lord Jehovah, for there is no one else like You, and we’ve heard of no God other than You.
23 ‘And what are Your people
25 ‘And now, O my Lord Jehovah, may the things that You
said about Your servant and his house prove true through the ages, just as You
said. 26 And may Your Name 27 Jehovah – the Almighty God over
28 ‘And now, O my Lord; You are God! So, the words that You said about the good things that You will do for Your servant will come true! 29 Now, start blessing the house of Your servant that will stand before You through the ages. For You, O my Lord Jehovah, have spoken, and You’ve promised to bless the house of your servant through the ages.’
Chapter 8
1 Thereafter, David attacked the Philistines and routed
them, and he took back everything that [
3 Next, David attacked AdraAzar (the son of RaAb, the king
of Souba) as he was marching toward the
5 And when the Syrians came from
7 David took the gold armlets that the children of
AdraAzar wore and brought them to
8 Then David went to AdraAzar’s principal cities and
brought back huge amounts of brass, which was used by Solomon to create [the
9 And when the king of Hamath heard that David had conquered the armies of AdraAzar, 10 he sent his son JedDuram to King David to ask for peace. He also congratulated David for beating AdraAzar, because AdraAzar was his enemy. And he brought along items of silver, gold, and brass, 11 which King David dedicated to Jehovah, as he had done with all the silver and gold that he had taken from the cities that he conquered… 12 from Idumea, Moab, the sons of AmMon, the Philistines, the Amalechites, and from the spoils of AdraAzar (the son of RaAb, the king of Suba).
13 Well, David became quite famous; and on his return, he attacked the Idumeans at GebElem, killing eighteen thousand. 14 Then he put detachments throughout all Idumea, and the Idumeans became the king’s servants.
Well, no matter where he went, Jehovah was with David, 15
and he remained the ruler over all
Chapter 9
1 And David asked, ‘Is there still anyone left from the house of Saul that I should be showing [kindness] to because of JoNathan?’
2 Well at the time, there was still a servant from the house of Saul named Ziba, so they called him to David. And the king asked, ‘Are you Ziba?’
And he replied, ‘I am… your servant.’
3 And the king asked, ‘Is there anyone left from the house of Saul upon whom I should be showing the mercy of God?’
And Ziba said: ‘There is still one of JoNathan’s sons… one whose feet have been damaged.’
4 And the king asked, ‘Where is he?’
And Ziba replied, ‘Look! In the house of Machir, the son of AmiEl of Lodabar.’
5 So, King David sent for him and brought him from of the house of Machir. 6 And when MephiBosheth (the son of JoNathan and grandson of Saul) came to King David, he fell to his face and bowed before him. Then David said, ‘MephiBosheth!’
And he replied, ‘Look… your servant!’
7 Then David said, ‘Don’t be afraid, because [the reason why I called you] is to show you mercy because of JoNathan your father. I’m going to give you back all the fields of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’
8 And MephiBosheth bowed again and said, ‘Who am I your servant, to find your favor? For I’m no better that a dying dog.’
9 Then the king called for Ziba (Saul’s servant) and told him, ‘I’m giving everything that belonged to Saul and his house to the son of your master. 10 So you, your sons, and your servants will work his land for him, and you are to bring the son of your lord loaves of bread to eat. Also, MephiBosheth (the son of your lord) will always eat at my table.’
Now, Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 And he said to the king, ‘Whatever my lord the king asks, his servant will do.’
And from then on, MephiBosheth ate at the table of David as though he was one of the king’s sons.
12 Now, MephiBosheth had a small son
named Micha, and the whole of house of Ziba were MephiBosheth’s servants, 13
and they lived in
Chapter 10
1 Well, the king of the sons of AmMon died, and his son became the new king. 2 Then David said: ‘I’ll do something nice for AnNon, the son of NaAs, because his father was so kind to me.’ So, David sent his servants to the land of the sons of AmMon to comfort him over his father.
3 However, the governors of the sons of AmMon went to their lord and asked, ‘Is David really sending you comforters to glorify your father, or has he really sent them as spies to look at [our fortifications]?’ 4 So then, AnNon took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their uniforms to their hips, and sent them away.
5 Well, when this was reported to David, he sent men to
meet them, because they had been so extremely dishonored. And the king told
them to stay in
6 And when the sons of AmMon saw how David had been disgraced, they hired and sent twenty-thousand Syrians from BaithRaam, Souba, and RoOb, a thousand infantrymen from the king of Amalech, and twelve-thousand men from IshTob. 7 And when David heard about this, he sent JoAb and all his best soldiers there.
8 Well, the sons of AmMon gathered for war at the city
gate, leaving the Syrians from Souba, RoOb, and [the men of] IshTob and MaAcha
alone in the field. 9 And when JoAb saw what he was facing, with armies on
either side, he took the younger men of
13 Then, when JoAb and his men attacked the Syrians, they
fled before him. 14 And when the sons of AmMon saw the Syrians
running, they turned and ran from AbiShai, back into their city. So, JoAb left
the
15 Well, after the Syrians found that they had lost before
Chapter 11
1 Now, when the time of year came around when the kings
[traditionally] went out to battle, David sent JoAb, his servants, and the
entire army of
2 Then one evening, David got up from his bed and walked up to the roof of the king’s palace. And from there he saw a woman who was bathing on her roof who was very pretty. 3 Then David asked about the woman, saying, ‘Isn’t this BathSheba, the daughter of EliAb and the wife of UriJah the Hittite?’
4 So, David sent messengers who brought her to him. Then he went in to her and went to bed with her, and thereafter she went back home. However, she had just been cleansed from her monthly period, 5 so when she sent a message to David telling him that she was pregnant, David said, ‘It’s my baby.’
6 As the result, David sent [a message] to JoAb, saying, ‘Send UriJah the Hittite to me.’ And JoAb sent UriJah to him.
7 Well, when UriJah arrived, David first asked how JoAb was doing, how the army was doing, and then how the war was going. 8 And David said to UriJah, ‘Now you can go back home and wash your feet!’
So, UriJah left the king’s palace, and the king had a gift sent to him. 9 However, UriJah just bedded down next to the door to the king’s palace, along with his lord’s servants, and he didn’t go home. 10 Well, when David was told that UriJah hadn’t gone home, he went and asked UriJah, ‘Didn’t you just come a long way? Why don’t you go home?’
11 And UriJah replied, ‘Why, the [sacred] Chest and the armies of
12 Then David said, ‘Okay, then stay here for the rest of the day, and tomorrow I will send for you.’
So, UriJah stayed in
16 And when JoAb attacked the city, he put UriJah in a place where he knew that the hardest fighting would be done. 17 Then, when the men of the city came to fight with JoAb, many of David’s men died along with UriJah the Hittite. 18 And thereafter, JoAb sent a report to David with all the details of the battle… and to give the king a message. 19 He told the messenger, ‘Now, when you’re describing the battle to the king, 20 if the king gets angry and asks you, Why did you go up to the city to fight them? Didn’t you know that they would shoot down on you from the walls? 21 For, who struck AbiMelek, the son of JeroBaal and grandson of Ner? Didn’t a woman drop a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, killing him there in Thamasi? Why did you attack the wall? You must answer, Well, your servant UriJah the Hittite also died.’
22 So, JoAb’s messenger went to the king in
23 And the messenger said to David, ‘Well, the men attacked us… they came out into the field to meet us, so we fought them there at the city gate. 24 But they were shooting at us from the walls, and many of the king’s servants were killed… including your subject, UriJah the Hittite.’
25 And David said to the messenger, ‘Tell this to JoAb: Don’t feel bad about it, because the sword cuts two ways. Now, intensify the battle against the city, tear it down, and establish a garrison there.’
26 Well, when the wife of UriJah heard that her husband had been killed, she was deeply saddened. 27 Then, after her period of mourning, David sent for her and had her brought to his palace. So he married her and she gave birth to his son.
Well, this whole thing appeared wicked in the eyes of Jehovah.
Chapter 12
1 So, Jehovah sent the Prophet Nathan to David… he went in and said to him, ‘There were two men who lived in the same city, one was rich, and the other was poor. 2 Now, the rich man had huge flocks and herds, 3 but the only thing that the poor man owned was a small female lamb that he had bought. But he protected it and fed it, and it grew up with his children. It ate the same bread, drank from his cup, and slept inside his robe, for it was just like a daughter to him. 4 Well, someone who was just traveling along stopped in to see the rich man, and he didn’t want to take anything from his own flocks or herds to prepare [a meal] for the stranger, so he took the lamb that belonged to the poor man and cooked it for the person who was coming to visit.’
5 Well, David was outraged about this man and said, ‘As Jehovah lives, this man deserves to die! 6 [But first] he should have to repay for the lamb with seven of his own, because of what he did when he [killed] it.’
7 And Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man who did this.
And this is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: I’m the One that
anointed
you to be king over
11 ‘This is what Jehovah says: Look, I will cause evil
things to awaken in your own house, and I will take your wives from before
you and give them to your neighbor, and he will go to bed with them in the
daylight… 12 you did it secretly, but I will do this in the daylight and
before all
13 Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against Jehovah.’
And Nathan said to David, ‘Well, Jehovah has forgiven your sin, so you’re not going to die. 14 However, in doing such an unrighteous thing, you even made the enemies of Jehovah angry; so the son that will be born to you will die.’
15 Then Nathan left David’s palace, and Jehovah caused the child that was born to the wife of UriJah by David to be sickly and weak. 16 So, David [prayed to] God about the boy, and he fasted and slept on the ground. 17 And when the elders of his house went to lift him off the ground, he wouldn’t get up and he wouldn’t eat with them.
18 Well after seven days, the boy died. And then David’s servants were afraid to tell him, for they said, ‘Look, we spoke to him about the boy while he was still alive, but he wouldn’t listen to us. So, how can we now tell [David] that he died, because he’ll do bad things to us.’
19 However, David noticed that his servants were whispering, and he suspected that the boy had died. So he asked his servants, ‘Has the boy died?’
And they said, ‘He has.’
20 Then David got up from the ground, took a bath, rubbed himself with oil, and changed his clothes. And then he went to the [Tent] of God and bowed before Him, and when he got back home, he asked for some bread to eat, which they brought to him, and he ate it. 21 Then his servants asked, ‘Why have you acted this way because of the boy? For while he was still alive, you fasted, cried, and wouldn’t sleep. But after he died, you got up and ate and drank something.’
22 And David replied, ‘I fasted and cried while the boy was still living, because I hoped that Jehovah would show mercy on me and allow the boy to live. 23 But now that he has died, why should I fast? I won’t be able to go see him again or carry him to me, because I can’t bring him back.’
24 Then David went to comfort his wife BathSheba.
Well, he went to bed with her again, and she got pregnant and gave birth to a son who she named Solomon… and Jehovah loved him. 25 So He sent Nathan the Prophet, who renamed him JedidiJah, following Jehovah’s instructions.
26 Then JoAb went to war with RabBath of the sons of
AmMon, and he subdued that kingdom’s capital city. 27 So, he sent messengers to
David, and said, ‘I have fought against RabBath and subdued the City of
29 As the result, David gathered his men, went to RabBath, and conquered it. 30 And he took the crown of Molchom their king from his head (which was made of gold and precious gems) and had it placed on his own head. They also looted the city and brought back a tremendous amount of goods. 31 Then he took the [city’s] people away and put them to work as carpenters, farm laborers, iron smelters, blacksmiths, and brick makers. And that’s what he did in all the cities of the sons of AmMon.
Then David and his men returned to
Chapter 13
1 Now, AbSalom (one of David’s sons) had a very pretty sister named Tamar, and AmNon (another son of David) was in love with her. 2 In fact, he was so smitten with her that he was sick. Tamar (his sister) was a virgin, and AmNon would have done anything to have her.
3 Well, AmNon had a friend named JoNadab (the son of SamaA, David’s brother). And JoNadab was a very wise man. 4 Then JoNadab asked AmNon, ‘Why are you so puny every morning, O son of the king… tell me what’s wrong.’
And AmNon, told him, ‘It’s Tamar, my brother AbSalom’s sister… I love her.’
5 And JoNadab said to him, ‘Go to bed and act like you’re sick. And when your father comes to see you, tell him, ‘Send my sister Tamar to prepare my food before me and feed me, so I can see her, and eat from her hands.’
6 So, AmNon went to bed and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, AmNon said, ‘Send my sister Tamar to me, and have her bake a couple of biscuits, and I’ll eat them from her hands’
7 Then David sent for Tamar at her house, saying, ‘Go to the house of your brother AmNon and prepare some food for him.’
8 So, Tamar went to the house of her brother AmNon and found him in bed. Then she took some dough and mixed it, made biscuits there in front of him, and fried them, 9 and then she took the frying pan and laid them before him, but he wouldn’t eat them.
And AmNon said, ‘Send all the men away from me.’ So they sent all the men away.
10 Then AmNon said to Tamar, ‘Carry the food into my bedroom and I’ll eat it from your hands there.’
Well, Tamar took the biscuits she had made and carried them in to her brother AmNon’s bedroom. 11 And when she brought them to him, he grabbed her and said, ‘Now come to bed with me, my sister!’
12 And she said to him, ‘No, my brother, don’t rape me,
for such things aren’t done in
14 But AmNon wouldn’t listen to her. So he overpowered her, went to bed with her, and raped her.
15 Well, [after he was finished], AmNon started to hate her. In fact, his hatred was greater than the love he once had for her. And he told her, ‘Now, get up and go!’
16 And she said, ‘No, O brother! For sending me away like this is even worse than the terrible thing that you just did to me.’
However, AmNon wouldn’t listen. 17 So he called his head servant in and said to him: ‘Take her away from me, then throw her outside and lock the door!’
18 Well, all she was wearing at the time was a long-sleeved slip, for that’s what the virgin daughters of the king wore under their clothes. But the servant led her outside, and then he locked the door behind her.
19 So, Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and she ripped the slip she was wearing, then she put her hands on her head and ran away screaming.
20 Later, her brother AbSalom asked her, ‘Has your brother AmNon been with you? If so, my sister, don’t say anything, because he’s your brother! Don’t put it into your heart to say anything about this.’
So thereafter, Tamar lived like a widow in the house of her brother AbSalom.
21 Now, when King David heard what happened, he was furious. But he wasn’t angry with his son AmNon, because he was his firstborn. 22 Nor did he say anything bad or good to AbSalom about AmNon. However, AbSalom detested AmNon, because he raped his sister Tamar.
23 Well, two whole years
later, they were all shearing sheep for AbSalom in BelAsor (near the
25 But the king said to AbSalom, ‘No my son, we shouldn’t all go, for we’d just be a burden on you.’ So he refused, because he really didn’t want to go, but he blest him.
26 Then AbSalom asked, ‘Then, why not just send my brother AmNon with us?’
And the king asked, ‘Why should he go with you?’
27 But AbSalom kept insisting, so he sent AmNon and all his other sons along.
Well, AbSalom prepared a banquet that was fit for a king. 28 Then he told his servants, ‘When AmNon starts feeling the wine, I’m going to tell you to strike AmNon and kill him. Don’t be afraid, because I’m the one who’s 29 telling you to do this. So, be strong and act like men!’
29 As the result, AbSalom’s servants did just as they were told, and then all the sons of the king got up on their mules and fled.
30 Well, as they were on their way back, a report was sent to David that AbSalom had killed all the king’s sons, not sparing even one. 31 So, the king ripped his clothes and fell to the ground, and all his servants who were standing with him ripped their clothes.
32 But then JoNadab (the son of ShimeAh, David’s brother) said, ‘Don’t tell our lord that all his sons were killed, for it was just AmNon. He died alone at the instructions of AbSalom, for this is the same day that he raped his sister Tamar. 33 And now, may my lord the king not think in his heart that all his sons have died, for it was just AmNon.’
34 Then [David’s] watchman looked and saw many people coming along the road, down the side of the mountain. So he went and reported to the king, saying, ‘I see men coming down the mountain along the road to OrOnen.’
35 And JoNadab said to the king, ‘Look, it’s your sons! They’re coming back, just as your servant said they would.’
36 And just as he finished speaking, {Look!} the king’s sons came in shouting and crying. And the king and all his servants cried and bawled with them.
37 Well, AbSalom had run away and he went to Tholmi (the
son of EmiUd, the king of GedSur) in the
Chapter 14
1 Now, JoAb (the son of ZeruJah) knew that the king [still loved] AbSalom. 2 So he sent for a woman in Thecoe who was very wise, and he said to her, ‘I want you to dress in mourning clothes [and pretend] to be in mourning. Don’t rub yourself with oil, for I want you to appear to be a woman who has been mourning over her dead for many days,’
3 So, she went to the king and said the words that JoAb told her to say. 4 This Thecoethite woman went in to the king, fell with her face to the ground, bowed before him, and said, ‘Save me, oh king! Save me!’
5 And the king asked her, ‘What’s wrong?’
And she said, ‘I’m now a widow, because my husband just died, 6 and your servant has two sons. Well, they started arguing while they were out in the fields, and there was no one to break it up. Then the one hit the other and killed him. 7 Now, {Look} the whole family is against your servant, because they’re telling me to hand over my son so they can kill him for murdering his brother. But if they do that, they’ll be taking away my only heir and extinguish the little spark [of hope] that I have left of leaving my husband a name and property on the face of the earth.’
8 And the king said to the woman, ‘Don’t worry; just go back home and I’ll handle this matter for you.’
9 And the Thecoethite woman said to the king, ‘O my lord the king, may this lawlessness be on me and on the house of my father, not on the king and his throne.’
10 And the king said, ‘Who was the one that spoke to you? Bring [your son] to me, and don’t let anyone touch him!’
11 And the woman said, ‘May Jehovah your God remind the king not to allow them to take away my son, so our family line [may continue].’
And he said, ‘As Jehovah lives, not a hair of your son’s head will fall on the ground.’
12 And woman asked, ‘May your servant say one more thing to her lord the king?’
And he said, ‘Speak!’
13 And the woman said, ‘Why have you made such a decision for the people of God? For when you say such things, you’re finding yourself guilty, because the king hasn’t allowed the one he banished to return to him. 14 Why, each of us is dying the death, and like water that’s being poured on the ground, we’re not brought together [again]. Why, only God [has the right to] take a life, and only He has the means to drive someone away if He wishes.
15 ‘Now, as to the thing that I came to speak to my lord the king about; the people told your servant to speak to you, to see what you will do for your servant. 16 They said that you would rescue your servant from the hands of the man who is trying to take away my son and my inheritance from God. 17 And they told me that the words of my lord the king would be as good as a sacrifice. For my lord the king is like a messenger from God, in that you listen to both the good and the bad. So, may Jehovah your God be with you.’
18 Then the king said to the woman: ‘I want to ask you something… and I want you to tell me the truth!’
And the woman said, ‘Please speak, my lord the king!’
19 And the king said, ‘Did JoAb put you up to this?’
And the woman replied, ‘As you are living, O my lord the king; doesn’t the king ever change his mind after he has made a decision? Yes, JoAb is the one who put me up to this, and he put the words in my mouth. 20 But your servant JoAb just did this to bring the matter to a head. For my lord the king is as wise as the wisdom of a messenger from God, in that he knows everything on earth.’
21 And the king said to JoAb: ‘Look, I’m going to do what you’re asking. So, go and bring back the young man AbSalom!’
22 Then JoAb fell with his face to the ground and bowed; and then he praised the king, saying, ‘Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, O my lord the king, for you have handled this matter for your servant.’
23 So, JoAb got up and went to GedSur, and brought AbSalom
back to
As the result, AbSalom returned to his house, but he couldn’t see the face of the king.
25 Now, there wasn’t a man in all
27 Now, AbSalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Themar. She was a pretty woman, and she married Solomon’s son RehoBoam, to whom she gave birth to AbiA.
28 Well, AbSalom stayed in
Then the servants of AbSalom went and burned JoAb’s field, and his servants went to him ripping their clothes, and said, ‘The servants of AbSalom have burned your portion of the field!’
31 So, JoAb got up and went to the house of AbSalom, and asked him, ‘Why did your servants burn my field?’
32 And AbSalom replied, ‘Look, I called for you and asked you to come here, because I wanted to send you to the king and ask, Why did you bring me from GedSur? Things were good for me there. And look, I haven’t seen the face of the king! Now, if I’m unrighteous, then just kill me.’
33 So, JoAb went to the king and spoke to him, then he called for AbSalom and he went in to the king, bowed before him, and fell with his face to the ground before him. Then the king kissed AbSalom.
Chapter 15
1 Thereafter, AbSalom obtained some chariots and horsemen, and he recruited fifty men to run in front of him. 2 Then he would get up early each morning and station himself along the street by the city gate. And whenever he saw someone who was coming to try a case before the king, he would call to him and ask, ‘What city are you coming from?’ And if he replied, ‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,’ 3 he would say, ‘Look, you have a good case, but no one from the king will listen to it. 4 So, why doesn’t he appoint me as the judge of the land and let me handle the disputes and cases, for I will give you justice.’
5 And whenever some man would come and bow before him, he
would reach out and grab him, then kiss him. 6 Well, AbSalom was doing this to
everyone from
7 Then, at the end of forty years, AbSalom went to his
father and said, ‘I’m going to
9 And the king said to him, ‘Go in peace.’
So he got up
and went to
10 Now, AbSalom had sent spies among all the tribes of
11 So, AbSalom left
13 Well, when the report came to David that the hearts of the men of Israel had turned toward AbSalom, 14 David said to all his servants in Jerusalem, ‘Let’s get up and run from here, because nothing can save us from AbSalom! Hurry, let’s go, so he doesn’t overtake us and do bad things to us, then destroy the city with swords.’
15 And the king’s servants replied, ‘We’ll do whatever our lord the king says, because {Look!} we are your servants.’
16 So, the king and his whole house just walked away, but he left ten of his concubines behind to guard the house. 17 Then the king and all his servants traveled on foot to a house that was very far away.
18
Well, while the king and his servants were on the way to the desert, they [met
up with some] Chelethites and Phelethites who were waiting on the
19 So, the king asked ItTai (the Gethite): ‘Why are you traveling with us? Go back and live with the [new] king! Why, you are foreigners and you’ve left your homes… 20 you’ve just joined me, so are you [now planning to] travel with us… are you moving away from your homes?’
And he replied, ‘I will go wherever you are going.’
[But David said], ‘Go back, and take your brothers with you, for Jehovah will bring you kindness and truth!
21 But ItTai replied to the king, ‘As Jehovah lives, and as my lord the king lives, no matter what happens to my lord… whether he lives or dies, I will be your servant.’
22 And the king said, ‘Then come with me!’ And ItTai the Gethite and all his servants (a huge number of them) traveled with the king.
23 Well, throughout the land, people were crying and
wailing. Then the king and all his people crossed the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi and
traveled toward the edge of the desert. 24 {Look!} Then they saw Zadok and all
the Levites carrying the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah from
the [Tent of God]. Well, they set the Chest of God down, and AbiAthar came to him as all the
people came from the city [of
25 Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the Chest of God back to the city. For, if I should find favor in the eyes of Jehovah and He returns me, then He will show it to me in all His glory. 26 But if He should say that He doesn’t want me, then look… here I am! May He do to me whatever is good in His eyes.’
27 And the king told Zadok the Priest, ‘Look; you, your son AhiMaAz, your other two sons, and JoNathan (the son of AbiAthar), just return to the city in peace. 28 For I’m going to live like a soldier in the desert, and I’ll wait there for you to send word to me.’
29 So, Zadok and AbiAthar returned the Chest of God to
30 Then David climbed the
31 Well, when David was told that AhiThophel had joined the confederation with AbSalom, he said, ‘O Jehovah my God, confuse the counsel of AhiThophel!’
32 Then, when David got to Ros, he bowed there before God. And {Look} coming to meet him was HushAi, David’s best friend, ripping his clothes and piling dirt on his head. 33 And David said to him, ‘If you come with me, you’ll just be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, I want you to say to AbSalom, Your brothers left me to follow your father. So I’m your servant now, O king; please allow me to live. For, although I was once your father’s servant, I’m yours now.
‘And if you’ll do this for me, you will confuse the counsel of AhiThophel.
35 ‘Look, there are the Priests Zadok and AbiAthar. Go with them and report everything that you hear from the [palace] of the king to them. 36 And there are their two sons, AhiMaAz (Zadok’s son) and JoNathan (AbiAthar’s son). Use them to send back every word that you hear.’
37 So, HushAi (David’s best friend) returned to the city,
and the AbSalom entered
Chapter 16
1 After David had traveled a short distance from Ros, {Look!} Ziba (MephiBosheth’s servant) came to meet him with a pair of saddled burros, two-hundred loaves of bread, a bushel of raisins, a hundred clusters of dried fruit, and a skin flask of wine. 2 And the king asked Ziba, ‘What’s this for?’
And Ziba said, ‘The animals are for the house of the king to ride; 3 the bread and the dried fruit are for your servants to eat; and the wine is for those who get weak [as they travel] in the desert.’
3 Then the king asked, ‘And where is your lord’s son?’
And Ziba replied, ‘{Look!} He’s sitting in
4 And the king said, ‘{Look!} I am giving you everything that is MephiBosheth’s.’
And as he bowed, Ziba said, ‘May I find favor in your eyes, O my lord the king.’
5 Well, when King David got to BaUrim, {Look!} there came
a man who was related to the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei (the son of
Well, all the people (and all the mighty ones) were walking on either side of the king. 7 And Shimei shouted, as he was cursing, ‘Get out of here you murderer; you criminal; 8 for Jehovah has brought all the blood of the house of Saul on you for taking his place as the ruler. And now He has given the kingdom into the hand of your son AbSalom. So, you’ve received some of your own badness, because you’re a murderer!’
9 And AbiShai (the son of ZeruJah) said to the king, ‘Why does my lord the king put up with the cursing of this dead dog? Allow me to go over and remove his head.’
10 And the king said to AbiShai, ‘What difference does it make to me and to you sons of ZeruJah? Leave him alone and let him curse, because Jehovah told him to curse David. So there’s no reason to ask him why he’s doing this.’
11 And David said to AbiShai and his servants, ‘Why, my son who came from my own belly wants to kill me, so let the son of the BenJamite curse, because Jehovah told him to do it. 12 Now, may Jehovah look at my humiliation and provide good things for me in place of his curses today.’
13 So David and all his men just kept traveling along, as Shimei ran alongside them next to the mountain, cursing, and throwing stones and dirt. 14 And finally the king and all his people got tired and stopped to rest.
15 Well, AbSalom, AhiThophel, and all his men of
17 But AbSalom asked HushAi, ‘Is this the way you treat your friend? Why didn’t you go along with your buddy?’
18 And HushAi said, ‘First; I’ll follow whoever Jehovah
and His people (the men of
20 Then AbSalom said to AhiThophel, ‘Now, perhaps we should be discussing what we should do next.’
21 And AhiThophel said this to AbSalom, ‘Your father left
some concubines behind to guard his house. So, why don’t you go to bed with
them, so that all
22 So they pitched a tent on the roof, where AbSalom took
his father’s concubines to bed with him before all
23 Back then, AbSalom sought the counsel of AhiThophel on how he should go about asking things of God, for AhiThophel had given council to David, and then to AbSalom.
Chapter 17
1 Well, AhiThophel said to AbSalom: ‘I will choose twelve-thousand men and I’m going to go after David tonight, 2 because, when I get there he’ll be tired and weak. We’ll catch him unaware and startle him, then his people will flee, and I can kill the king when he’s all alone. 3 Thereafter, I’ll bring all his people back to you the way a bride is brought to her husband. For after [we’ve taken] the life of the man you’re searching for, all the people will be at peace.’
4 Well, this sounded like a good idea to AbSalom and all the elders of
6 So, HushAi came to AbSalom, and AbSalom told him about the plan. Then he asked, ‘Do you think we should do what he suggested? If not, speak up!’
7 And HushAi said to AbSalom, ‘This counsel that AhiThophel has given you isn’t a good idea this time. 8 For, you know your father and his men; they’re very brave and strong, and they’re as angry as a bear that has lost its cub in a field, or a wild boar that has been cornered. And your father is a warrior, so he would never sleep with his family. 9 Look, he’s hiding in the hills or somewhere else. So, when the attack begins, he’ll hear it and say, AbSalom’s people are attacking.
10 ‘Remember that this mighty man who has the heart of a
lion will just melt away once he knows that he’s finished, for all Israel
knows how mighty your father and his men are. 11 So, this is what I advise:
Gather all [the men of]
14 Well, AbSalom and all the men of
15 Then HushAi (the Aarachite) went to Zadok and AbiAthar
(the Priests), and told them of the advice that AhiThophel gave AbSalom and the
elders of
17 Well, JoNathan and AhiMaAz had stopped at Rogel Springs. And a young female servant came to them there and gave them the message, so they went to report it to King David. However, they didn’t want to be seen entering the city. 18 And then a young man noticed them and sent a report to AbSalom. So the two ran to the house of a man [they knew] in BaUrim and hid in a cistern in his courtyard. 19 But then a woman came and took the cover off the cistern to allow the desert [winds] to cool the water. However, she didn’t notice them. 20 And when AbSalom’s men came to the house and saw the woman, they asked her, ‘Where are AhiMaAz and JoNathan?’ And she told them, ‘They went for a little water.’
Well, they looked around, but couldn’t find them, so
they returned to
22 So, David and his people got up and crossed the
23 In the meantime, when AhiThophel realized that his counsel had been rejected, he saddled his burro and went back to his home, then he discharged his staff and hung himself. And they buried him in the tomb of his father.
24 Well, David had traveled all the way to ManaIm. But
then AbSalom and all his men crossed the
25 Now, AbSalom had put Amasa in charge of his army (in
place of JoAb). Amasa was the son of Jether, an Israelite from JezreEl. 26 And
he went to see AbiGail, the daughter of Jesse and the sister of ZeruJah, who
was the mother of JoAb. Meanwhile, AbSalom and the army of
27 Well, when David entered ManaIm, Uesbi (the son of NaAs from RabBath, an AmMonite) and Machir (the son of AmiEl from Lodabar), and BarZilLai (the Gileadite from RogelLim) 28 brought ten cots and blankets, ten pots, some plates, and some wheat, barley, flour, toasted grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, mutton, and cheese, and they gave it to David and his people to eat. For they said, ‘They are starving, thirsty, and weak from traveling through the desert.’
Chapter 18
1 Then David counted his men to see how many were with him, and he assigned generals and officers over them. 2 Then he sent them out [to battle] – a third under the direction of JoAb, a third under the direction of AbiShai (the son of ZeruJah, JoAb’s brother), and a third under the direction of ItTai the Gethite. And David said to the people, ‘Now, I’ll be leading you.’
3 But they said, ‘You can’t come, for if [AbSalom’s people] kill half of us, losing you would be like losing ten-thousand men. So, it’s best for you stay in the city to direct us.’
4 And the king said, ‘I’ll do whatever you wish.’
So, the king stood at the city gate as his army passed by in companies and divisions. 5 And the king gave orders to JoAb, AbiShai, and ItTai, saying, ‘Spare the young man AbSalom for me!’ And all the people heard what the king said to them about AbSalom.
6 Well, they marched to a forest that was directly opposite
[the army of]
9 Then David’s men caught up with AbSalom, who was riding his mule. And as the mule took off into a dense thicket, his head got caught in the branches of an oak tree, and he hung there between the sky and the ground, because the mule took off and left him hanging there.
10 Well, a man saw what happened and he told JoAb, ‘I’ve found AbSalom; he’s hanging in an oak tree.’
11 And JoAb said, ‘You saw this and you didn’t cut him to the ground? I would have given you ten large silver coins if you had.’
12 But the man told JoAb, ‘If you had given me a thousand large silver coins I wouldn’t have done that, for I would never raise a hand against a son of the king. Why, we all heard the king tell you (AbiShai, and ItTai) to guard the young man AbSalom for him. 13 So, it would be wrong to kill him! For then the king would surely hear about it, and you and I would thereafter be on opposite sides.’
14 But JoAb said, ‘Well, that’s what’s going to happen, for I’m not going to put up with this!’
So, JoAb took three arrows and shot them into the chest of
AbSalom as he was still alive, hanging there in the midst of the oak tree. 15
Then, ten of his young men took JoAb’s weapons and stabbed AbSalom [to make
sure] he was dead. 16 And JoAb blew his battle horn to call his people back
from their pursuit of
17 Thereafter, JoAb took AbSalom’s body and threw it into a deep
gulley in the forest, and he formed a huge pile of rocks over it as a monument,
while the whole army
18 Well, while AbSalom was still alive, he had built a
monument for himself in the
19 Thereafter, AhiMaAz (the son of Zadok) said, ‘Run and bring the good news to the king, that Jehovah has passed judgment on his enemies.’
20 But JoAb told him, ‘Don’t bring it as good news today; save that for another day, for it isn’t good news that a son of the king has died.’ 21 And JoAb said (to HushAi), ‘Just go to the king and tell him what you’ve seen!’
So, HushAi bowed before JoAb and left.
22 Then AhiMaAz (the son of Zadok) said to JoAb: ‘Let me run after HushAi!’
And JoAb said, ‘Why do you want to do this, my son? Come along, for there’s no good news that will be of any benefit to you if you go there.’
23 And AhiMaAz said, ‘But what if I run?’
And JoAb said, ‘Okay, then run!’ So, AhiMaAz ran along the road to KeChar, and he passed HushAi.
24 Well, David was sitting between the two city gates, as the watchman was on the roof of the gate, next to the wall. And he looked out and saw a man running toward them. 25 So he yelled and reported it to the king. And the king asked, ‘Is he is alone? Is he bringing good news?’
Then, as he was approaching, 26 the watchman saw another man running. And he yelled out, ‘Look, there’s another man running by himself!’
And the king said, ‘Surely he’s bringing good news!’
27 And the watchman said, ‘I see that the man running ahead is AhiMaAz, the son of Zadok; so he must be coming with good news.’
28 Then AhiMaAz yelled to the king, ‘Peace!’ as he bowed to the ground before the king. And he said, ‘Praise your God Jehovah, for he has closed the mouths of those who have raised their hands against my lord the king.’
29 And the king asked, ‘Do we now have peace with the young man AbSalom?’
And AhiMaAz said, ‘I saw a large happy crowd standing around the king’s servant JoAb, so I came here. But I’m not sure exactly what happened there.’
30 And the king said, ‘Step aside and stand over there!’ So, he stepped aside and stood nearby.
31 Then HushAi came and said to the king, ‘I have good news to announce to my lord the king, for today Jehovah has passed judgment upon all those who opposed you!’
32 And the king asked HushAi, ‘And how is the young man AbSalom?’
Then he replied: ‘The young man has fared as have all the enemies of my lord the king, and as all who have done evil things against him.’
33 Well, the king was very upset, so he went up into the room above the gate and cried. He cried, ‘O my son AbSalom! O my son! O my son AbSalom! Why couldn’t I have died instead of you, AbSalom? O my son! O my son!’
Chapter 19
1 Then a message was sent to JoAb that the king was crying and mourning over AbSalom 2 rather than celebrating a victory, and that his people had gone into mourning, because they heard that the king was [disturbed over the death of] his son. 3 And the people had just melted away into the city like men who were running from a battle.
4 Well, the king refused to show his face, for he kept crying and sobbing, ‘O my son AbSalom! AbSalom! O my son!’
5 Finally, JoAb went into the king’s house, and said, ‘You’ve disgraced all your servants who fought to save you today, as well as your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines, 6 because you’re indicating that you love the ones who hated you, and that you hate those who love you. Why, you’re giving the impression that your leaders and your servants are nothing, and that if AbSalom were alive today and all the rest of us were dead, it would be a better thing in your eyes.
7 ‘Now get up… go out and talk to your servants! Tell them how you really feel! For I swear by Jehovah, that unless you go out there today, there won’t be a man standing with you tonight. Realize that the evil you’re doing here is worse that all the evil things that have happened to you since you were young.’
8 So, the king then got up and sat at the gate. And all the people started shouting, ‘Look, the king is sitting at the gate.’ And all the people gathered to him there.
Now, the army of
And then all
11 Thereafter, King David sent for Zadok and AbiAthar (the
Priests) and said, ‘Speak to the elders of
Well, these words of the king were spread throughout all
14 Well, this turned the hearts of all the men of
15 So, the king traveled toward the
16 Then Shimei (the son of Gera, the son of the BenJamite
from BaUrim) hurried with the men of Judea to meet King David, 17 and he
brought along a thousand men from BenJamin, as well as Ziba (the servant of the
house of Saul) and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They all went
straight to the king at the
Then Shimei (the son of
21 But AbiShai (the son of ZeruJah) asked, ‘Shouldn’t Shemei be put to death for cursing the anointed of Jehovah?’
22 And David said, ‘Why are you sons of ZeruJah always
coming to me with plots? Today no man of
23 Then the king said to Shimei, ‘You won’t die,’ and he swore an oath to him.
24 And thereafter, MephiBosheth (the son of JoNathan and grandson of
Saul) came to welcome the king. However, he hadn’t washed his feet, cut his
nails, or trimmed his mustache, and his clothes hadn’t been washed since the
day he left to ask the king for peace. 25 So, when he came from
26 And MephiBosheth answered, ‘O my lord, O king; it was because my servant had misled me. For, when your servant told him to saddle my burro and help me mount it (because your servant is lame) to go with the king, 27 he didn’t do it. However, my lord the king is as a messenger of God; so you do whatever is good in your eyes! 28 For when there was no one else left of the house of my father (other than those who deserved death from my lord the king), you allowed your servant to eat at your table. So, what reason would I have to speak out against the king?’
29 And the king said to him, ‘Why are you still talking? You must now give your field to Ziba!’
30 And MephiBosheth said, ‘Yes, may he take everything, now that my lord the king is returning in peace to his palace.’
31 Then BarZilLai (the Gileadite) came to the king at the
Jordan from RogelLim, to accompany him on his way back home. 32 Now, BarZilLai was a
very old man (eighty years old), but he had fed the king while he was living in
ManaIm, because he was very wealthy. 33 So the king said to BarZilLai, ‘Now
come to
34 But BarZilLai said to the king: ‘How many years do you
think I have left, so that I should travel with the king to
38 And the king said, ‘Then let CamaAm cross over with me, and I will do what is good in my eyes for him… whatever you ask of me, I will do for you.’
39 Well, as all the people were crossing the Jordan, the
king also prepared to cross, so he kissed BarZilLai and blest him, and then
he returned to his people. 40 And as the king was crossing over toward Gilgal,
CamaAm crossed [the river] with him, along with all the people of
41 Then the men of
42 And the men of
43 And the men of
But men of
Chapter 20
1 Well, there was a man who was referred to as the Son of
a Lawbreaker. His name was SabeE, and he was the son of BoChori, a BenJamite. He then blew his horn
and shouted, ‘David [doesn’t have any respect] for us, nor does the son of
Jesse have an inheritance for us. So men of
2 And then all the men of
3 Then, when David arrived at his palace in
4 Well, the king then said to Amasa (the one who had
served as the commander-in-chief of AbSalom’s army): ‘Call the army of
5 So, Amasa went and called [the army of] Judah, but he stayed away longer than David told him to, 6 because David had told Amasa, ‘Now we’re going to do something worse to the son of BoChori than we did to AbSalom. Get my servants and chase after him before he finds a fortified city and gives us a black eye.’
7 Then JoAb’s men (the Cherethites, the Phelethites, and
all the mightiest warriors) went after him… they left
Then he grabbed Amasa’s beard with his right hand as if to kiss him 10 (for Amasa didn’t notice the sword in JoAb’s other hand), and JoAb stuck the sword into his belly, pouring his guts out on the ground. Then he stabbed him a second time, killing him. And with that, JoAb and his brother AbiShai were ready to go after the son of BoChori. 11 So, one of JoAb’s servants stood up next to him and shouted to Amasa’s army, ‘Who is on JoAb’s side, and who is for David? Let him follow JoAb!’
12 Well, Amasa was lying there dead in the middle of the
road covered in blood, and one of his men carried his body from the road into a
field and covered it with a cape, so people would stop coming by to look at it.
13 And after he took the body out of the road, all the men of
14 Well, [the son of BoChori] had traveled throughout all the
tribes of
17 So he got up close to her, and the woman asked, ‘Are you JoAb?’
And he said, ‘I am.’
And she said, ‘Listen to what your servant has to say!’
And JoAb said, ‘I’m listening.’
18 And she said, ‘There’s a saying that goes, Ask in
Abel; for if the plans of the trusted ones fail in Dan, they should ask in Abel.
19 Now, I’m one of the peaceful ones who is in support of
20 And JoAb replied, ‘Be kind and friendly with me, or I’ll not only sink it, I’ll totally destroy it! 21 For, isn’t this the place where a man from the hills of Ephraim called the son of BoChori is staying… he who lifted his hand against King David? Hand him over to me personally, and I’ll leave your city.’
And the woman said to JoAb, ‘Look! I’ll toss his head to you over the wall.’
22 So, the woman went to her people and told everyone in
the city her wise plan. So they cut off the head of the son of BoChori and
tossed it to JoAb. Then he blew his horn and all his men went back to their
tents, and JoAb returned to the king in
23 Thereafter, JoAb was put in charge over all the armies of Israel… BenaiJah (the son of JehoiAda) was over the Cherethites and the Phelethites, 24 AdoniRam was in charge of the tributes, JoSaphat (the son of AchiLuth) kept the records, 25 Susa was the scribe, Zadok and AbiAthar were the Priests, 26 and Iras (the son of Jarin) was David’s personal Priest.
Chapter 21
1 Well, there were three consecutive years of famine in the days of David, so he asked Jehovah, and Jehovah said: ‘This has happened because the house of Saul is guilty of shedding [innocent] blood when he killed the Gibeonites.’
2 So the king called the Gibeonites, and he said: ‘Why,
the Gibeonites aren’t [really] Israelites; they’re just what is left of the
Amorites. However, although the sons of
3 Then David asked the Gibeonites, ‘What must I do for you… what must I do to [pay for our sins], and to get you to bless the inheritance of Jehovah?’
4 And the Gibeonites replied, ‘The problem can’t be paid
for with silver or gold by Saul and his house; and there’s no one left for us
to put to death in all
5 And [David] said, ‘Then what can I do for you?’
And they told the king, ‘[Saul] would have finished us
off, because he chased us, tried to trick us, and he attempted to wipe us out.
As the result, we’ve decided to remove [any trace] of him so that his ways won’t last
in the borders of
And the king said, ‘I will give them to you.’
7 However, the king spared MephiBosheth (the son of JoNathan and the grandson of Saul), because of the oath that Jehovah had made between them… between David and JoNathan (Saul’s son). 8 So, the king took the two sons of Respha (the daughter of AiAh, Saul’s concubine) who gave birth to Ermoni and MephiBosheth, and the five sons of Michol (Saul’s daughter), who she bore to EsdriEl (the son of BarZilLai the Moulathite). 9 Then he handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hung them on the mountain in the sun before Jehovah. And there they fell – all seven of them together.
Well, this happened at the beginning of the barley harvest. 10 So, Respha (the daughter of AiAh) took sackcloth and made a bed for herself on a rock, [which she slept on] from the beginning of the barley harvest until water dripped from God in the sky. And she wouldn’t allow the flying creatures of the sky to rest there during the day, or wild animals to rest there at night.
11 Then all the things that Respha (the daughter of AiAh)
Saul’s concubine was doing were reported to David. 12 And David sent and had
the bones of Saul and his son JoNathan taken from the sons of Jabish Gilead
(which they stole from the city
15 Well, there was still a state of war between the
Philistines and
16 Now, Jesbi (who was a descendant of Rapha) had a brass spear that weighed as much as three-hundred large silver coins, and he was wearing heavy armor; and he decided to attack David. 17 However, AbiShai (the son of ZeruJah) came to his aid and struck down the Philistine, and killed him.
Then the men of David swore an oath to him saying, ‘You
will never come with us in battle again, so that the lamp of
18 But the war with the Philistines still raged in
20 But war still raged in