Announcing: BahaiPrayers.net

Shmuel (Samuel)

1�1,1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

1�1,2 And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1�1,3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto the LORD.

1�1,4 And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, that he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

1�1,5 but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.

1�1,6 And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

1�1,7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat.

1�1,8 And Elkanah her husband said unto her: 'Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?'

1�1,9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk--now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of the LORD;

1�1,10 and she was in bitterness of soul--and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

1�1,11 And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'

1�1,12 And it came to pass, as she prayed long before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.

1�1,13 Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken.

1�1,14 And Eli said unto her: 'How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.'

1�1,15 And Hannah answered and said: 'No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD.

1�1,16 Count not thy handmaid for a wicked woman: for out of the abundance of my complaint and my vexation have I spoken hitherto.'

1�1,17 Then Eli answered and said: 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.'

1�1,18 And she said: 'Let thy servant find favour in thy sight.' So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

1�1,19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah; and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

1�1,20 And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel: 'because I have asked him of the LORD.'

1�1,21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

1�1,22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband: 'Until the child be weaned, when I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.'

1�1,23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her: 'Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish His word.' So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

1�1,24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh; and the child was young.

1�1,25 And when the bullock was slain, the child was brought to Eli.

1�1,26 And she said: 'Oh, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

1�1,27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath granted me my petition which I asked of Him;

1�1,28 therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he is lent to the LORD.' And he worshipped the LORD there. {S}

1�2,1 And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exulteth in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.

1�2,2 There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside Thee; neither is there any rock like our God.

1�2,3 Multiply not exceeding proud talk; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

1�2,4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

1�2,5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased; while the barren hath borne seven, she that had many children hath languished.

1�2,6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

1�2,7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich; He bringeth low, He also lifteth up.

1�2,8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dung-hill, to make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory; for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He hath set the world upon them.

1�2,9 He will keep the feet of His holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for not by strength shall man prevail.

1�2,10 They that strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them will He thunder in heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth; and He will give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed. {P}

1�2,11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

1�2,12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not the LORD.

1�2,13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his band;

1�2,14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did unto all the Israelites that came thither in Shiloh.

1�2,15 Yea, before the fat was made to smoke, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed: 'Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.'

1�2,16 And if the man said unto him: 'Let the fat be made to smoke first of all, and then take as much as thy soul desireth'; then he would say: 'Nay, but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force.'

1�2,17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men dealt contemptuously with the offering of the LORD.

1�2,18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

1�2,19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

1�2,20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say: 'The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which was lent to the LORD.' And they would go unto their own home.

1�2,21 So the LORD remembered Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. {S}

1�2,22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.

1�2,23 And he said unto them: 'Why do ye such things? for I hear evil reports concerning you from all this people.

1�2,24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report which I hear the LORD'S people do spread abroad.

1�2,25 If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him?' But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

1�2,26 And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. {P}

1�2,27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him: 'Thus saith the LORD: Did I reveal Myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?

1�2,28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up unto Mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

1�2,29 Wherefore kick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honourest thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel My people?

1�2,30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, saith: I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before Me for ever; but now the LORD saith: Be it far from Me: for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

1�2,31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house.

1�2,32 And thou shalt behold a rival in My habitation, in all the good which shall be done to Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.

1�2,33 Yet will I not cut off every man of thine from Mine altar, to make thine eyes to fail, and thy heart to languish; and all the increase of thy house shall die young men.

1�2,34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that which shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them.

1�2,35 And I will raise Me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in My heart and in My mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.

1�2,36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say: Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.' {P}

1�3,1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. {S}

1�3,2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place--now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see--

1�3,3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, {P}

1�3,4 that the LORD called Samuel; and he said: 'Here am I.'

1�3,5 And he ran unto Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And he said: 'I called not; lie down again.' And he went and lay down. {S}

1�3,6 And the LORD called yet again Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And he answered: 'I called not, my son; lie down again.'

1�3,7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

1�3,8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the child.

1�3,9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel: 'Go, lie down; and it shall be, if thou be called, that thou shalt say: Speak, LORD; for Thy servant heareth.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

1�3,10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times: 'Samuel, Samuel.' Then Samuel said: 'Speak; for Thy servant heareth.' {P}

1�3,11 And the LORD said to Samuel: 'Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

1�3,12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end.

1�3,13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity, in that he knew that his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he rebuked them not.

1�3,14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever.'

1�3,15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to tell Eli the vision.

1�3,16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said: 'Samuel, my son.' And he said: 'Here am I.'

1�3,17 And he said: 'What is the thing that He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me, God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that He spoke unto thee.'

1�3,18 And Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said: 'It is the LORD; let Him do what seemeth Him good.' {P}

1�3,19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

1�3,20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. {S}

1�3,21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. {P}

1�4,1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

1�4,2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when the battle was spread, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

1�4,3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said: 'Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that He may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.'

1�4,4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who sitteth upon the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1�4,5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang.

1�4,6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said: 'What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?' And they knew that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

1�4,7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said: 'God is come into the camp.' And they said: 'Woe unto us! for there was not such a thing yesterday and the day before.

1�4,8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues and in the wilderness.

1�4,9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you; quit yourselves like men, and fight.'

1�4,10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

1�4,11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

1�4,12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

1�4,13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

1�4,14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said: 'What meaneth the noise of this tumult?' And the man made haste, and came and told Eli.

1�4,15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see.

1�4,16 And the man said unto Eli: 'I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army.' And he said: 'How went the matter, my son?'

1�4,17 And he that brought the tidings answered and said: 'Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.' {P}

1�4,18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

1�4,19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered; and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came suddenly upon her.

1�4,20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her: 'Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son.' But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

1�4,21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying: 'The glory is departed from Israel'; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

1�4,22 And she said: 'The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.' {P}

1�5,1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.

1�5,2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

1�5,3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

1�5,4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

1�5,5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. {P}

1�5,6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

1�5,7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said: 'The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for His hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.'

1�5,8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said: 'What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?' And they answered: 'Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath.' And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. {S}

1�5,9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture; and He smote the men of the city, both small and great, and emerods broke out upon them.

1�5,10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying: 'They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.'

1�5,11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said: 'Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people'; for there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

1�5,12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods; and the cry of the city went up to heaven. {S}

1�6,1 And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

1�6,2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: 'What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? declare unto us wherewith we shall send it to its place.' {S}

1�6,3 And they said: 'If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return Him a guilt-offering; then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.'

1�6,4 Then said they: 'What shall be the guilt-offering which we shall return to Him?' And they said: 'Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

1�6,5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel; peradventure He will lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

1�6,6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when He had wrought among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

1�6,7 Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them.

1�6,8 And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return Him for a guilt-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

1�6,9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then He hath done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.'

1�6,10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.

1�6,11 And they put the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

1�6,12 And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.

1�6,13 And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

1�6,14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone; and they cleaved the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for a burnt-offering unto the LORD. {S}

1�6,15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

1�6,16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. {S}

1�6,17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a guilt-offering unto the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

1�6,18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto Abel by the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

1�6,19 And He smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had gazed upon the ark of the LORD, even He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people mourned, because the LORD had smitten the people with a great slaughter.

1�6,20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said: 'Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? and to whom shall it go up from us?'

1�6,21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying: 'The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.'

1�7,1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. {P}

1�7,2 And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel yearned after the LORD. {S}

1�7,3 And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying: 'If ye do return unto the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'

1�7,4 Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. {P}

1�7,5 And Samuel said: 'Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.'

1�7,6 And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there: 'We have sinned against the LORD.' And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

1�7,7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

1�7,8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel: 'Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that He save us out of the hand of the Philistines.'

1�7,9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering unto the LORD; and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD answered him.

1�7,10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel.

1�7,11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.

1�7,12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying: 'Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.'

1�7,13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel; and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

1�7,14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the border thereof did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

1�7,15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

1�7,16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

1�7,17 And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and he built there an altar unto the LORD. {P}

1�8,1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

1�8,2 Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.

1�8,3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice. {P}

1�8,4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah.

1�8,5 And they said unto him: 'Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'

1�8,6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. {P}

1�8,7 And the LORD said unto Samuel: 'Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be king over them.

1�8,8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

1�8,9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice; howbeit thou shalt earnestly forewarn them, and shalt declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.' {S}

1�8,10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. {S}

1�8,11 And he said: 'This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots.

1�8,12 And he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

1�8,13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

1�8,14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

1�8,15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

1�8,16 And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

1�8,17 He will take the tenth of your flocks; and ye shall be his servants.

1�8,18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.'

1�8,19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said: 'Nay; but there shall be a king over us;

1�8,20 that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.'

1�8,21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of the LORD. {P}

1�8,22 And the LORD said to Samuel: 'Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.' And Samuel said unto the men of Israel: 'Go ye every man unto his city.' {P}

1�9,1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valour.

1�9,2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, young and goodly, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

1�9,3 Now the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son: 'Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.'

1�9,4 And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not; then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

1�9,5 When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him: 'Come and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and become anxious concerning us.'

1�9,6 And he said unto him: 'Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honour; all that he saith cometh surely to pass; now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.'

1�9,7 Then said Saul to his servant: 'But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; what have we?'

1�9,8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said: 'Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver, that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.'--

1�9,9 Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: 'Come and let us go to the seer'; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.--

1�9,10 Then said Saul to his servant: 'Well said; come, let us go.' So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

1�9,11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them: 'Is the seer here?'

1�9,12 And they answered them, and said: 'He is; behold, he is before thee; make haste now, for he is come to-day into the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place.

1�9,13 As soon as ye are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him.'

1�9,14 And they went up to the city; and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place. {S}

1�9,15 Now the LORD had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying:

1�9,16 'To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over My people Israel, and he shall save My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry is come unto Me.'

1�9,17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD spoke unto him: 'Behold the man of whom I said unto thee: This same shall have authority over My people.'

1�9,18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said: 'Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.'

1�9,19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said: 'I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day; and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart.

1�9,20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?' {S}

1�9,21 And Saul answered and said: 'Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?' {S}

1�9,22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons.

1�9,23 And Samuel said unto the cook: 'Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee: Set it by thee.'

1�9,24 And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said: 'Behold that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said: I have invited the people.' So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

1�9,25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul upon the housetop.

1�9,26 And they arose early; and it came to pass about the break of day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying: 'Up, that I may send thee away.' And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

1�9,27 As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: 'Bid the servant pass on before us--and he passed on--but stand thou still at this time, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.' {P}

1�10,1 Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: 'Is it not that the LORD hath anointed thee to be prince over His inheritance?

1�10,2 When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by the tomb of Rachel, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee: The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and, lo, thy father hath left off caring for the asses, and is anxious concerning you, saying: What shall I do for my son?

1�10,3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the terebinth of Tabor, and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.

1�10,4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two cakes of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hand.

1�10,5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying.

1�10,6 And the spirit of the LORD will come mightily upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

1�10,7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as thy hand shall find; for God is with thee.

1�10,8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and tell thee what thou shalt do.'

1�10,9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. {S}

1�10,10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.

1�10,11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, {S} then the people said one to another: 'What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?'

1�10,12 And one of the same place answered and said: 'And who is their father?' Therefore it became a proverb: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?'

1�10,13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

1�10,14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant: 'Whither went ye?' And he said: 'To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.'

1�10,15 And Saul's uncle said: 'Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.'

1�10,16 And Saul said unto his uncle: 'He told us plainly that the asses were found.' But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not. {P}

1�10,17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpah.

1�10,18 And he said unto the children of Israel: {P}

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'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

1�10,19 But ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto Him: Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.'

1�10,20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

1�10,21 And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they sought him, he could not be found.

1�10,22 Therefore they asked of the LORD further: 'Is there yet a man come hither?' {S} And the LORD answered: 'Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage.'

1�10,23 And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

1�10,24 And Samuel said to all the people: 'See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shouted, and said: 'Long live the king.' {S}

1�10,25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

1�10,26 And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the men of valour, whose hearts God had touched.

1�10,27 But certain base fellows said: 'How shall this man save us?' And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he was as one that held his peace. {P}

1�11,1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash: 'Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.'

1�11,2 And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them: 'On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.'

1�11,3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him: 'Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to deliver us, we will come out to thee.'

1�11,4 Then came the messengers to Gibeath-shaul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

1�11,5 And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said: 'What aileth the people that they weep?' And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

1�11,6 And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

1�11,7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying: 'Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.' And the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

1�11,8 And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

1�11,9 And they said unto the messengers that came: 'Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead: To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.' And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

1�11,10 And the men of Jabesh said: 'To-morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.' {S}

1�11,11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

1�11,12 And the people said unto Samuel: 'Who is he that said: Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.'

1�11,13 And Saul said: 'There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day the LORD hath wrought deliverance in Israel.'

1�11,14 Then said Samuel to the people: 'Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.'

1�11,15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. {P}

1�12,1 And Samuel said unto all Israel: 'Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

1�12,2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day.

1�12,3 Here I am; witness against me before the LORD, and before His anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? or whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.'

1�12,4 And they said: 'Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand.'

1�12,5 And he said unto them: 'The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand.' And they said: 'He is witness.' {P}

1�12,6 And Samuel said unto the people: 'It is the LORD that made Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

1�12,7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which He did to you and to your fathers.

1�12,8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, then your fathers cried unto the LORD, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and they were made to dwell in this place.

1�12,9 But they forgot the LORD their God, and He gave them over into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

1�12,10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve Thee.

1�12,11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.

1�12,12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when the LORD your God was your king.

1�12,13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for; and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

1�12,14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve Him, and hearken unto His voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and both ye and also the king that reigneth over you be followers of the LORD your God--;

1�12,15 but if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, and against your fathers.

1�12,16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

1�12,17 Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.' {S}

1�12,18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

1�12,19 And all the people said unto Samuel: 'Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.'

1�12,20 And Samuel said unto the people: 'Fear not; ye have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

1�12,21 and turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

1�12,22 For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake; because it hath pleased the LORD to make you a people unto Himself.

1�12,23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

1�12,24 Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things He hath done for you.

1�12,25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be swept away, both ye and your king.' {P}

1�13,1 Saul was ---- years old when he began to reign; and two years he reigned over Israel.

1�13,2 And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeath-benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

1�13,3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the horn throughout all the land, saying: 'Let the Hebrews hear.'

1�13,4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also had made himself odious with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

1�13,5 And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Michmas, eastward of Beth-aven.

1�13,6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait--for the people were distressed--then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in holds, and in pits.

1�13,7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

1�13,8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

1�13,9 And Saul said: 'Bring hither to me the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings.' And he offered the burnt-offering.

1�13,10 And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

1�13,11 And Samuel said: 'What hast thou done?' And Saul said: 'Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together against Michmas;

1�13,12 therefore said I: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favour of the LORD; I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.' {S}

1�13,13 And Samuel said to Saul: 'Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee; for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

1�13,14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue; the LORD hath sought him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath appointed him to be prince over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.' {S}

1�13,15 And Samuel arose, and got him up from Gilgal unto Gibeath-benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, about six hundred men.

1�13,16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeath-benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmas.

1�13,17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual;

1�13,18 and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looketh down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. {S}

1�13,19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said: 'Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears';

1�13,20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

1�13,21 And the price of the filing was a pim for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks with three teeth, and for the axes; and to set the goads.

1�13,22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

1�13,23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out unto the pass of Michmas. {S}

1�14,1 Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bore his armour: 'Come and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on yonder side. But he told not his father.

1�14,2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which is in Migron; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men,

1�14,3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

1�14,4 And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

1�14,5 The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmas, and the other on the south in front of Geba. {S}

1�14,6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour: 'Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us; for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.'

1�14,7 And his armour-bearer said unto him: 'Do all that is in thy heart; turn thee, behold I am with thee according to thy heart.' {S}

1�14,8 Then said Jonathan: 'Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them.

1�14,9 If they say thus unto us: Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

1�14,10 But if they say thus: Come up unto us; then we will go up; for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand; and this shall be the sign unto us.'

1�14,11 And both of them disclosed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said: 'Behold Hebrews coming forth out of the holes where they hid themselves.'

1�14,12 And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said: 'Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.' {P}

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And Jonathan said unto his armour-bearer: 'Come up after me; for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.'

1�14,13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew them after him.

1�14,14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armour-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.

1�14,15 And there was a trembling in the camp in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked; so it grew into a terror from God.

1�14,16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeath-benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and thither. {P}

1�14,17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him: 'Number now, and see who is gone from us.' And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there.

1�14,18 And Saul said unto Ahijah: 'Bring hither the ark of God.' For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

1�14,19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased; {P}

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and Saul said unto the priest: 'Withdraw thy hand.'

1�14,20 And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle; and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

1�14,21 Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as beforetime, and that went up with them into the camp round about; even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.

1�14,22 Likewise all the men of Israel that had hid themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

1�14,23 So the LORD saved Israel that day; and the battle passed on as far as Beth-aven.

1�14,24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day; but Saul adjured the people, saying: 'Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies.' So none of the people tasted food. {S}

1�14,25 And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground.

1�14,26 And when the people were come unto the forest, behold a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.

1�14,27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath; and he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

1�14,28 Then answered one of the people, and said: 'Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying: Cursed be the man that eateth food this day; and the people are faint.'

1�14,29 Then said Jonathan: 'My father hath troubled the land; see, I pray you, how mine eyes are brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

1�14,30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? had there not been then a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?'

1�14,31 And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmas to Aijalon; and the people were very faint.

1�14,32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood.

1�14,33 Then they told Saul, saying: 'Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood.' And he said: 'Ye have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone unto me this day.'

1�14,34 And Saul said: 'Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them: Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood.' And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

1�14,35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD; the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD. {P}

1�14,36 And Saul said: 'Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.' And they said: 'Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee.' {S} Then said the priest: 'Let us draw near hither unto God.'

1�14,37 And Saul asked counsel of God: 'Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?' But He answered him not that day.

1�14,38 And Saul said: 'Draw nigh hither, all ye chiefs of the people; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

1�14,39 For, as the LORD liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.' But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

1�14,40 Then said he unto all Israel: 'Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.' And the people said unto Saul: 'Do what seemeth good unto thee.' {S}

1�14,41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Declare the right.' And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.

1�14,42 And Saul said: 'Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.' And Jonathan was taken.

1�14,43 Then Saul said to Jonathan: 'Tell me what thou hast done.' And Jonathan told him, and said: 'I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; here am I: I will die.' {S}

1�14,44 And Saul said: 'God do so and more also; thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.'

1�14,45 And the people said unto Saul: 'Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it; as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day.' So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. {S}

1�14,46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

1�14,47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of ZoBahá and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he put them to the worse.

1�14,48 And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. {P}

1�14,49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal;

1�14,50 and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

1�14,51 And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. {S}

1�14,52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. {P}

1�15,1 And Samuel said unto Saul: 'The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. {S}

1�15,2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

1�15,3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.' {S}

1�15,4 And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

1�15,5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

1�15,6 And Saul said unto the Kenites: 'Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

1�15,7 And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is in front of Egypt.

1�15,8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

1�15,9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, even the young of the second birth, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was of no account and feeble, that they destroyed utterly. {P}

1�15,10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying:

1�15,11 'It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.' And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

1�15,12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying: 'Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he is setting him up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.'

1�15,13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him: 'Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.'

1�15,14 And Samuel said: 'What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'

1�15,15 And Saul said: 'They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.' {P}

1�15,16 Then Samuel said unto Saul: 'Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night.' And he said unto him: 'Say on.' {S}

1�15,17 And Samuel said: 'Though thou be little in thine own sight, art thou not head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king over Israel;

1�15,18 and the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said: Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

1�15,19 Wherefore then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?' {S}

1�15,20 And Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

1�15,21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.' {S}

1�15,22 And Samuel said: 'Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearkening to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

1�15,23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.' {S}

1�15,24 And Saul said unto Samuel: 'I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words; because I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice.

1�15,25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.'

1�15,26 And Samuel said unto Saul: 'I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.' {S}

1�15,27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. {S}

1�15,28 And Samuel said unto him: 'The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. {S}

1�15,29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.'

1�15,30 Then he said: 'I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.'

1�15,31 So Samuel returned after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD. {S}

1�15,32 Then said Samuel: 'Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.' And Agag came unto him in chains. And Agag said: 'Surely the bitterness of death is at hand.' {S}

1�15,33 And Samuel said: As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. {S}

1�15,34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.

1�15,35 And Samuel never beheld Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul; and the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel. {P}

1�16,1 And the LORD said unto Samuel: 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided Me a king among his sons.'

1�16,2 And Samuel said: 'How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and say: I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

1�16,3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.'

1�16,4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: 'Comest thou peaceably?'

1�16,5 And he said: 'Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

1�16,6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.' {S}

1�16,7 But the LORD said unto Samuel: 'Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

1�16,8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

1�16,9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

1�16,10 And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'The LORD hath not chosen these.'

1�16,11 And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'Are here all thy children?' And he said: 'There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.' And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.'

1�16,12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. {P}

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And the LORD said: 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.'

1�16,13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

1�16,14 Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

1�16,15 And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

1�16,16 Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God cometh upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.' {P}

1�16,17 And Saul said unto his servants: 'Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.'

1�16,18 Then answered one of the young men, and said: 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.'

1�16,19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said: 'Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.'

1�16,20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

1�16,21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

1�16,22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: 'Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.'

1�16,23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him. {P}

1�17,1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.

1�17,2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

1�17,3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side; and there was a valley between them.

1�17,4 And there went out a champion from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

1�17,5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

1�17,6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.

1�17,7 And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him.

1�17,8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them: 'Why do ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

1�17,9 If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.'

1�17,10 And the Philistine said: 'I do taunt the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.'

1�17,11 And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. {P}

1�17,12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons; and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men.

1�17,13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

1�17,14 And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul.-- {S}

1�17,15 Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.--

1�17,16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. {P}

1�17,17 And Jesse said unto David his son: 'Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to thy brethren.

1�17,18 And bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and to thy brethren shalt thou bring greetings, and take their pledge;

1�17,19 now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, are in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.' {S}

1�17,20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the barricade, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle.

1�17,21 And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.

1�17,22 And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brethren.

1�17,23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them.

1�17,24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

1�17,25 And the men of Israel said: 'Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to taunt Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.' {P}

1�17,26 And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: 'What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the taunt from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should have taunted the armies of the living God?'

1�17,27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying: 'So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.'

1�17,28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said: 'Why art thou come down? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy presumptuousness, and the naughtiness of thy heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.'

1�17,29 And David said: 'What have I now done? Was it not but a word?'

1�17,30 And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner; and the people answered him after the former manner.

1�17,31 And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he was taken to him.

1�17,32 And David said to Saul: 'Let no man's heart fail within him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.'

1�17,33 And Saul said to David: 'Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.' {S}

1�17,34 And David said unto Saul: 'Thy servant kept his father's sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock,

1�17,35 I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

1�17,36 Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath taunted the armies of the living God.' {S}

1�17,37 And David said: 'The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.' {S} And Saul said unto David: 'Go, and the LORD shall be with thee.'

1�17,38 And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.

1�17,39 And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he essayed to go[, but could not]; for he had not tried it. And David said unto Saul: 'I cannot go with these; for I have not tried them.' And David put them off him.

1�17,40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his scrip; and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

1�17,41 And the Philistine came nearer and nearer unto David; and the man that bore the shield went before him.

1�17,42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance.

1�17,43 And the Philistine said unto David: 'Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?' And the Philistine cursed David by his god.

1�17,44 And the Philistine said to David: 'Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.' {S}

1�17,45 Then said David to the Philistine: 'Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast taunted.

1�17,46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel;

1�17,47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give you into our hand.' {S}

1�17,48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1�17,49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead; and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1�17,50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

1�17,51 And David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their mighty man was dead, they fled.

1�17,52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou comest to Gai, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

1�17,53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their camp.

1�17,54 And David took the head of the philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. {S}

1�17,55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host: 'Abner, whose son is this youth?' And Abner said: 'As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.'

1�17,56 And the king said: 'Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.' {S}

1�17,57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

1�17,58 And Saul said to him: 'Whose son art thou, thou young man?' And David answered: 'I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.'

1�18,1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

1�18,2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

1�18,3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.

1�18,4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1�18,5 And David went out; whithersoever Saul sent him, he had good success; and Saul set him over the men of war; and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. {P}

1�18,6 And it came to pass as they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with timbrels, with joy, and with three-stringed instruments.

1�18,7 And the women sang one to another in their play, and said: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

1�18,8 And Saul was very wroth, and this saying displeased him; and he said: 'They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands; and all he lacketh is the kingdom!'

1�18,9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. {S}

1�18,10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house; and David played with his hand, as he did day by day; and Saul had his spear in his hand.

1�18,11 And Saul cast the spear; for he said: 'I will smite David even to the wall.' And David stepped aside out of his presence twice.

1�18,12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

1�18,13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. {S}

1�18,14 And David had great success in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

1�18,15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him.

1�18,16 But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them. {P}

1�18,17 And Saul said to David: 'Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife; only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles.' For Saul said: 'Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.' {S}

1�18,18 And David said unto Saul: 'Who am I, and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?'

1�18,19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.

1�18,20 And Michal Saul's daughter loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

1�18,21 And Saul said: 'I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.' Wherefore Saul said to David: 'Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law through the one of the twain.'

1�18,22 And Saul commanded his servants: 'Speak with David secretly, and say: Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee; now therefore be the king's son-in-law.'

1�18,23 And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said: 'Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?'

1�18,24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying: 'On this manner spoke David.'

1�18,25 And Saul said: 'Thus shall ye say to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.' For Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

1�18,26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. And the days were not expired;

1�18,27 and David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. {S}

1�18,28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal Saul's daughter loved him.

1�18,29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul was David's enemy continually. {P}

1�18,30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth; and it came to pass, as often as they went forth, that David prospered more than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by. {S}

1�19,1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David; but Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David.

1�19,2 And Jonathan told David, saying: 'Saul my father seeketh to slay thee; now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself in the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself.

1�19,3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will speak with my father of thee; and if I see aught, I will tell thee.' {S}

1�19,4 And Jonathan spoke good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him: 'Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his work hath been very good towards thee;

1�19,5 for he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great victory for all Israel; thou sawest it, and didst rejoice; wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?'

1�19,6 And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore: 'As the LORD liveth, he shall not be put to death.'

1�19,7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan told him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as beforetime. {S}

1�19,8 And there was war again; and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled before him.

1�19,9 And an evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.

1�19,10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the spear into the wall; and David fled, and escaped that night. {P}

1�19,11 And Saul sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning; and Michal David's wife told him, saying: 'If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain.'

1�19,12 So Michal let David down through the window; and he went, and fled, and escaped.

1�19,13 And Michal took the teraphim, and laid it in the bed, and put a quilt of goats' hair at the head thereof, and covered it with a cloth. {S}

1�19,14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said: 'He is sick.' {S}

1�19,15 And Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying: 'Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.'

1�19,16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the quilt of goats' hair at the head thereof. {S}

1�19,17 And Saul said unto Michal: 'Why hast thou deceived me thus, and let mine enemy go, that he is escaped?' And Michal answered Saul: 'He said unto me: Let me go; why should I kill thee?'

1�19,18 Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

1�19,19 And it was told Saul, saying: 'Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.'

1�19,20 And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

1�19,21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. {S} And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

1�19,22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to the great cistern that is in Secu; and he asked and said: 'Where are Samuel and David?' And one said: 'Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.'

1�19,23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah; and the spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

1�19,24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' {P}

1�20,1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan: 'What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?'

1�20,2 And he said unto him: 'Far from it; thou shalt not die; behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.'

1�20,3 And David swore moreover, and said: 'Thy father knoweth well that I have found favour in thine eyes; and he saith: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.'

1�20,4 Then said Jonathan unto David: 'What doth thy soul desire, that I should do it for thee?' {P}

1�20,5 And David said unto Jonathan: 'Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, when I should sit with the king to eat; so let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

1�20,6 If thy father miss me at all, then say: David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

1�20,7 If he say thus: It is well; thy servant shall have peace; but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.

1�20,8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee; but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?' {P}

1�20,9 And Jonathan said: 'Far be it from thee; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? {S}

1�20,10 Then said David to Jonathan: 'Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?' {S}

1�20,11 And Jonathan said unto David: 'Come and let us go out into the field.' And they went out both of them into the field. {S}

1�20,12 And Jonathan said unto David: 'The LORD, the God of Israel--when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

1�20,13 The LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and the LORD be with thee, as He hath been with my father.

1�20,14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not;

1�20,15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.'

1�20,16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: 'The LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.'

1�20,17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. {S}

1�20,18 And Jonathan said unto him: 'To-morrow is the new moon; and thou wilt be missed, thy seat will be empty.

1�20,19 And in the third day thou shalt hide thyself well, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself in the day of work, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

1�20,20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side-ward, as though I shot at a mark.

1�20,21 And, behold, I will send the lad: Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad: Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the LORD liveth.

1�20,22 But if I say thus unto the boy: Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for the LORD hath sent thee away.

1�20,23 And as touching the matter which I and thou have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between me and thee for ever.' {S}

1�20,24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to the meal to eat.

1�20,25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side; but David's place was empty.

1�20,26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day; for he thought: 'Something hath befallen him, he is unclean; surely he is not clean.' {S}

1�20,27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty; {P}

�

and Saul said unto Jonathan his son: 'Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to the meal, neither yesterday, nor to-day?'

1�20,28 And Jonathan answered Saul: 'David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem;

1�20,29 and he said: Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me; and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king's table.' {S}

1�20,30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him: 'Thou son of perverse rebellion, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother's nakedness?

1�20,31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he deserveth to die.' {S}

1�20,32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him: 'Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?'

1�20,33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death. {S}

1�20,34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, and because his father had put him to shame. {S}

1�20,35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

1�20,36 And he said unto his lad: 'Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.' And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

1�20,37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said: 'Is not the arrow beyond thee?'

1�20,38 And Jonathan cried after the lad: 'Make speed, hasten, stay not.' And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

1�20,39 But the lad knew not any thing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. {S}

1�20,40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him: 'Go, carry them to the city.'

1�20,41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

1�20,42 And Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever.' {P}

1�21,1 And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

1�21,2 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him: 'Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?'

1�21,3 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest: 'The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me: Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee; and the young men have I appointed to such and such a place.

1�21,4 Now therefore what is under thy hand? five loaves of bread? give them in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.'

1�21,5 And the priest answered David, and said: 'There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.' {P}

1�21,6 And David answered the priest, and said unto him: 'Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day, when there shall be holy bread in their vessels?'

1�21,7 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.--

1�21,8 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.--

1�21,9 And David said unto Ahimelech: 'And is there peradventure here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.' {S}

1�21,10 And the priest said: 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here.' {S} And David said: 'There is none like that; give it me.'

1�21,11 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

1�21,12 And the servants of Achish said unto him: 'Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?'

1�21,13 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

1�21,14 And he changed his demeanour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. {S}

1�21,15 Then said Achish unto his servants: 'Lo, when ye see a man that is mad, wherefore do ye bring him to me?

1�21,16 Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?' {P}

1�22,1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

1�22,2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men.

1�22,3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto the king of Moab: 'Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.'

1�22,4 And he brought them before the king of Moab; and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold. {S}

1�22,5 And the prophet Gad said unto David: 'Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah.' Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth. {S}

1�22,6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him; now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.

1�22,7 And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him: 'Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds;

1�22,8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there was none that disclosed it to me when my son made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or discloseth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?' {S}

1�22,9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said: 'I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

1�22,10 And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.'

1�22,11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob; and they came all of them to the king. {S}

1�22,12 And Saul said: 'Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.' And he answered: 'Here I am, my lord.'

1�22,13 And Saul said unto him: 'Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?' {S}

1�22,14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said: 'And who among all thy servants is so trusted as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and giveth heed unto thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house?

1�22,15 Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.'

1�22,16 And the king said: 'Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.'

1�22,17 And the king said unto the guard that stood about him: 'Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me.' But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD. {S}

1�22,18 And the king said to Doeg: 'Turn thou, and fall upon the priests.' And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

1�22,19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

1�22,20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

1�22,21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.

1�22,22 And David said unto Abiathar: 'I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I have brought about the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

1�22,23 Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.' {S}

1�23,1 And they told David, saying: 'Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.'

1�23,2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying: 'Shall I go and smite these Philistines?' {S} And the LORD said unto David: 'Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.'

1�23,3 And David's men said unto him: 'Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?' {S}

1�23,4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said: 'Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.'

1�23,5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. {S}

1�23,6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

1�23,7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said: 'God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.'

1�23,8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

1�23,9 And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest: 'Bring hither the ephod.' {S}

1�23,10 Then said David: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, Thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

1�23,11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as Thy servant hath heard?' O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech Thee, tell Thy servant.' {S} And the LORD said: 'He will come down.' {S}

1�23,12 Then said David: 'Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul?' And the LORD said: 'They will deliver thee up.' {S}

1�23,13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbore to go forth.

1�23,14 And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

1�23,15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. {S}

1�23,16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

1�23,17 And he said unto him: 'Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.'

1�23,18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. {S}

1�23,19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying: 'Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

1�23,20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand.'

1�23,21 And Saul said: 'Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have had compassion on me.

1�23,22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtly.

1�23,23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye back to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.'

1�23,24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of Jeshimon.

1�23,25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David; wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

1�23,26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

1�23,27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying: 'Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.'

1�23,28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

1�23,29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi. {S}

1�24,1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: 'Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.' {S}

1�24,2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

1�24,3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.

1�24,4 And the men of David said unto him: 'Behold the day in which the LORD hath said unto thee: Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.' Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

1�24,5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

1�24,6 And he said unto his men: 'The LORD forbid it me, that I should do this thing unto my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD'S anointed.'

1�24,7 So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. {S}

1�24,8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying: 'My lord the king.' And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and prostrated himself. {S}

1�24,9 And David said to Saul: 'Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying: Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

1�24,10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said: I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.

1�24,11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou layest wait for my soul to take it.

1�24,12 The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.

1�24,13 As saith the proverb of the ancients: Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be upon thee.

1�24,14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.

1�24,15 The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.' {P}

1�24,16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said: 'Is this thy voice, my son David?' And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

1�24,17 And he said to David: 'Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.

1�24,18 And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.

1�24,19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.

1�24,20 And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.

1�24,21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.'

1�24,22 And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men got them up unto the stronghold. {S}

1�25,1 And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. {P}

1�25,2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

1�25,3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful form; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

1�25,4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

1�25,5 And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men: 'Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name;

1�25,6 and thus ye shall say: All hail! and peace be both unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

1�25,7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

1�25,8 Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee; wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come on a good day; give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.'

1�25,9 And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

1�25,10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said: 'Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master;

1�25,11 shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?'

1�25,12 So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.

1�25,13 And David said unto his men: 'Gird ye on every man his sword.' And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.

1�25,14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying: 'Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he flew upon them.

1�25,15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields;

1�25,16 they were a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

1�25,17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a base fellow, that one cannot speak to him.'

1�25,18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

1�25,19 And she said unto her young men: 'Go on before me; behold, I come after you.' But she told not her husband Nabal.

1�25,20 And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down towards her; and she met them.--

1�25,21 Now David had said: 'Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath returned me evil for good.

1�25,22 God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one male.'--

1�25,23 And when Abigail saw David, she made haste, and alighted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed down to the ground.

1�25,24 And she fell at his feet, and said: 'Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity; and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid.

1�25,25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this base fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and churlishness is with him; but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

1�25,26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

1�25,27 And now this present which thy servant hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

1�25,28 Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid; for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD; and evil is not found in thee all thy days.

1�25,29 And though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.

1�25,30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee prince over Israel;

1�25,31 that this shall be no stumbling-block unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord hath found redress for himself. And when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.' {S}

1�25,32 And David said to Abigail: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me;

1�25,33 and blessed be thy discretion, and blessed be thou, that hast kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for myself with mine own hand.

1�25,34 For in very deed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, liveth, who hath withholden me from hurting thee, except thou hadst made haste and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one male.'

1�25,35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him; and he said unto her: 'Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.'

1�25,36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

1�25,37 And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

1�25,38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, so that he died.

1�25,39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

1�25,40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying: 'David hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.'

1�25,41 And she arose, and bowed down with her face to the earth, and said: 'Behold, thy handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'

1�25,42 And Abigail hastened, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

1�25,43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives. {S}

1�25,44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

1�26,1 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying: 'Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?'

1�26,2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

1�26,3 And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

1�26,4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty.

1�26,5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay within the barricade, and the people pitched round about him.

1�26,6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying: 'Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?' And Abishai said: 'I will go down with thee.'

1�26,7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the barricade, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him. {S}

1�26,8 Then said Abishai to David: 'God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day; now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.'

1�26,9 And David said to Abishai: 'Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?' {P}

1�26,10 And David said: 'As the LORD liveth, nay, but the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle, and be swept away.

1�26,11 The LORD forbid it me, that I should put forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water and let us go.'

1�26,12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head; and they got them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake; for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

1�26,13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them.

1�26,14 And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying: 'Answerest thou not, Abner?' Then Abner answered and said: 'Who art thou that criest to the king?' {P}

1�26,15 And David said to Abner: 'Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

1�26,16 This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye deserve to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And now, see, where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.'

1�26,17 And Saul knew David's voice, and said: 'Is this thy voice, my son David?' And David said: 'It is my voice, my lord, O king.'

1�26,18 And he said: 'Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?

1�26,19 Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be the LORD that hath stirred thee up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the LORD, saying: Go, serve other gods.

1�26,20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.'

1�26,21 Then said Saul: 'I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day; behold, I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.'

1�26,22 And David answered and said: 'Behold the king's spear! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.

1�26,23 And the LORD will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as the LORD delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed.

1�26,24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.' {P}

1�26,25 Then Saul said to David: 'Blessed be thou, my son David; thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail.' So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. {P}

1�27,1 And David said in his heart: 'I shall now be swept away one day by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hand.'

1�27,2 And David arose, and passed over, he and the six hundred men that were with him, unto Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

1�27,3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

1�27,4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath; and he sought no more again for him. {S}

1�27,5 And David said unto Achish: 'If now I have found favour in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there; for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?'

1�27,6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day; wherefore Ziklag belongeth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. {P}

1�27,7 And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

1�27,8 And David and his men went up, and made a raid upon the Geshurites, and the Gizrites, and the Amalekites; for those were the inhabitants of the land, who were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

1�27,9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel. And he returned, and came to Achish.

1�27,10 And Achish said: 'Whither have ye made a raid to-day?' And David said: 'Against the South of Judah, and against the South of the Jerahmeelites, and against the South of the Kenites.'

1�27,11 And David left neither man nor woman alive, to bring them to Gath, saying: 'Lest they should tell on us, saying: So did David, and so hath been his manner all the while he hath dwelt in the country of the Philistines.'

1�27,12 And Achish believed David, saying: 'He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.' {P}

1�28,1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David: 'Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men.'

1�28,2 And David said to Achish: 'Therefore thou shalt know what thy servant will do.' And Achish said to David: 'Therefore will I make thee keeper of my head for ever.' {P}

1�28,3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that divined by a ghost or a familiar spirit out of the land.

1�28,4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

1�28,5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

1�28,6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

1�28,7 Then said Saul unto his servants: 'Seek me a woman that divineth by a ghost, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.' And his servants said to him: 'Behold, there is a woman that divineth by a ghost at En-dor.'

1�28,8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said: 'Divine unto me, I pray thee, by a ghost, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.'

1�28,9 And the woman said unto him: 'Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that divine by a ghost or a familiar spirit out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?'

1�28,10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying: 'As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.'

1�28,11 Then said the woman: 'Whom shall I bring up unto thee?' And he said: 'Bring me up Samuel.'

1�28,12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying: 'Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.'

1�28,13 And the king said unto her: 'Be not afraid; for what seest thou?' And the woman said unto Saul: 'I see a godlike being coming up out of the earth.'

1�28,14 And he said unto her: 'What form is he of?' And she said: 'An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe.' And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and prostrated himself. {S}

1�28,15 And Samuel said to Saul: 'Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?' And Saul answered: 'I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.' {S}

1�28,16 And Samuel said: 'Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?

1�28,17 And the LORD hath wrought for Himself; as He spoke by me; and the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David.

1�28,18 Because thou didst not hearken to the voice of the LORD, and didst not execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

1�28,19 Moreover the LORD will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the LORD will deliver the host of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.'

1�28,20 Then Saul fell straightway his full length upon the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

1�28,21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore affrighted, and said unto him: 'Behold, thy handmaid hath hearkened unto thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spokest unto me.

1�28,22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thy handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.'

1�28,23 But he refused, and said: 'I will not eat.' But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

1�28,24 And the woman had a fatted calf in the house; and she made haste, and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof;

1�28,25 and she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night. {P}

1�29,1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their hosts to Aphek; and the Israelites pitched by the fountain which is in Jezreel.

1�29,2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.

1�29,3 Then said the princes of the Philistines: 'What do these Hebrews here?' And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines: 'Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away unto me unto this day?' {P}

1�29,4 But the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him: 'Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us; for wherewith should this fellow reconcile himself unto his lord? should it not be with the heads of these men?

1�29,5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?' {S}

1�29,6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him: 'As the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day; nevertheless the lords favour thee not.

1�29,7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.' {S}

1�29,8 And David said unto Achish: 'But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee unto this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?'

1�29,9 And Achish answered and said to David: 'I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God; notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said: He shall not go up with us to the battle.

1�29,10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of thy lord that are come with thee; and as soon as ye are up early in the morning, and have light, depart.'

1�29,11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. {S}

1�30,1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid upon the South, and upon Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

1�30,2 and had taken captive the women and all that were therein, both small and great; they slew not any, but carried them off, and went their way.

1�30,3 And when David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

1�30,4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

1�30,5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

1�30,6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. {S}

1�30,7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech: 'I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod.' And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

1�30,8 And David inquired of the LORD, saying: 'Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them?' And He answered him: 'Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shalt without fail recover all.'

1�30,9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

1�30,10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

1�30,11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they gave him water to drink;

1�30,12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten, his spirit came back to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. {S}

1�30,13 And David said unto him: 'To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou?' And he said: 'I am a young Egyptian, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.

1�30,14 We made a raid upon the South of the Cherethites, and upon that which belongeth to Judah, and upon the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.'

1�30,15 And David said to him: 'Wilt thou bring me down to this troop?' And he said: 'Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.'

1�30,16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the ground, eating and drinking, and feasting, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

1�30,17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day; and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, who rode upon camels and fled.

1�30,18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.

1�30,19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them; David brought back all.

1�30,20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said: 'This is David's spoil.'

1�30,21 And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. {S}

1�30,22 Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said: 'Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.' {S}

1�30,23 Then said David: 'Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

1�30,24 And who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as is the share of him that goeth down to the battle, so shall be the share of him that tarrieth by the baggage; they shall share alike.' {S}

1�30,25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. {P}

1�30,26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying: 'Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD';

1�30,27 to them that were in Beth-el, and to them that were in Ramoth of the South, and to them that were in Jattir;

1�30,28 and to them that were in Aroer, and to them that were in Siphmoth, and to them that were in Eshtemoa;

1�30,29 and to them that were in Racal, and to them that were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them that were in the cities of the Kenites;

1�30,30 and to them that were in Hormah, and to them that were in Bor-ashan, and to them that were in Athach;

1�30,31 and to them that were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt. {P}

1�31,1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1�31,2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

1�31,3 And the battle went sore against Saul, an the archers overtook him; and he was in great anguish by reason of the archers.

1�31,4 Then said Saul to his armour-bearer: 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make a mock of me.' But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.

1�31,5 And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.

1�31,6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

1�31,7 And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. {P}

1�31,8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

1�31,9 And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people.

1�31,10 And they put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

1�31,11 And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul,

1�31,12 all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

1�31,13 And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. {P}

2�1,1 And 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;

2�1,2 it came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head; and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and prostrated himself.

2�1,3 And David said unto him: 'From whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.'

2�1,4 And David said unto him: 'How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me.' And he answered: 'The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.'

2�1,5 And David said unto the young man that told him: 'How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?'

2�1,6 And the young man that told him said: 'As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and the horsemen pressed hard upon him.

2�1,7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered: Here am I.

2�1,8 And he said unto me: Who art thou? And I answered him: I am an Amalekite.

2�1,9 And he said unto me: Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for the agony hath taken hold of me; because my life is just yet in me.

2�1,10 So I stood beside him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.'

2�1,11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him.

2�1,12 And they wailed, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. {P}

2�1,13 And David said unto the young man that told him: 'Whence art thou?' And he answered: 'I am the son of an Amalekite stranger.'

2�1,14 And David said unto him: 'How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?'

2�1,15 And David called one of the young men, and said: 'Go near, and fall upon him.' And he smote him that he died.

2�1,16 And David said unto him: 'Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying: I have slain the LORD'S anointed.' {P}

2�1,17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,

2�1,18 and said--To teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jashar:

2�1,19 Thy beauty, O Israel, upon thy high places is slain! How are the mighty fallen!

2�1,20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

2�1,21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of choice fruits; for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

2�1,22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

2�1,23 Saul and Jonathan, the lovely and the pleasant in their lives, even in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

2�1,24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

2�1,25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan upon thy high places is slain!

2�1,26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; wonderful was thy love to me, passing the love of women.

2�1,27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! {P}

2�2,1 And it came to pass after this, that David inquired 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 Hebron.'

2�2,2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

2�2,3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

2�2,4 And the men of Judah came, and they there anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying: 'The men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.' {S}

2�2,5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them: 'Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shown this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

2�2,6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

2�2,7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be ye valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.' {P}

2�2,8 Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

2�2,9 and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. {P}

2�2,10 Ish-bosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

2�2,11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. {S}

2�2,12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

2�2,13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out; and they met together by the pool of Gibeon, and sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

2�2,14 And Abner said to Joab: 'Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us.' And Joab said: 'Let them arise.'

2�2,15 Then they arose and passed over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

2�2,16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together; wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

2�2,17 And the battle was very sore that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

2�2,18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field.

2�2,19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

2�2,20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said: 'Is it thou, Asahel?' And he answered: 'It is I.'

2�2,21 And Abner said to him: 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour.' But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

2�2,22 And Abner said again to Asahel: 'Turn thee aside from following me; wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?'

2�2,23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside; wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the groin, 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.

2�2,24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner; and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

2�2,25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.

2�2,26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said: 'Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?'

2�2,27 And Joab said: 'As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then only after the morning the people had gone away, every one from following his brother.'

2�2,28 So Joab blew the horn, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

2�2,29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the AraBahá and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

2�2,30 And Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

2�2,31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, even of Abner's men--three hundred and threescore men died.

2�2,32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.

2�3,1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. {S}

2�3,2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron; and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

2�3,3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

2�3,4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

2�3,5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. {P}

2�3,6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner showed himself strong in the house of Saul.

2�3,7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and [Ish-bosheth] said to Abner: 'Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?'

2�3,8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said: 'Am I a dog's head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman. {S}

2�3,9 God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as the LORD hath sworn to David, I do not even so to him;

2�3,10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.'

2�3,11 And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. {S}

2�3,12 And Abner sent messengers to David straightway, saying: 'Whose is the land?' saying also: 'Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring over all Israel unto thee.'

2�3,13 And he said: 'Well; I will make a league with thee; but one thing I require of thee, that is, thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.' {S}

2�3,14 And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying: 'Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'

2�3,15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.

2�3,16 And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him: 'Go, return'; and he returned.

2�3,17 And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying: 'In times past ye sought for David to be king over you;

2�3,18 now then do it; for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying: By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'

2�3,19 And Abner also spoke 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 to the whole house of Benjamin.

2�3,20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.

2�3,21 And Abner said unto David: 'I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul desireth.' And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

2�3,22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, 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.

2�3,23 When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying: 'Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.'

2�3,24 Then Joab came to the king, and said: 'What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?

2�3,25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.'

2�3,26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from Bor-sirah; but David knew it not.

2�3,27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the groin, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

2�3,28 And afterward when David heard it, he said: 'I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner;

2�3,29 let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.'

2�3,30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. {S}

2�3,31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: 'Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Abner.' And king David followed the bier.

2�3,32 And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. {S}

2�3,33 And the king lamented for Abner, and said: Should Abner die as a churl dieth?

2�3,34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters; as a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again over him.

2�3,35 And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying: 'God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down.'

2�3,36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; whatsoever the king did, pleased all the people.

2�3,37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner. {S}

2�3,38 And the king said unto his servants: 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

2�3,39 And I am this day weak, and just anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me; the LORD reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.' {P}

2�4,1 And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were affrighted.

2�4,2 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 the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin; for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin;

2�4,3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day. {S}

2�4,4 Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled; and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

2�4,5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon.

2�4,6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him in the groin; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

2�4,7 Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bed-chamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.

2�4,8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king: 'Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.'

2�4,9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them: 'As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

2�4,10 when one told me, saying: Behold, Saul is dead, and he was in his own eyes as though he brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, instead of giving a reward for his tidings.

2�4,11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?'

2�4,12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron. {P}

2�5,1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spoke, saying: 'Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

2�5,2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that didst lead out and bring in Israel; and the LORD said to thee: Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.'

2�5,3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel. {S}

2�5,4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

2�5,5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

2�5,6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying: 'Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither'; thinking: 'David cannot come in hither.'

2�5,7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

2�5,8 And David said on that day: 'Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutter, and [taketh away] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul--.' Wherefore they say: 'There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house.'

2�5,9 And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

2�5,10 And David waxed greater and greater; for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him. {P}

2�5,11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.

2�5,12 And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake. {S}

2�5,13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

2�5,14 And these are the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon;

2�5,15 and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia;

2�5,16 and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet. {P}

2�5,17 And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

2�5,18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

2�5,19 And David inquired of the LORD, saying: 'Shall I go up against the Philistines? wilt Thou deliver them into my hand?' {P}

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And the LORD said unto David: 'Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.'

2�5,20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said: 'The LORD hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters.' Therefore the name of that place was called Baal-perazim.

2�5,21 And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away. {P}

2�5,22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.

2�5,23 And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

2�5,24 And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is the LORD gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.'

2�5,25 And David did so, as the LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer. {P}

2�6,1 And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

2�6,2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whereupon is called the Name, even the name of the LORD of hosts that sitteth upon the cherubim.

2�6,3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

2�6,4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

2�6,5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with all manner of instruments made of cypress-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with sistra, and with cymbals.

2�6,6 And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.

2�6,7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

2�6,8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place was called Perez-uzzah, unto this day.

2�6,9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said: 'How shall the ark of the LORD come unto me?'

2�6,10 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 Obed-edom the Gittite.

2�6,11 And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.

2�6,12 And it was told king David, saying: 'The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God.' And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy.

2�6,13 And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

2�6,14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

2�6,15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn.

2�6,16 And it was so, as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

2�6,17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the LORD.

2�6,18 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

2�6,19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a cake made in a pan, and a sweet cake. So all the people departed every one to his house.

2�6,20 Then David returned to bless his household. {S} And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said: 'How did the king of Israel get him honour 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!'

2�6,21 And David said unto Michal: 'Before the LORD, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the LORD, over Israel, before the LORD will I make merry.

2�6,22 And I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and with the handmaids whom thou hast spoken of, with them will I get me honour.'

2�6,23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. {P}

2�7,1 And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about,

2�7,2 that the king said unto Nathan the prophet: 'See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.'

2�7,3 And Nathan said to the king: 'Go, do all that is in thy heart; for the LORD is with thee.'

2�7,4 And it came to pass the same night, {S} that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying:

2�7,5 'Go and tell My servant David: {S} Thus saith the LORD: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in?

2�7,6 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

2�7,7 In all places wherein I have walked among all the children of Israel, spoke I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying: Why have ye not built Me a house of cedar?

2�7,8 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto My servant David: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over My people, over Israel.

2�7,9 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou didst go, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth.

2�7,10 And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disquieted no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first,

2�7,11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover the LORD telleth thee that the LORD will make thee a house.

2�7,12 When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy body, and I will establish his kingdom.

2�7,13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

2�7,14 I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son; if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

2�7,15 but My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

2�7,16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.'

2�7,17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. {P}

2�7,18 Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said: 'Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me thus far?

2�7,19 And this was yet a small thing in Thine eyes, O Lord GOD; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come; and this too after the manner of great men, O Lord GOD.

2�7,20 And what can David say more unto Thee? for Thou knowest Thy servant, O Lord GOD.

2�7,21 For Thy word's sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou wrought all this greatness, to make Thy servant know it.

2�7,22 Therefore Thou art great, O LORD God; for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

2�7,23 And who is like Thy people, like Israel, a nation one in the earth, whom God went to redeem unto Himself for a people, and to make Him a name, and to do for Thy land great things and tremendous, even for you, [in driving out] from before Thy people, whom Thou didst redeem to Thee out of Egypt, the nations and their gods?

2�7,24 And Thou didst establish to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever; and Thou, LORD, becamest their God. {S}

2�7,25 And now, O LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm Thou it for ever, and do as Thou hast spoken.

2�7,26 And let Thy name be magnified for ever, that it may be said: The LORD of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of Thy servant David shall be established before Thee.

2�7,27 For Thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house; therefore hath Thy servant taken heart to pray this prayer unto Thee.

2�7,28 And now, O Lord GOD, Thou alone art God, and Thy words are truth, and Thou hast promised this good thing unto Thy servant;

2�7,29 now therefore 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 spoken it; and through Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.' {P}

2�8,1 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

2�8,2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.

2�8,3 David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ZoBahá as he went to establish his dominion at the river Euphrates.

2�8,4 And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.

2�8,5 And when the Arameans of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of ZoBahá David smote of the Arameans two and twenty thousand men.

2�8,6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, and brought presents. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

2�8,7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

2�8,8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. {S}

2�8,9 And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

2�8,10 then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him--because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi--and he brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass.

2�8,11 These also did king David dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued:

2�8,12 of Aram, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

2�8,13 And David got him a name when he returned from smiting the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men.

2�8,14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

2�8,15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.

2�8,16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

2�8,17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe;

2�8,18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers. {S}

2�9,1 And David said: 'Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?'

2�9,2 Now there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him: 'Art thou Ziba?' And he said: 'Thy servant is he.'

2�9,3 And the king said: 'Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Jonathan hath yet a son, who is lame on his feet.'

2�9,4 And the king said unto him: 'Where is he?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.'

2�9,5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

2�9,6 And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and prostrated himself. And David said: 'Mephibosheth!' And he answered: 'Behold thy servant!'

2�9,7 And David said unto him: 'Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.'

2�9,8 And he bowed down, and said: 'What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?'

2�9,9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him: 'All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son.

2�9,10 And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat; but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread continually at my table.' Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

2�9,11 Then said Ziba unto the king: 'According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do; but Mephibosheth eateth at my table as one of the king's sons.'

2�9,12 Now Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

2�9,13 But Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet. {P}

2�10,1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

2�10,2 And David said: 'I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me.' So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

2�10,3 But 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 sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?'

2�10,4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

2�10,5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said: 'Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.'

2�10,6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob, and the Arameans of ZoBahá twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

2�10,7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

2�10,8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Arameans of ZoBahá and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

2�10,9 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Arameans;

2�10,10 and the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother, and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.

2�10,11 And he said: 'If the Arameans be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

2�10,12 Be of good courage, and let us prove strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do that which seemeth Him good.'

2�10,13 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Arameans; and they fled before him.

2�10,14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

2�10,15 And when the Arameans saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

2�10,16 And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Arameans that were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer at their head. {S}

2�10,17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

2�10,18 And the Arameans fled before Israel; and David slew of the Arameans seven hundred drivers of chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there.

2�10,19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the children of Ammon any more. {P}

2�11,1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged RabBahá But David tarried at Jerusalem. {S}

2�11,2 And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

2�11,3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said: 'Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

2�11,4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.

2�11,5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said: 'I am with child.'

2�11,6 And David sent to Joab[, saying]: 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' And Joab sent Uriah to David.

2�11,7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

2�11,8 And David said to Uriah: '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 food from the king.

2�11,9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

2�11,10 And when they had told David, saying: 'Uriah went not down unto his house', David said unto Uriah: 'Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?'

2�11,11 And Uriah said unto David: 'The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my 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.'

2�11,12 And David said to Uriah: 'Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart.' So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

2�11,13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him 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.

2�11,14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

2�11,15 And he wrote in the letter, saying: 'Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.' {S}

2�11,16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.

2�11,17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

2�11,18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

2�11,19 and he charged the messenger, saying: 'When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,

2�11,20 it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee: Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

2�11,21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say: Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'

2�11,22 So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.

2�11,23 And the messenger said unto David: 'The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

2�11,24 And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' {S}

2�11,25 Then David said unto the messenger: 'Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth in one manner or another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage thou him.'

2�11,26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

2�11,27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. {P}

2�12,1 And the LORD sent 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�12,2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds;

2�12,3 but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared; and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

2�12,4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.'

2�12,5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan: 'As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this deserveth to die;

2�12,6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.' {S}

2�12,7 And Nathan said to David: 'Thou art the man. {S} Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

2�12,8 and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that were too little, then would I add unto thee so much more.

2�12,9 Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the LORD, to do that which is evil in My sight? Uriah the Hittite thou hast smitten with the sword, and his wife thou hast taken to be thy wife, and him thou hast slain with the sword of the children of Ammon.

2�12,10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. {S}

2�12,11 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 sun.

2�12,12 For thou didst it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.' {S}

2�12,13 And David said unto Nathan: 'I have sinned against the LORD.' {S} And Nathan said unto David: 'The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

2�12,14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast greatly blasphemed the enemies of the LORD, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.'

2�12,15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick.

2�12,16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and as often as he went in, he lay all night upon the earth.

2�12,17 And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

2�12,18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said: 'Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice; how then shall we tell him that the child is dead, so that he do himself some harm?'

2�12,19 But when David saw that his servants whispered together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said unto his servants: 'Is the child dead?' And they said: 'He is dead.'

2�12,20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he 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.

2�12,21 Then 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.'

2�12,22 And he said: 'While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said: Who knoweth whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?

2�12,23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'

2�12,24 And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him;

2�12,25 and He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah, for the LORD'S sake. {P}

2�12,26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

2�12,27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said: 'I have fought against RabBahá yea, I have taken the city of waters.

2�12,28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.'

2�12,29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to RabBahá and fought against it, and took it.

2�12,30 And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.

2�12,31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under 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. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem. {P}

2�13,1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2�13,2 And Amnon was so distressed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do any thing unto her.

2�13,3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

2�13,4 And he said unto him: 'Why, O son of the king, art thou thus becoming leaner from day to day? wilt thou not tell me?' And Amnon said unto him: 'I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'

2�13,5 And Jonadab said unto him: 'Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him: Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.'

2�13,6 So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick; and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king: 'Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.'

2�13,7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying: 'Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him food.'

2�13,8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

2�13,9 And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said: 'Have out all men from me.' And they went out every man from him.

2�13,10 And Amnon said unto Tamar: 'Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat of thy hand.' And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

2�13,11 And when she had brought them near unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her: 'Come lie with me, my sister.'

2�13,12 And she answered him: 'Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this wanton deed.

2�13,13 And I, whither shall I carry my shame? and as for thee, thou wilt be as one of the base men in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.'

2�13,14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her.

2�13,15 Then Amnon hated her with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her: 'Arise, be gone.'

2�13,16 And she said unto him: 'Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that thou didst unto me.' But he would not hearken unto her.

2�13,17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said: 'Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.'--

2�13,18 Now she had a garment of many colours upon her; for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled.--And his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

2�13,19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of many colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

2�13,20 And Absalom her brother said unto her: 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but now hold thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart.' So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

2�13,21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

2�13,22 And Absalom spoke unto Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. {P}

2�13,23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

2�13,24 And Absalom came to the king, and said: 'Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant.'

2�13,25 And the king said to Absalom: 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome unto thee.' And he pressed him; howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

2�13,26 Then said Absalom: 'If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us.' And the king said unto him: 'Why should he go with thee?'

2�13,27 But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. {S}

2�13,28 And Absalom 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 I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.'

2�13,29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule, and fled.

2�13,30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the tidings came to David, saying: 'Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.' {P}

2�13,31 Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. {S}

2�13,32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said: 'Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

2�13,33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.' {P}

2�13,34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people in a roundabout way by the hill-side.

2�13,35 And Jonadab said unto the king: 'Behold, the king's sons are come; as thy servant said, so it is.'

2�13,36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.

2�13,37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every day.

2�13,38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

2�13,39 And the soul of king David failed with longing for Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. {S}

2�14,1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

2�14,2 And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her: 'I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead;

2�14,3 and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.' So Joab put the words in her mouth.

2�14,4 And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and prostrated herself, and said: 'Help, O king.' {S}

2�14,5 And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead.

2�14,6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

2�14,7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said: Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.' {P}

2�14,8 And the king said unto the woman: 'Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.'

2�14,9 And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king: 'My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.' {S}

2�14,10 And the king said: 'Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.'

2�14,11 Then said she: 'I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not 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.'

2�14,12 Then the woman said: 'Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king.' And he said: 'Say on.' {S}

2�14,13 And the woman said: 'Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

2�14,14 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; but let him devise means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

2�14,15 Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people 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 servant.

2�14,16 For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

2�14,17 Then thy handmaid said: Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for my comfort; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and the LORD thy God be with thee.' {P}

2�14,18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman: 'Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee.' And the woman said: 'Let my lord the king now speak.'

2�14,19 And the king said: 'Is 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 aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

2�14,20 to change the face of the matter 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.' {S}

2�14,21 And the king said unto Joab: 'Behold now, I have granted this request; go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.'

2�14,22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and prostrated himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said: 'To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of thy servant.'

2�14,23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. {S}

2�14,24 And the king said: 'Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face.' So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face. {S}

2�14,25 Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

2�14,26 And when he polled his head--now 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 shekels, after the king's weight.

2�14,27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of a fair countenance. {P}

2�14,28 And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the kings face.

2�14,29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

2�14,30 Therefore he said unto his servants: 'See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire.' And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. {P}

2�14,31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him: 'Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?'

2�14,32 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 were better for me to be there still; now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.'

2�14,33 So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom. {S}

2�15,1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2�15,2 And Absalom used to rise up early, and stand beside the way of the gate; and it was so, that when any man had a suit which should come 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 tribes of Israel.'

2�15,3 And Absalom said unto him: 'See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.'

2�15,4 Absalom said moreover: 'Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!'

2�15,5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to prostrate himself before him, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

2�15,6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. {P}

2�15,7 And it came to pass at the end of 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.

2�15,8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Aram, saying: If the LORD shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'

2�15,9 And the king said unto him: 'Go in peace.' So he arose, and went to Hebron. {P}

2�15,10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: 'As soon as ye hear the sound of the horn, then ye shall say: Absalom is king in Hebron.'

2�15,11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited, and went in their simplicity; and they knew not any thing.

2�15,12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

2�15,13 And there came a messenger to David, saying: 'The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.'

2�15,14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem: 'Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom; make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.'

2�15,15 And the king's servants said unto the king: 'Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall choose.'

2�15,16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.

2�15,17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak.

2�15,18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. {S}

2�15,19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite: 'Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and also an exile from thine own place.

2�15,20 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 brethren with thee in kindness and truth.'

2�15,21 And Ittai answered the king, and said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, even there also will thy servant be.'

2�15,22 And David said to Ittai: 'Go and pass over.' And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

2�15,23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, as all the people passed over; and as the king passed over the brook Kidron, all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

2�15,24 And, lo, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God--but Abiathar went up--until all the people had done passing out of the city. {S}

2�15,25 And the king said unto Zadok: 'Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back, and show me both it, and His habitation;

2�15,26 but if He say thus: I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.' {S}

2�15,27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest: 'Seest thou? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

2�15,28 See, I will tarry in the plains of the wilderness, until there come word from you to announce unto me.'

2�15,29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they abode there.

2�15,30 And David went up by the ascent of the mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot; and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

2�15,31 And one told David, saying: 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' And David said: 'O LORD, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.'

2�15,32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was wont to be worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.

2�15,33 And David said unto him: 'If thou passest on with me, then thou wilt be a burden unto Me;

2�15,34 but if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom: I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant in time past, so will I now be thy servant; then wilt thou defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

2�15,35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

2�15,36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye shall hear.'

2�15,37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city; and Absalom was at the point of coming into Jerusalem. {S}

2�16,1 And when David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

2�16,2 And the king said unto Ziba: 'What meanest thou by these?' And Ziba said: 'The asses are 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 are faint in the wilderness may drink.'

2�16,3 And the king said: 'And where is thy master's son?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said: To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.'

2�16,4 Then said the king to Ziba: 'Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth.' And Ziba said: 'I prostrate myself; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.'

2�16,5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came.

2�16,6 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 right hand and on his left.

2�16,7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed: 'Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow;

2�16,8 the LORD hath returned upon thee all the 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 thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.'

2�16,9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king: 'Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.' {S}

2�16,10 And the king said: 'What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him: Curse David; who then shall say: Wherefore hast thou done so?' {S}

2�16,11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants: 'Behold, my son, who came forth of my body, seeketh my life; how much more this Benjamite now? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

2�16,12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine eye, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.'

2�16,13 So David and his men went by the way; {S} and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. {P}

2�16,14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

2�16,15 And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

2�16,16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Long live the king, long live the king.'

2�16,17 And Absalom said to Hushai: 'Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?'

2�16,18 And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

2�16,19 And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.' {P}

2�16,20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel: 'Give your counsel what we shall do.'

2�16,21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom: 'Go in unto thy father's concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.'

2�16,22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.--

2�16,23 Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. {S}

2�17,1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom: 'Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night;

2�17,2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;

2�17,3 and I will bring back all the people unto thee; when all shall have returned, [save] the man whom thou seekest, all the people will be in peace.'

2�17,4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. {S}

2�17,5 Then said Absalom: 'Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.'

2�17,6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spoke unto him, saying: 'Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner; shall we do after his saying? if not, speak thou.' {S}

2�17,7 And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'The counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time is not good.'

2�17,8 Hushai said moreover: 'Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

2�17,9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some place; and it will come to pass, when they fall upon them at the first, and whosoever heareth it shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom;

2�17,10 then even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.

2�17,11 But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

2�17,12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him we will not leave so much as one.

2�17,13 Moreover, if he withdraw himself into a city, then shall all Israel bring up ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the valley until there be not one small stone found there.' {P}

2�17,14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said: 'The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.' {S} --For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. {S}

2�17,15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests: 'Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

2�17,16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but in any wise pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.'

2�17,17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and a maid-servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David; for they might not be seen to come into the city.

2�17,18 But a lad saw them, and told Absalom; and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.

2�17,19 And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed groats thereon; and nothing was known.

2�17,20 And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house; and they said: 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' And the woman said unto them: 'They are gone over the brook of water.' And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. {S}

2�17,21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David: 'Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.'

2�17,22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over the Jordan.

2�17,23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and got him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. {S}

2�17,24 When David was come to Mahanaim, Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

2�17,25 And Absalom had set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Jesraelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

2�17,26 And Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. {S}

2�17,27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

2�17,28 brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse,

2�17,29 and honey, and curd, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat; for they said: 'The people is hungry, and faint, and thirsty, in the wilderness.' {S}

2�18,1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

2�18,2 And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. {S} And the king said unto the people: 'I will surely go forth with you myself also.'

2�18,3 But the people said: 'Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; but thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succour us out of the city.' {S}

2�18,4 And the king said unto them: 'What seemeth you best I will do.' And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

2�18,5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying: 'Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

2�18,6 So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.

2�18,7 And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.

2�18,8 For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

2�18,9 And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth, and his head caught hold of the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went on.

2�18,10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said: 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.'

2�18,11 And Joab said unto the man that told him: 'And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have had to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.'

2�18,12 And the man said unto Joab: 'Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying: Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

2�18,13 Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against mine own life--and there is no matter hid from the king--then thou thyself wouldest have stood aloof.'

2�18,14 Then said Joab: 'I may not tarry thus with thee.' And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.

2�18,15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

2�18,16 And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

2�18,17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.--

2�18,18 Now Absalom in his life-time had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said: 'I have no son to keep my name in remembrance'; and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom's monument unto this day. {S}

2�18,19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok: 'Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.'

2�18,20 And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.'

2�18,21 Then said Joab to the Cushite: 'Go tell the king what thou hast seen.' And the Cushite bowed down unto Joab, and ran.

2�18,22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab: 'But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said: 'Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?'

2�18,23 'But come what may, [said he,] I will run.' And he said unto him: 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite.

2�18,24 Now David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

2�18,25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near.

2�18,26 And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said: 'Behold another man running alone.' And the king said: 'He also bringeth tidings.'

2�18,27 And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.'

2�18,28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king: 'All is well.' And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth, {S} and said: 'Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.' {S}

2�18,29 And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.'

2�18,30 And the king said: 'Turn aside, and stand here.' And he turned aside, and stood still.

2�18,31 And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said: 'Tidings for my lord the king; for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.' {S}

2�18,32 And the king said unto the Cushite: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered: 'The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.' {S}

2�19,1 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said: 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!'

2�19,2 And it was told Joab: 'Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom.'

2�19,3 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people; for the people heard say that day: 'The king grieveth for his son.'

2�19,4 And the people got them by stealth that day into the city, as people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

2�19,5 And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice: 'O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!' {S}

2�19,6 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said: 'Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, who this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;

2�19,7 in that thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that princes and servants are nought unto thee; for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

2�19,8 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak to the heart of thy servants; {S} for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night; and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.' {S}

2�19,9 Then the king arose, and sat in the 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. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent. {S}

2�19,10 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: 'The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom.

2�19,11 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?' {S}

2�19,12 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying: 'Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying: Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house?--For the speech of all Israel was come to the king, to bring him to his house.--

2�19,13 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh; wherefore then should ye be the last to bring back the king?

2�19,14 And say ye to Amasa: Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.'

2�19,15 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent unto the king: 'Return thou, and all thy servants.'

2�19,16 So the king returned, and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.

2�19,17 And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, made haste and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.

2�19,18 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him. And they rushed into the Jordan before the king.

2�19,19 And the ferryboat passed to and fro to bring over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he would go over the Jordan.

2�19,20 And he said unto the king: 'Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did iniquitously the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.

2�19,21 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.' {S}

2�19,22 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said: 'Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?' {S}

2�19,23 And David said: 'What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?'

2�19,24 And the king said unto Shimei: 'Thou shalt not die.' And the king swore unto him. {S}

2�19,25 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace.

2�19,26 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him: 'Wherefore wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?'

2�19,27 And he answered: 'My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said: I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because thy servant is lame.

2�19,28 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God; do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

2�19,29 For all my father's house were deserving of death at the hand of 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? or why should I cry any more unto the king?' {P}

2�19,30 And the king said unto him: 'Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say: Thou and Ziba divide the land.'

2�19,31 And Mephibosheth said unto the king: 'Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.' {S}

2�19,32 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he passed on to Jordan with the king, to bring him on the way over the Jordan.

2�19,33 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old; and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.

2�19,34 And the king said unto Barzillai: 'Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem.'

2�19,35 And Barzillai said unto the king: 'How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

2�19,36 I am this day fourscore years old; can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

2�19,37 Thy servant would but just go over the Jordan with the king; and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

2�19,38 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.' {S}

2�19,39 And the king answered: 'Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee; and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.'

2�19,40 And all the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place. {S}

2�19,41 So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him; and all the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel.

2�19,42 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 brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?' {S}

2�19,43 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel: 'Because the king is near of kin to us; wherefore then are ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath any gift been given us?' {S}

2�19,44 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said: 'We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye; why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?' And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. {S}

2�20,1 Now there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the horn, and said: 'We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel.'

2�20,2 So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah did cleave unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

2�20,3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood, with their husband alive. {S}

2�20,4 Then said the king to Amasa: 'Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be thou here present.'

2�20,5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. {S}

2�20,6 And David said to Abishai: 'Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.'

2�20,7 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

2�20,8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. {S}

2�20,9 And Joab said to Amasa: 'Is it well with thee, my brother?' And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

2�20,10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand; so he smote him therewith in the groin, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

2�20,11 And there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said: 'He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David let him follow Joab.'

2�20,12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

2�20,13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

2�20,14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; {S} and they were gathered together, and went in also after him.

2�20,15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood in the moat; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

2�20,16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city: 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab: Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.'

2�20,17 And he came near unto her; and the woman said: 'Art thou Joab?' And he answered: 'I am.' Then she said unto him: 'Hear the words of thy handmaid.' And he answered: 'I do hear.'

2�20,18 Then she spoke, saying: 'They were wont to speak in old time, saying: They shall surely ask counsel at Abel; and so they ended the matter.

2�20,19 We are of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel; seekest thou to destroy a city and a mother in Israel? why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?' {P}

2�20,20 And Joab answered and said: 'Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

2�20,21 The matter is not so; but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.' And the woman said unto Joab: 'Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.'

2�20,22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the horn, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king. {S}

2�20,23 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;

2�20,24 and Adoram was over the levy; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;

2�20,25 and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

2�20,26 and Ira also the Jairite was chief minister unto David. {S}

2�21,1 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. {S} And the LORD said: 'It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.'

2�21,2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them--now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them; and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah--

2�21,3 and David said unto the Gibeonites: 'What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?'

2�21,4 And the Gibeonites said unto him: 'It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.' And he said: 'What say ye that I should do for you?'

2�21,5 And they said unto the king: 'The man that consumed us, and that devised against us, so that we have been destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,

2�21,6 let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.' {P}

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And the king said: 'I will deliver them.'

2�21,7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

2�21,8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;

2�21,9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

2�21,10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

2�21,11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

2�21,12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul in Gilboa;

2�21,13 and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

2�21,14 And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land. {P}

2�21,15 And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint.

2�21,16 And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with new armour, thought to have slain David.

2�21,17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying: 'Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.' {P}

2�21,18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. {S}

2�21,19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. {S}

2�21,20 And there was again war at Gath, where was a champion, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

2�21,21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.

2�21,22 These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. {P}

2�22,1 And David spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul;

2�22,2 and he said: The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

2�22,3 The God who is my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; my saviour, Thou savest me from violence.

2�22,4 Praised, I cry, is the LORD, and I am saved from mine enemies.

2�22,5 For the waves of Death compassed me. The floods of Belial assailed me.

2�22,6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of Death confronted me.

2�22,7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, yea, I called unto my God; and out of His temple He heard my voice, and my cry did enter into His ears.

2�22,8 Then the earth did shake and quake, the foundations of heaven did tremble; they were shaken, because He was wroth.

2�22,9 Smoke arose up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.

2�22,10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.

2�22,11 And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

2�22,12 And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

2�22,13 At the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth.

2�22,14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High gave forth His voice.

2�22,15 And He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

2�22,16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

2�22,17 He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters;

2�22,18 He delivered me from mine enemy most strong, from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

2�22,19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was a stay unto me.

2�22,20 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

2�22,21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.

2�22,22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

2�22,23 For all His ordinances were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

2�22,24 And I was single-hearted toward Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

2�22,25 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyes.

2�22,26 With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright,

2�22,27 With the pure Thou dost show myself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.

2�22,28 And the afflicted people Thou dost save; but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest humble them.

2�22,29 For Thou art my lamp, O LORD; and the LORD doth lighten my darkness.

2�22,30 For by Thee I run upon a troop; by my God do I scale a wall.

2�22,31 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.

2�22,32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a Rock, save our God?

2�22,33 The God who is my strong fortress, and who letteth my way go forth straight;

2�22,34 Who maketh my feet like hinds', and setteth me upon my high places;

2�22,35 Who traineth my hands for war, so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

2�22,36 Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation; and Thy condescension hath made me great.

2�22,37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.

2�22,38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.

2�22,39 And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, that they cannot arise; yea, they are fallen under my feet.

2�22,40 For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

2�22,41 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me; yea, them that hate me, that I might cut them off.

2�22,42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.

2�22,43 Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the streets, and did tread them down.

2�22,44 Thou also hast delivered me from the contentions of my people; Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.

2�22,45 The sons of the stranger dwindle away before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

2�22,46 The sons of the stranger fade away, and come halting out of their close places.

2�22,47 The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God, my Rock of salvation;

2�22,48 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and bringeth down peoples under me,

2�22,49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies; yea, Thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.

2�22,50 Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto Thy name.

2�22,51 A tower of salvation is He to His king; and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore. {P}

2�23,1 Now these are the last words of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:

2�23,2 The spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was upon my tongue.

2�23,3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God,

2�23,4 And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; when through clear shining after rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth.'

2�23,5 For is not my house established with God? for an everlasting covenant He hath made with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it to grow?

2�23,6 But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

2�23,7 But the man that toucheth them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place. {P}

2�23,8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; [he lifted up his spear] against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. {S}

2�23,9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away;

2�23,10 he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain. {S}

2�23,11 And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

2�23,12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory. {S}

2�23,13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

2�23,14 And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

2�23,15 And David longed, and said: 'Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!' {S}

2�23,16 And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

2�23,17 And he said: 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. {S}

2�23,18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.

2�23,19 He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three. {S}

2�23,20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow;

2�23,21 and he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a 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.

2�23,22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

2�23,23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

2�23,24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

2�23,25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

2�23,26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;

2�23,27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;

2�23,28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite;

2�23,29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;

2�23,30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-gaash;

2�23,31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

2�23,32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

2�23,33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite;

2�23,34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

2�23,35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

2�23,36 Igal the son of Nathan of ZoBahá Bani the Gadite;

2�23,37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

2�23,38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

2�23,39 Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all. {P}

2�24,1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them, saying: 'Go, number Israel and Judah.'

2�24,2 And the king said to Joab the captain of the host that was with him: 'Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.' {S}

2�24,3 And Joab said unto the king: 'Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?'

2�24,4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

2�24,5 And they passed over the Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer;

2�24,6 then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Zidon,

2�24,7 and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.

2�24,8 So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

2�24,9 And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king; and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

2�24,10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. {P}

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And David said unto the LORD: 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, O LORD, put away, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.'

2�24,11 And when David rose up in the morning, {P}

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the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying:

2�24,12 'Go and speak unto David: Thus saith the LORD: I lay upon thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.'

2�24,13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him: 'Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to Him that sent Me.' {S}

2�24,14 And David said unto Gad: 'I am in a great strait; let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.'

2�24,15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

2�24,16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people: 'It is enough; now stay thy hand.' And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. {S}

2�24,17 And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said: 'Lo, I have sinned, and I have done iniquitously; but these sheep, what have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, be against me, and against my father's house.' {P}

2�24,18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him: 'Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.'

2�24,19 And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as the LORD commanded.

2�24,20 And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out, and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

2�24,21 And Araunah said: 'Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?' And David said: 'To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.'

2�24,22 And Araunah said unto David: 'Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him; behold the oxen for the burnt-offering, and the threshing-instruments and the furniture of the oxen for the wood.'

2�24,23 All this did Araunah the king give unto the king. {S} And Araunah said unto the king: 'The LORD thy God accept thee.'

2�24,24 And the king said unto Araunah: 'Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God which cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

2�24,25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. {P}

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