[6] And Memphibosthe the son of Jonathan the son of Saul comes to the king David, and he fell upon his face and did obeisance to him: and David said to him, Memphibosthe: and he said, Behold thy servant. [7] And David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely deal mercifully with thee for the sake of Jonathan thy father, and I will restore to thee all the land of Saul the father of thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. [8] And Memphibosthe did obeisance, and said, Who am I thy servant, that thou hast looked upon a dead dog like me?
[9] And the king called Siba the servant of Saul, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house have I given to the son of thy lord. [10] And thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him; and thou shalt bring in bread to the son of thy lord, and he shall eat bread: and Memphibosthe the son of thy lord shall eat bread continually at my table. Now Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. [11] And Siba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will thy servant do. And Memphibosthe did eat at the table of David, as one of the sons of the king. [12] And Memphibosthe had a little son, and his name was Micha: and all the household of Siba were servants to Memphibosthe. [13] And Memphibosthe dwelt in Jerusalem, for he continually ate at the table of the king; and he was lame in both his feet.
Chapter 10
[1] And it came to pass after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Annon his son reigned in his stead. [2] And David said, I will shew mercy to Annon the son of Naas, as his father dealt mercifully with me. And David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants; and the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon. [3] And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Annon their lord, Is it to honour thy father before thee that David has sent comforters to thee? Has not David rather sent his servants to thee that they should search the city, and spy it out and examine it? [4] And Annon took the servants of David, and shaved their beards, and cut off their garments in the midst as far as their haunches, and sent them away.
[5] And they brought David word concerning the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonoured: and the king said, Remain in Jericho till your beards have grown, and then ye shall return.
[6] And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed; and the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Baethraam, and the Syrians of Suba, and Roob, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Amalec with a thousand men, and Istob with twelve thousand men.
[7] And David heard, and sent Joab and all his host, even the mighty men. [8] And the children of Ammon went forth, and set the battle in array by the door of the gate: those of Syria, Suba, and Roob, and Istob, and Amalec, being by themselves in the field. [9] And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him from that which was opposed in front and from behind, and he chose out some of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against Syria. [10] And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abessa his brother, and they set the battle in array opposite to the children of Ammon. [11] And he said, If Syria be too strong for me, then shall ye help me: and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then will we be ready to help thee. [12] Be thou courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, and the Lord shall do that which is good in his eyes.
[13] And Joab and his people with him advanced to battle against Syria, and they fled from before him. [14] And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, and they fled from before Abessa, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
[15] And the Syrians saw that they were worsted before Israel, and they gathered themselves together. [16] And Adraazar sent and gathered the Syrians from the other side of the river Chalamak, and they came to Ælam; and Sobac the captain of the host of Adraazar was at their head.
[17] And it was reported to David, and he gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan, and came to Ælam: and the Syrians set the battle in array against David, and fought with him. [18] And Syria fled from before Israel, and David destroyed of Syria seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and he smote Sobac the captain of his host, and he died there. [19] And all the kings the servants of Adraazar saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, and they went over to Israel, and served them: and Syria was afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
Chapter 11
[1] And it came to pass when the time o the year for kings going out to battle had come round, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.
[2] And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king’s house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. [3] And David sent and enquired about the woman: and one said, Is not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?
[4] And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house. [5] And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child. [6] And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David.
[7] And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went on. [8] And David said to Urias, Go to thy house, and wash thy feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and a portion of meat from the king followed him. [9] And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. [10] And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his house. And David said to Urias, Art thou not come from a journey? why hast thou not gone down to thy house? [11] And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how should I do this? as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing. [12] And David said to Urias, Remain here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.
[13] And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
[14] And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias. [15] And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe part of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.
[16] And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were. [17] And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.
[18] And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king. [19] And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished reporting all the events of the war to the king, [20] then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall? [21] Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt say, Thy servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.
[22] And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did ye draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would be wounded from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in
Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? [23] And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the door of the gate. [24] And the archers shot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of the king’s servants died, and thy servant Urias the Chettite is dead also. [25] And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.
[26] And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband. [27] And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Chapter 12
[1] And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. [2] And the rich man had very many flocks and herds. [3] But the poor man had only one little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, and reared; an it grew up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter. [4] And a traveller came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller that came to him; and he took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that came to him. [5] And David was greatly moved with anger against the man; and David said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man that did this thing shall surely die. [6] And he shall restore the lamb seven-fold, because he has not spared.
[7] And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man that has done this. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee to be king over Israel, and I rescued thee out the hand of Saul; [8] and I gave thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord into thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel and Juda; and if that had been little, I would have given thee yet more. [9] Why hast thou set at nought the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his eyes? thou hast slain Urias the Chettite with the sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. [10] Now therefore the sword shall not depart from thy house for ever, because thou has set me at nought, and thou hast taken the wife of Urias the Chettite, to be thy wife. [11] Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against thee evil out of thy house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and will give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. [12] For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.
[13] And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, And the Lord has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. [14] Only because thou hast given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord by this thing, thy son also that is born to thee shall surely die.
[15] And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord smote the child, which the wife of Urias the Chettite bore to David, and it was ill. [16] And David enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground. [17] And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the ground, but he would not rise, nor did he eat bread with them.
[18] And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive we spoke to him, and he hearkened not to our voice; and thou should we tell him that the child is dead? — so would he do himself harm. [19] And David understood that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead. [20] Then David rose up from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his raiment, and went into the house of God, and worshipped him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set bread before him and he ate. [21] And his servants said to him, What is this thing that thou hast done concerning the child? while it was yet living thou didst fast, and weep, and watch: and when the child was dead thou didst rise up, and didst eat bread, and drink. [22] And David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live? [23] But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
[24] And David comforted Bersabee his wife, and he went in to her, and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his named Solomon, and the Lord loved him. [25] And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jeddedi, for the Lord’s sake.
[26] And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. [27] And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbath, and taken the city of waters. [28] And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, an take it beforehand; lest I take the city first, and my name be called upon it.
[29] And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbath, and fought against it, and took it. [30] And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city. [31] And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under iron harrows, and axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
[1] And it happened after this that Abessalom the son of David had a very beautiful sister, and her name was Themar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. [2] And Amnon was distressed even to sickness, because of Themar his sister; for she was a virgin, and it seemed very difficult for Amnon to do anything to her. [3] And Amnon had a friend, and his name was Jonadab, the son of Samaa the brother of David: and Jonadab was a very cunning man. [4] And he said to him, What ails thee that thou art thus weak? O son of the king, morning by morning? wilt thou not tell me? and Ammon said, I love Themar the sister of my brother Abessalom. [5] And Jonadab said to him, Lie upon thy bed, and make thyself sick, and thy father shall come in to see thee; and thou shalt say to him, Let, I pray thee, Themar my sister come, and feed me with morsels, and let her prepare food before my eyes, that I may see and eat at her hands. [6] So Ammon lay down, and made himself sick; and the king came in to see him: and Amnon said to the king, Let, I pray thee, my sister Themar come to me, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, and I will eat them at her hand.
[7] And David sent to Themar to the house, saying, Go now to thy brother’s house, and dress him food. [8] And Themar went to the house of her brother Amnon, and he was lying down: and she took the dough and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. [9] And she took the frying pan and poured them out before him, but he would not eat. And Amnon said, Send out every man from about me. And they removed every man from about him. [10] And Amnon said to Themar, Bring in the food into the closet, and I will eat of thy hand. And Themar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to her brother Amnon into the chamber. [11] And she brought them to him to eat, and he caught hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister. [12] And she said to him, Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it ought not to be so done in Israel; do not this folly. [13] And I, whither shall I remove my reproach? and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. And now, speak, I pray thee, to the king, for surely he will not keep me from thee. [14] But Amnon would not hearken to her voice; and he prevailed against her, and humbled her, and lay with her.
[15] Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her, for the last wickedness was greater than the first: and Amnon said to her, Rise, and be g
one. [16] And Themar spoke to him concerning this great mischief, greater, said she, than the other that thou didst me, to send me away: but Amnon would not hearken to her voice. [17] And he called his servant who had charge of the house, and said to him, Put now this woman out from me, and shut the door after her. [18] And she had on her a variegated robe, for so were the king’s daughters that were virgins attired in their apparel: and his servant led her forth, and shut the door after her.
[19] And Themar took ashes, and put them on her head; and she rent the variegated garment that was upon her: and she laid her hands on her head, and went crying continually. [20] And Abessalom her brother said to her, Has thy brother Amnon been with thee? now then, my sister, be silent, for he is thy brother: be not careful to mention this matter. So Themar dwelt as a widow in the house of her brother Abessalom.
[21] And king David heard of all these things, and was very angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because be loved him, for he was his first-born. [22] And Abessalom spoke not to Amnon, good or bad, because Abessalom hated Amnon, on account of his humbling his sister Themar. [23] And it came to pass at the end of two whole years, that they were shearing sheep for Abessalom in Belasor near Ephraim: and Abessalom invited all the king’s sons. [24] And Abessalom came to the king, and said, Behold, thy servant has a sheep-shearing; let now the king and his servants go with thy servant. [25] And the king said to Abessalom, Nay, my son, let us not all go, and let us not be burdensome to thee. And he pressed him; but he would not go, but blessed him. [26] And Abessalom said to him, And if not, let I pray thee, my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee? [27] And Abessalom pressed him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the king’s sons; and Abessalom made a banquet like the banquet of the king.
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