this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass
over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that
are with him.
10:017:017 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not
be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them;
and they went and told king David.
10:017:018 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went
both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in
Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went
down.
10:017:019 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's
mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not
known.
10:017:020 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house,
they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said
unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they
had sought and could not find them, they returned to
Jerusalem.
10:017:021 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came
up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said
unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus
hath Ahithophel counselled against you.
10:017:022 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and
they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not
one of them that was not gone over Jordan.
10:017:023 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he
saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to
his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself,
and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
10:017:024 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan,
he and all the men of Israel with him.
10:017:025 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab:
which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an
Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash,
sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
10:017:026 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
10:017:027 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 Lodebar, and Barzillai the
Gileadite of Rogelim,
10:017:028 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and
barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles,
and parched pulse,
10:017:029 And honey, and butter, 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 weary, and thirsty, in the
wilderness.
10:018:001 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set
captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
10:018:002 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand
of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of
Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of
Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will
surely go forth with you myself also.
10:018:003 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we
flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us
die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten
thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour
us out of the city.
10:018:004 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 came
out by hundreds and by thousands.
10:018:005 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.
10:018:006 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the
battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
10:018:007 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of
David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of
twenty thousand men.
10:018:008 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the
country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the
sword devoured.
10:018:009 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a
mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak,
and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up
between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under
him went away.
10:018:010 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I
saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
10:018:011 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou
sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the
ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and
a girdle.
10:018:012 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand
shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine
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.
10:018:013 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own
life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou
thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.
10:018:014 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 oak.
10:018:015 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and
smote Absalom, and slew him.
10:018:016 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from
pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
10:018:017 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the
wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all
Israel fled every one to his tent.
10:018:018 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for
himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I
have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the
pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day,
Absalom's place.
10:018:019 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.
10:018:020 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day,
but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou
shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
10:018:021 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen.
And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.
10:018:022 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But
howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab
said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast
no tidings ready?
10:018:023 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run.
Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
10:018:024 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up
to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
10:018:025 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.
10:018:026 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.
10:018:027 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost
is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king
said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
10:018:028 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And
he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and
said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the
men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
10:018:029 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? 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.
10:018:030 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he
turned aside, and stood still.
10:018:031 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the
king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that
rose up against thee.
10:018:032 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe?
And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all
that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man
is.
10:018:033 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 God I had died for
thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
10:019:001 And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth
for Absalom.
10:019:002 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the
people: for the people heard say that day how the king was
grieved for his son.
10:019:003 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as
people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
10:019:004 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud
voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!
10:019:005 And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast
shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day
have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy
daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy
concubines;
10:019:006 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For
thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither
princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom
had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased
thee well.
10:019:007 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy
servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there
will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be
worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy
youth until now.
10:019:008 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: for Israel had fled
every man to his tent.
10:019:009 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of
Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our
enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the
Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom.
10:019:010 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now
therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?
10:019:011 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? seeing the speech of
all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.
10:019:012 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore
then are ye the last to bring back the king?
10:019:013 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh?
God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the
host before me continually in the room of Joab.
10:019:014 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the
heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king,
Return thou, and all thy servants.
10:019:015 So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to
Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over
Jordan.
10:019:016 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim,
hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
10:019:017 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 went over Jordan before the
king.
10:019:018 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's
household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son
of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;
10:019:019 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto
me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did
perversely the day that my lord the king went out of
Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.
10:019:020 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore,
behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of
Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.
10:019:021 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?
10:019:022 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?
10:019:023 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And
the king sware unto him.
10:019:024 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king,
and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor
washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the
day he came again in peace.
10:019:025 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?
10:019:026 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 to the king; because thy servant is lame.
10:019:027 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.
10:019:028 For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord
the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did
eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry
any more unto the king?
10:019:029 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy
matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.
10:019:030 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all,
forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his
own house.
10:019:031 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went
over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.
10:019:032 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old:
and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at
Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
10:019:033 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and
I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem.
10:019:034 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live,
that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?
10:019:035 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between
good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I
drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and
singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a
burden unto my lord the king?
10:019:036 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king:
and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
10:019:037 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die
in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and
of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over
with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto
thee.
10:019:038 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.
10:019:039 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was
come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he
returned unto his own place.
10:019:040 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him:
and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half
the people of Israel.
10:019:041 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said
unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen
thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and
all David's men with him, over Jordan?
10:019:042 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because
the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for
this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath
he given us any gift?
10:019:043 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.
10:020:001 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet,
and said, We have no part in David, neither have we
inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O
Israel.
10:020:002 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed
Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their
king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
10:020:003 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 fed them, but went not in
unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death,
living in widowhood.
10:020:004 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah
within three days, and be thou here present.
10:020:005 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried
longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
10:020:006 And David said to Abishai, Now shall 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 fenced cities,
and escape us.
10:020:007 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.
10:020:008 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa
went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was
girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened
upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it
fell out.
10:020:009 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And
Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
10:020:010 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand:
so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his
bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died.
So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of
Bichri.
10:020:011 And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that
favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after
Joab.
10:020:012 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And
when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed
Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon
him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
10:020:013 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on
after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
10:020:014 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to
Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered
together, and went also after him.
10:020:015 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and
they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the
trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the
wall, to throw it down.
10:020:016 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.
10:020:017 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou
Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear
the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
10:020:018 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time,
saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they
ended the matter.
10:020:019 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel:
thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why
wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
10:020:020 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that
I should swallow up or destroy.
10:020:021 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the
son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the
king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart
from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head
shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
10:020:022 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And
they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it
out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the
city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem
unto the king.
10:020:023 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
10:020:024 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of
Ahilud was recorder:
10:020:025 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
10:020:026 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
10:021:001 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year
after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD
answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he
slew the Gibeonites.
10:021:002 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 to the
children of Israel and Judah.)
10:021:003 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for
you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may
bless the inheritance of the LORD?
10:021:004 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor
gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill
any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I
do for you.
10:021:005 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that
devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining
in any of the coasts of Israel,
10:021:006 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will
hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD
did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
10:021:007 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.
10:021:008 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah,
whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five
sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for
Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
10:021:009 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and
they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell
all seven together, and were put to death in the days of
harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley
harvest.
10:021:010 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it
for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until
water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither
the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of
the field by night.
10:021:011 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the
concubine of Saul, had done.
10:021:012 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of
Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had
stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines
had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in
Gilboa:
10:021:013 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.
10:021:014 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the
country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his
father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And
after that God was intreated for the land.
10:021:015 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and
David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against
the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
10:021:016 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight
of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in
weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have
slain David.
10:021:017 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the
Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto
him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that
thou quench not the light of Israel.
10:021:018 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle
with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite
slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.