I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no recompense for the tidings? Notwithstanding, said he, I will run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite.

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. 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. And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called into the gate, and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. 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. And Ahimaaz drew near and 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, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Tidings for my lord the king: for God hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the king said unto the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. Then the king shuddered, 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 in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!

And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 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. And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. And the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice,

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O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! 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; in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that princes and servants are nothing to thee: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear 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. 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.

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This long section of the revolt and death of Absalom presents no particular difficulties. How lifelike and vivid the narrative isone of the best examples of classic Hebrew prose, written too in all probability not very long after the events which it describes. We shall hear in the next section that Meribbaal was perhaps quite innocent of the treachery which Ziba imputes to him. But his innocence is left uncertain, and David, as we shall see, was himself uncertain too. David's forbearance to Shimei is very striking. It is based upon his faith in God. Because David believed that Absalom's revolt was God-willed, he held his peace at Shimei's insolence, and forgave him at his return. Of course the advice of Ahithophel was far better than Hushai's pretended good counsel. Through the delay David was able to collect a considerable army. The story reaches its culmination of interest and beauty in David's agony at the news of Absalom's death. Rebellion and ingratitude cannot destroy his love. This is another striking instance of the noble elements in David's character.

§ 12. We now hear how David returned to his capital, and of the after-effects of Absalom's rebellion.

Now Israel had fled every man to his tent. 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. And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why

do ye delay to bring the king back? And what Israel said came unto the king.

And the king sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye backward to bring the king back to his house? Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye backward to bring back the king? 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. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants. 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.

And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 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, sped down to Jordan before the king, and crossed over the ford in order 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, as he was about to pass over Jordan. And he 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. 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. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed God's anointed? And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be tempters 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? So the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

And Meribbaal 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 again in peace. And it came to pass,

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when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Meribbaal? And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, Saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 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. For all 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? And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more words? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land. And Meribbaal said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went down to the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. 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 rich man. And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thine old age with me in Jerusalem. And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 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? Thy servant would but just go a little way with the king and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, 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. 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. And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him: and he returned unto his own place.

So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over

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with him and all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. And, behold, all the rest of the men of Israel drew near and came to the king, and said, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and brought the king, and his household, over Jordan, and all David's men with him? 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 there been aught gained by us? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and I am also the firstborn rather than thou: why then do ye despise us? and was not our advice the first to bring back our king? But the words of the men of Judah were yet fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

And there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the 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. So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which David had appointed him. And David said to Joab, 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 cause us great mischief. So Joab went out with Abishai and his troops, 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.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab had a sword in his hand underneath his warrior's dress, and over it he was girt with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof ; and as he went forth it fell out. And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the belly, and shed out his bowels to the