(28 unto thee. And now, O Lord GOD, thou art God, and thy words are truth', and thou hast promised this 29) 'good thing unto thy servant: 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 with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 81 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them and David took the bridle of the mother city' out of the (2) hand of the Philistines. 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 Ito (3 David', and brought 'presents'. Da

vid smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his 'dominion' at the River. (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 an hundred 5 chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David Ismotel of the Syrians two and twenty thou6 sand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus and "the Syrians became servants to David, and brought presents'. And the LORD gave victory to David 7 whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and 8 brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took ex9 ceeding much brass. And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 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 10had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him ves

sels of silver, and vessels of gold, and (11) vessels of brass: these! also did king David dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he 12 subdued; of 12Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of 13 Rehob, king of Zobah. And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of 12the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thou14 sand men. 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.

15

And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgement and 16 justice unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of (17 Ahilud was recorder: and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and (18 Seraiah was 14scribe; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada 15was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were 16 priests.

91

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jona2 than's sake? And 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 3 servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, 17Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 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. 5 Then king David sent, and 'fetched! him out of the house of Machir the 6 son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David,

VIII. 1 Methegammah; 2 a.. casting..

gifts

land fell on his face, and did lobeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 1 °And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread 8 at my table continually. And he 'did obeisance', and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon 9) such a dead dog as I am? 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 10) given unto thy master's son. And

thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy serv ants; 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 alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen 11 sons and twenty servants. "Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do. 2As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, 12 as one of the king's sons. °And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants 13 unto Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and he was lame on both his feet. 101 And it came to pass after this,

that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned 2) in his stead. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed 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 (3 of the children of Ammon. Buti 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 4 it? So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their gar

1 Heb. field.

* Or, But Mephibosheth leateth &C.

ments in the middle, even to their 5 buttocks, and sent them away. 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, 6) and then return. And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men' of Tob 7 twelve thousand men. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and 8 all the host of the mighty men. °And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zobah, and of Rehob, and Ithe men of Tob and Maacah, were (9 by themselves in the field. 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 10 the Syrians: 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 11 Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then 12 I will come and help thee. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that 13) which seemeth him good. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Syrians and they fled before him. 14) And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, 15 and came to Jerusalem. And when the Syrians saw that they were 'put to the worse before Israel, they gathered 16 themselves together. And "Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer 17 at their head". And it was told David; 'and' he gathered all Israel

together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, 18) and fought with him. And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, that he died 19 there. And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

11 (1

2

1And 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 Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.

saw a

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 woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look 3 upon. 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? 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 5 she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived; and 'she' sent and told David, and said, I am with 6 child. And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. 7 And Joab sent Uriah to David.

And

when Uriah was come unto him, David 'asked' of him how Joab did, and how the people 'fared', and how the 8 war prospered. 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 meat from 9 the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not 10 down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said

1 See 1 Chr. xx. I. Or, present from

unto Uriah, Art thou not come from la journey? wherefore! didst thou not go down unto thine house? 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 mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do 12 this thing. °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. 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 14 down to his house. And it came to

pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the 15 hand of Uriah. 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 16 smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto 'the' place where he knew that valiant 17 men were. 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 18 the Hittite died also. Then Joab

sent and told David all the things 19) concerning the war; and he' charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the 20) king, 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 21) they would shoot from the wall? who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast lan upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then Ishalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah 22 the Hittite is dead also. So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. (23 And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we

[36]

were upon them even unto the enter24)ing of the gate. And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the 25 Hittite is dead also. "Then David

said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou 26 him. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her 27 husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

121

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 2 other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: 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 4 as a daughter. 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 5 to him. 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 lis 6 worthy to die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD, 'the God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee 8 out of the hand of Saul; 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 had been too little, I would have added' unto thee such and such 9 things. Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the LORD, to do that

1 Heb. a son of death.

which is evil in his sight? thou hast Ismitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy 11 wife. 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. 12 °For thou didst it secretly: but I will

do this thing before all Israel, and 13 before the sun. °And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away 14 thy sin; thou shalt not die. °Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely 15 die. And Nathan departed unto his house.

o

And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, 16 and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay 17 all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did 18 he eat bread with them. 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 spake unto him, and he 'hearkened' not unto our voice: 2how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is 19 dead? 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 20 said, He is dead. 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 21 him, and he did eat. 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, 22 thou didst rise and eat bread. 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 23 child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, 24 but he shall not return to me. And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and 1he called his name Solomon. And the 25 LORD loved him; and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah, 'for' the LORD's sake!.

26

31 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took 27 the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, 'yea, I' have 28 taken the city of waters. Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and 29 it be called after my name. And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and 30) fought against it, and took it. And

he took the crown of their 'king' 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, 31 exceeding much!. 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.

131 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)°And Amnon was so vexed 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 3 her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shim

1 Another reading is, she called.

That is, Beloved of Jah.

3 See 1 Chr. xx. 1-3.

Heb. my name be called upon it.

5 Or, Malcam

eah David's brother: and Jonadab 4) was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, Why, O son of the king', art thou 'thus' lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, 5) my brother Absalom's sister. 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, 6) and eat it at her hand. 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. 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him 'food'. 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took 'dough', and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did 9 bake the cakes. 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. 10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to 11 Amnon her brother. 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. 12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not 10force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do 13 not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I carry my shame? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not 14 withhold me from thee. "Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but being stronger than she, 'he' 15 forced her, and lay with her. 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

See Zeph. i. 5.

6

Or, Itol

8 Or, brickmould\ Heb. morning by morning. 10 Heb. humble.