in Jerusalem; and he saw not the 29 king's face. 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 30 would not come. "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 31 servants set the field on fire. Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on (32 fire? 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. 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.

151

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him 'a chariot' and horses, and fifty men to run before 2 him. "And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man had a 'suit which should come to the king for judgement, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is 3 of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear 4 thee. "Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I * (5 would do him justice! And it was

so, that when any man came nigh to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and 6 kissed him. And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgement: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

ant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD. 9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to 10 Hebron. "But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Ab(11 salom is king' in Hebron. And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited', and went in their simplicity; and they 12 knew not any thing. 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.

13

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men 14) of Israel are after Absalom. 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 15 of the sword. And the king's serv

ants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever 16 my lord the king shall choose!. °And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to 17 keep the house. And the king went

forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak'. 18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the *19) king. Then said the king to Ittai

the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king for thou art a stranger, and also an exile; return to thine own

20 place. "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; mercy and 21 truth be with thee. "And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king

Or, sent Ahithophel
Or, lat the Far Housel

liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether 'for' death or for life, even there also will thy 22 servant be. 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. 23 °And all the country wept with a loud

been thy father's servant in time past, so will I now be thy servant: then shalt thou defeat for me the 35 counsel of Ahithophel. 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 Abi36 athar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Áhimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye 37 shall hear. "So Hushai David's friend came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

:

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 again, and shew me both it, and * 26) his habitation: but if he say thus, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seem27) eth good unto him. The king said also unto Zadok the priest, 'Art thou not a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the 28 son of Abiathar. See, I will tarry 21at the 'fords of the wilderness, until there come word from you to 29 certify me. "Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem and they 'abode' there. 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 31 up, weeping as they went up. And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And Ďavid said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into 32) foolishness. And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the ascent, where God was! worshipped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat 33 rent, and earth upon his head: "land' David said unto him", If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a bur(34) den unto me: but if thou return to

the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have

1 Or, ISeest thou?

2 Another reading is, in the plains.

And when David was a little past the top of the ascent', behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred clusters' of raisins, and an hundred of summer 2 fruits, and a bottle of wine. And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be 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 be faint in the 3 wilderness may drink. 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 shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 °Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I 'do obeisance; let me1 find 'favour' in thy sight, my lord, O king.

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 lout, and cursed still as he came. 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 (7 his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, thou man of blood', and man of "Belial: 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 9 man of blood". "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 10) thee, and take off his head. "And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? "Because he curseth, and' because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast 11) thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite now do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for 12 the LORD hath bidden him. It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done unto me, and that the LORD will requite me good for his 13) cursing of me this day. So1 David and his men went by the way: and Shimei went along on the hill side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and 14 cast dust. And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

15

And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, 16 and Ahithophel with him. And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, "God save the king, God save 17 the king. And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with 18 thy friend? 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 19 with him will I abide. 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, 20 so will I be in thy presence. Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father. then shall the

1 Or, When he curseth, and when &c. Another reading is, So let him curse, because.

* Some ancient versions read, my affliction.

hands of all that are with thee be 22 strong. 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. (23 °And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

171

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: 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 3 will smite the king only and I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall 4 be in peace. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

5

Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear 6 likewise what he saith. And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner : shall we do after his saying? if not, (7) speak thou. And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time is not good. 8)°Hushai said 'moreover', Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be 'chafed 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 9 the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be 'fallen' at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that fol

10 low Absalom. And even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with 11 him are valiant men. But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to 12 battle in thine own person. So shall

Heb. bitter of soul.

Or, when the falleth upon them Or, that thy presencel (Heb. face) go to the battle

10 also; 11 Therefore.. generally. = [22]

-XVII. 7 (at); 8 For; 9 overthrown;

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 13 leave so much as one. Moreover, if he 'be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found 14 there. °And Absalom and all the

15

men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon

Absalom.

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 16 have I counselled. Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night at the 'fords of the wilderness, but in any wise! pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with 17) him. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and a 'maidservant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David: for they might not be seen to come into 18) the city. 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 19 they went down 'thither'. °And the woman took and spread 'the' covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised corn thereon; and 'nothing' 20 was known. 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 be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 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 lyel, and pass quickly over the water : for thus hath Ahithophel counselled 22 against you. Then David arose, and

1 Or, withdraw himself

2 Another reading is, in the plains.

3 Or, Now Jonathan and Ahimaas Istay by En-rogel; so let the maidservant go and tell them,

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, 28 brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and 'meal', and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse, 29 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.

181

And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds (2) over them. 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. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. (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. 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 5 and by thousands. 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 con6 cerning Absalom. So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest' of 7) Ephraim. And the people of Israel were 'smitten there' before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty 8 thousand men. For the battle was there 'spread over the face of all the country and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword 9 devoured. And Absalom 'chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great 1oak, 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 10 on. And a certain man saw it, and

told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Ab11 salom 'hanging in an oak. 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 given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle. 12 And the man said unto Joab, Though

I should receive a thousand pieces 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 13 young man Absalom. Otherwise lif

I had dealt falsely! against his life, (land' there is no matter hid from the king,) then thou thyself wouldest 14 have stood aloof'. 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 15 midst of the oak. And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and 16 slew him. And Joab blew the trump

et, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back

17) the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the Iforest', and 'raised over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel 18) fed every one to his tent. "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.

19

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath 20 avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not ibe the bearer of 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. 21 Then said Joab to the Cushitel, Go

tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushitel bowed himself unto 22 Joab, and ran. "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 23 no reward for the tidings? But Icome what mayꞌ, said he, 'I will! run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite!.

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. 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. 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. 27 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, 28) and cometh with good tidings. And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he bowed

me

5 Heb. staves. • Or, Ispared

&c. Or, hast no sufficient tidings Heb. Peace.