Provision furnished.

Absalım is slain.

gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

u Ps.5.10.

55.23. Mat.27.5.

v ch.2.8.

an Ishmaelite.

6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood d of Eph. raim;

7 Where the people of Israel were

and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand

26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

w ICh.2.16.

17.

13 or, Jesse, 1Ch.2.13,

ch.10.1.

16.

27 T And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi'r the son of Nahash of Rab-y ch.12.29,30. bahy of the children of Ammon, and Machir z the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai a the a ch. 19.31,32. Gileadite of Rogelim, IKI.2.7.

z ch.9.4.

b ch.16.2,14.

28 Brought beds, and 14 basins, 14 or, cups. and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,

17.2.

29 And honey, and butter, and (CHAP. 18.) sheep, and cheese of kine, for Da-a ch. 15.19. vid, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, ₺ ch.21.17. The b people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

CHAPTER XVIII.

set their

heart on.

2 as

2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand d Jos. 17.15, of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, [4 multiplied Joab's brother, and a third part un- to devour. der the hand of Ittai a the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

3 But b the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not 1 care for us; neither if half of us die, will they

9 T 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 e his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under himi went away.

10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 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.

12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should 5 receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for fin our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 6 Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: forg there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against

14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus 7 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 8 midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid h a very great heap of stones upon him and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

18 T Now Absalom in his lifeItime had taken and reared up for

Tidings brought to David. himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale; i for he said, I have no son k 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. 19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath 9 avenged him of his enemies. 20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not 10 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.

21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Gom tell the king what thou hast seen. n 2Ki.9.17. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

Is.21.11,12.
Eze.33.2-7.

13 I see the

o

running.

Pr.25.13. Is.52.7.

22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab,But 11howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Where- 1Ki.1.42. fore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings 12 ready? 23 But howsoever, (said he,) let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran mp Cushi.

14 Peace, or, Peace be to thee. Ps. 124.6.

15 shut up,

peace?

24 And David sat between the Ps.31.8. two gates: and the watchmann 16 Is there went up to the roof over 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.

17 Tidings is brought.

r

g Ps. 144.7, 10. Lu. 18.7,8. s Ps. 124.2,3.

t Ju.5.31. Dan.4.19.

26 And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchinan called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running u ch.19.4. alone. And the king said, He also v Ro.5,7,8. bringeth tidings.

27 And the watchman said, 13 Me

thinketh the running of the fore

9.3.

(CHAP. 19.)

most is like the running of Ahimaaz a Pr. 17.25. the son of Zadok. And the king 1 salvation, said, He o is a good man, and com

eth with good tidings.

or, deliver

ance.

b ch.15.30.

are not to thee.

28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, 14 All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his c ch.18.33. face before the king, and said, Bless-2 By loving, edp be the LORD thy God, which 3 that princes hath 15 delivered up the men that or servants lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 29 And the king said, 16 Is the to 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. 30 And the king said unto him, 02

heart of.
Ge.34.8.

d Pr.14.28. e ch.18.6-8.

321

David's lament. Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.

31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, 17 Tidings, my lord the king: q for the LORD hath avenged r thee this day of all them that rose ups against thee.

32 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.

33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, Ou my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God v I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! CHAPTER XIX. Joab causeth the king to cease his mourning.

AND it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth a for Absalom.

2 And the 1 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.

3 And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

4 But the king covered b his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, c O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!

5 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;

62 In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends: for thou hast declared this day, 3 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.

7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak 4 comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, d 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.

8 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 e Israel had filed every man to his tent.

g 1Ki.2.7. Jer.41.17.

36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it 9 choose. me with such a reward?ƒ

1Th.5.26.

i ver. 11-15.

37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, h Ge.31.55. turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mo- 1 Chimhan. ther. But behold thy servant Chimham; g let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall scem good unto thee: and whatso- | ever thou shalt 9 require of me, that will I do for thee.

k ver. 12.

11 set us at light. Ju.8.1. Ja.3.2-10.

ch.19.43. 1Ki. 12.16. Lu. 19.14.

b Ps.62.9.

41 T And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our bre- d ch. 15. 16. thren the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have i brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kink to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or liath he given us any gift?

1 an house of ward.

g

ch.11.11. 1Ki. 1.33.

43 And the men of Israel answered a Call. the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we fch. 19.13. have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye 11 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.

CHAPTER XX.

deliver himself from our

eyes.

By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba h 1Ki. 1.38. maketh a party in Israel.

k IKI.2.5.

his stroke.

Sheba's revolt.

up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah c clave unto their king, from Jordan even toJerusalem. 3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, d whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in 1 ward, e and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were 2 shut up unto the day of their death, 3 living in | widowhood.

4 T Then said the king to Amasa, 4 Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

6 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, g and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and 5 escape us.

7 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, h and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

8 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 girile with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? ́And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss i him.

10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he k smote him therewith in / the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and 6 struck_him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

11 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.

12 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.

13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichrí.

Sheba is beheaded. 14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, m and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

15 And they came and besieged | ↑ or, against him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and the outmost they cast up a bank n against the wall. city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab 8 battered the wall, to throw

it down.

16 T 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. 17 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.

9

Three years' famine, &c.

year after year; and David 1 inquired of the LORD And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.a

2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were b 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 Ju

and so make an end. De.20.11.

o Ju.5.7.

18 Then she spake, saying, They 10 his name. were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel p Ec.9.14-16. at Abel and so they ended the 11 were scatmatter. tered.

19 I am one of them that are peace- q ch.8.16-18. able and faithful in Israel: thour 1Ki.4.6. seekest to destroy a city and a mo-s 1Ki.4.3. thero in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, (Sheba the son of Bichri by 10 name;) hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him orly, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom.p 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 11 retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

12 or, remem

brancer.

13 or, a prince

ch.8.18.
Ge.41.45.
Ex.2.16.

(CHAP. 21.) 1 sought the face, Nu.27.21. a 1Sa.22.19. b Jos.9.3-21.

c ch.20.19. 2 or, It is not

23 ¶ Now Joab q was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24 And Adoram was over the re tribute: and Jehoshaphat s the son of Ahilud was 12 recorder:

25 And Sheva was scribe: and Za

dok and Abiathar were the priests: 26 And Ira also the Jairite was

18 a chief ruler about David.

CHAPTER XXI.

The three years' famine for the Gibeonites ceaseth.

silver nor gold that we have to do with Saul, or

his house;

neither

pertains it

to us to kill. d Ps.49.6,7. 3or,cut us off Eze. 18. 19. f 18a. 10.26. 4 chosen of the LORD. 1a.20.15.

A ch.3.7.

or, Michal's

sister.

6 bare to Adriel, 1Sa.18.19. 1Sa. 15.33.

4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, 2 We will have no silver d nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; man in Israel. And he said, What neither for us shalt thou kill any

ye shall say, that will I do for you. 5 And they answered the king. The man that consumed us, and that 3 devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,

6 Let seven men of his sons e be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah f of Saul, 4 whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath g that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah h the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of 5 Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before i 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 barleyharvest.

10 ¶ And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water and suffered neither the birds of dropped upon them out of heaven, the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.