Bible in 90 Days

¹¹ Here is what Adonai says: ‘I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it. ¹² For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra’el in broad daylight.’”

¹³ David said to Natan, “I have sinned against Adonai.”

Natan said to David, “Adonai also has taken away your sin. You will not die. ¹⁴ However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemed Adonai, the child born to you must die.” ¹⁵ Then Natan returned to his house.

Adonai struck the child that Uriyah’s wife had borne to David, and it became very ill. ¹⁶ David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷ The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn’t eat food with them. ¹⁸ On the seventh day, the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, because they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he didn’t listen to us; if we tell him now that the child is dead, he may do himself some harm.” ¹⁹ But when David saw his servants whispering to each other, he suspected that the child was dead. David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” and they answered, “He is dead.”

²⁰ Then David got up off the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes. He went into the house of Adonai and worshipped; then he went to his own palace; and when he asked for food, they served it to him; and he ate. ²¹ His servants asked him, “What are you doing? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat food!” ²² He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; because I thought, ‘Maybe Adonai will show his grace to me and let the child live.’ ²³ But now that he’s dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

²⁴ David comforted his wife Bat-Sheva, came to her and went to bed with her; she gave birth to a son and named him Shlomo. Adonai loved him ²⁵ and sent through Natan the prophet to have him named Y’didyah [loved by God], for Adonai’s sake.

²⁶ Yo’av fought against Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon and took the royal city. ²⁷ Yo’av sent people to David with this message: “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. ²⁸ Therefore, assemble the rest of the people; lay siege to the city; and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city; and it will be named after me!” ²⁹ David assembled all the people, went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. ³⁰ He took the crown off Malkam’s head; it weighed sixty-six pounds, with its gold and precious stones; and it was placed on David’s head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the city. ³¹ In addition, he expelled the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, iron harrows and iron axes, or had them cross over to work in the brick factory. This is what he did to all the cities of the people of ‘Amon. Then David and all the people returned to Yerushalayim.

13 Now Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Some time after the previous events, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. ² Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her. ³ But Amnon had a friend named Yonadav the son of Shim‘ah David’s brother; and Yonadav was a very shrewd fellow. ⁴ He asked him, “Why, son of the king, are you growing thinner every day? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon answered him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Avshalom’s sister.” ⁵ Yonadav said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend you’re sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and have her prepare the food where I can watch. I’ll eat what she serves me.” ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes here where I can watch, and I’ll eat what she serves me.” ⁷ David sent this instruction home to Tamar: “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare him some food.” ⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes. ⁹ Then she took the pan and turned them out in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Have everyone leave me”; and everyone left him. ¹⁰ Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the room, so that I can have you serve me. Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. ¹¹ But when she brought them near, so that he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me, my sister.” ¹² “No, my brother,” she answered him, “don’t force me! Things like this aren’t done in Isra’el; don’t behave so disgracefully! ¹³ Where could I go with such shame? And as for you, you will be regarded as one of Isra’el’s vulgar brutes. Now therefore, please! Speak to the king, because he won’t keep me from you.” ¹⁴ However, he wouldn’t listen to her; and since he was stronger than she, he overpowered her and raped her. ¹⁵ But then he was filled with utter revulsion for her — his hatred of her was even greater than the love he had had for her before. Amnon said to her, “Get up, and get out of here!” ¹⁶ “No,” she objected, “because throwing me out like this is an even worse thing than what you’ve already done to me!” But he wouldn’t listen to her; ¹⁷ he called his personal servant and said, “Get rid of this woman for me! Throw her out, and lock the door after her!” ¹⁸ She was wearing a long-sleeved robe (this was how they used to dress the king’s daughters who were virgins). His servant took her out and locked the door after her. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, tore her long-sleeved robe that she was wearing, laid her hand on her head and went off, crying aloud as she went.

²⁰ Avshalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now, my sister, keep quiet; because he’s your brother. Don’t take the matter to heart.” But Tamar remained desolate in her brother Avshalom’s house.

²¹ When King David heard about all these things, he became very angry. ²² As for Avshalom, he refused to say a word to Amnon, either good or bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

²³ Two years later, when Avshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba‘al-Hatzor, near Efrayim, Avshalom invited all the king’s sons. ²⁴ Avshalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has sheep-shearers; please let the king and his servants come along with your servant.” ²⁵ The king replied to Avshalom, “No, my son, let’s not all go — we don’t want to be a burden to you.” Avshalom pressed him, but he wouldn’t go; however he gave him his blessing. ²⁶ Then Avshalom said, “If you won’t go, then please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Avshalom kept pressing him, so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

²⁸ Avshalom ordered his servants, “Pay close attention: when Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine, and I say to you, ‘Kill Amnon,’ then strike him down. Don’t be afraid — I’m the one ordering you to do it — but take courage, and be bold.” ²⁹ Avshalom’s servants did to Amnon as Avshalom had ordered. At this, all the king’s sons jumped up, mounted their mules and fled.

³⁰ While they were on their way, the news came to David that Avshalom had killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them was left alive. ³¹ The king got up, tore his clothes and lay on the ground, while all his servants stood by with their clothes torn too. ³² But then Yonadav, the son of Shim‘ah, David’s brother, spoke up; he said, “My lord shouldn’t think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons. Only Amnon is dead; for Avshalom has meant to do this ever since the day he raped his sister Tamar. ³³ So my lord the king shouldn’t take it as seriously as if all the king’s sons are dead; only Amnon is dead.”

³⁴ However, Avshalom took flight. The young man keeping watch looked up and saw many people coming along the road behind him on the hillside. ³⁵ Yonadav said to the king, “Here, the king’s sons have come; it’s just as your servant said.” ³⁶ The moment he finished speaking, the king’s sons came, cried out and wept; and the king too, with all his servants, cried out in great pain. ³⁷ Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of ‘Ammihud, king of G’shur. David mourned for his son every day. ³⁸ So Avshalom fled, went to G’shur and stayed there three years. ³⁹ But as King David became reconciled to the death of his son Amnon, he was increasingly filled with longing to see Avshalom.

14 Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah perceived that the king missed Avshalom; ² so Yo’av sent to T’koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, “Please, pretend you’re a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time. ³ Go in to the king and speak to him in this fashion — ” and then Yo’av told her just what to say. ⁴ When the woman of T’koa spoke to the king, she fell down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself, and said, “King, help!” ⁵ The king said to her, “What’s the trouble?” She answered, “I’m a widow. After my husband died, ⁶ my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him. ⁷ Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they’re saying, ‘Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.’ They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth.”

⁸ The king said to the woman, “Go back home; I myself will decide what to do about you.” ⁹ The woman of T’koa said to the king, “My lord, king, let the guilt be on me and my father’s family; the king and his throne be guiltless.” ¹⁰ The king answered, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me; and he won’t bother you any more.” ¹¹ “Please,” she said, “let the king swear by Adonai your God that the blood avengers won’t do any more destroying, so they won’t destroy my son.” He said, “As Adonai lives, not one of your son’s hairs will fall to the ground.”

¹² Then the woman said, “Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king.” “Go on,” he replied. ¹³ The woman said, “Why is it, then, that you have produced a situation exactly like this against God’s people? By saying what you have said, the king has virtually incriminated himself — in that the king does not bring home again the son he banished. ¹⁴ For we will all die someday; we’ll be like water spilled on the ground that can’t be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast. ¹⁵ Now the reason I came to speak about this matter to my lord the king is that the people were intimidating me; so your servant said, ‘I will speak now to the king; maybe the king will do what his servant is asking. ¹⁶ For the king will listen and rescue his servant from the hands of those who would destroy me and my son together from our share of God’s inheritance.’ ¹⁷ Then your servant said, ‘Please let my lord the king say something that will give me relief; for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good from bad — and may Adonai your God be with you.’”

¹⁸ The king then answered the woman: “I’m going to ask you a question, and please don’t hide anything from me.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.” ¹⁹ The king asked, “Did Yo’av put you up to this?” The woman answered, “As you live, my lord the king, when my lord the king speaks, no one can avoid the issue by turning either right or left. Yes, it was your servant Yo’av who had me do this, and he put in my mouth every word you have heard your servant say. ²⁰ Your servant Yo’av did this in order to bring about some change in the situation. But my lord is wise, he has the wisdom of an angel of God when it comes to understanding anything going on in the land.”

²¹ The king said to Yo’av, “All right, I am granting this request. Go, and bring back young Avshalom.” ²² Yo’av fell to the ground on his face, prostrating himself, and blessed the king; Yo’av said, “Today your servant knows that I have won your favor, my lord, king, because the king has done what your servant requested.” ²³ Then Yo’av got up, went to G’shur and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim. ²⁴ However, the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence.” So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.

²⁵ Now in all Isra’el there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom — there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ²⁶ He would cut his hair only once a year, at the end of the year; and the only reason he cut it then was because it weighed him down. He weighed the hair from his head at 200 shekels (using the royal weight) [about five pounds]. ²⁷ To Avshalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

²⁸ Avshalom lived two years in Yerushalayim without appearing before the king. ²⁹ Then Avshalom summoned Yo’av, planning to send him to the king; but he refused to come to him. He summoned him a second time, but he still wouldn’t come. ³⁰ So he said to his servants, “See, Yo’av’s field is close to mine, and he has barley there; go, and set it on fire.” Avshalom’s servants set the field on fire. ³¹ Then Yo’av got up, went to Avshalom at his house and asked him, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” ³² Avshalom answered Yo’av, “Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, ‘Why did I come from G’shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I’m guilty of anything, he can kill me.’”

³³ Yo’av went to the king and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he went to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Avshalom.

15 Some time later, Avshalom prepared himself a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him. ² He would get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate; and if someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Avshalom would call to him and ask, “What city are you from?” and he would answer, “Your servant is from the such-and-such tribe in Isra’el.” ³ Avshalom would say to him, “Look, your cause is good and just; but the king hasn’t deputized anyone to hear your case.” ⁴ Then Avshalom would continue, “Now if I were made judge in the land, anyone with a suit or other cause could come to me, and I would see that he gets justice!” ⁵ Moreover, whenever any man came close to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶ This is how Avshalom behaved toward anyone in Isra’el who came to the king for judgment, and in this way Avshalom stole the hearts of the people of Isra’el.

⁷ At the end of forty years, Avshalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hevron and fulfill the vow I made to Adonai. ⁸ Your servant made a vow while I was staying at G’shur in Aram to the effect that if Adonai would bring me back to Yerushalayim, then I would serve Adonai.” ⁹ The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he set out and went to Hevron.

¹⁰ But Avshalom sent spies through all the tribes of Isra’el to say, “The moment you hear the sound of the shofar, then start proclaiming, ‘Avshalom is king in Hevron.’” ¹¹ With Avshalom went 200 men from Yerushalayim who had been invited; they went innocently, knowing nothing about the scheme. ¹² Avshalom sent for Achitofel the Giloni, David’s counselor, to come from his town Giloh and be with him while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew strong, because the number of people favoring Avshalom kept increasing.

¹³ A messenger came to David saying, “The men of Isra’el have aligned themselves with Avshalom.” ¹⁴ David said to all his servants with him in Yerushalayim, “Get up! We must flee! Otherwise none of us will escape from Avshalom. Hurry, and leave; or he will soon overtake us, attack us and put the city to the sword.” ¹⁵ The king’s servants said to the king, “Here, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” ¹⁶ So the king set out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women who were concubines to care for the palace. ¹⁷ The king set out with all the people after him, but they waited at the last house ¹⁸ for all his servants to pass by him in review; all the K’reti and P’leti and all the Gittim (600 men who had accompanied him from Gat) passed in review before the king.

¹⁹ Then the king said to Ittai the Gitti, “You too? Why are you going with us? Go back, and stay with your king, since you are both a foreigner and in exile from your own place. ²⁰ You arrived only yesterday; should I ask you to wander around with us? There’s no telling where I may go. Return, and take your kinsmen back with you. Grace and truth be with you.” ²¹ But Ittai answered the king, “As Adonai lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there too.” ²² “Go, move along,” said David to Ittai; and Ittai the Gitti moved on, accompanied by all his men and the little ones with him.

²³ The whole country wept and wailed as all the people left. When the king crossed Vadi Kidron, all the people crossed, too, heading toward the desert road. ²⁴ Tzadok also came, accompanied by all the L’vi’im bearing the ark for the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, but Evyatar went up until all the people had finished leaving the city. ²⁵ The king said to Tzadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in Adonai’s sight, he will bring me back and show me both it and the place where it is kept. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I am displeased with you,’ then — here I am; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.” ²⁷ The king then said to Tzadok the cohen, “Do you see? Return to the city in peace, your two sons with you — Achima‘atz your own son and Y’honatan the son of Evyatar. ²⁸ I will wait on the desert plains until a message with new information comes from you.” ²⁹ So Tzadok and Evyatar carried the ark of God back to Yerushalayim and stayed there.

³⁰ David continued up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up, head covered and barefoot; and all the people with him had their heads covered and wept as they went up. ³¹ One of them told David, “Achitofel is among the conspirators with Avshalom.” David said, “Adonai, please! Turn Achitofel’s advice into foolishness!”

³² When David reached the top of the ascent, where it was customary to worship God, Hushai the Arki came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will become a burden to me. ³⁴ But if you go back to the city and tell Avshalom, ‘King, I will be your servant; just as I was your father’s servant in the past, so I will now be your servant’ — then you will be able to frustrate Achitofel’s advice for me. ³⁵ You have Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim there with you. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, you tell to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim. ³⁶ Their two sons, Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok and Y’honatan the son of Evyatar, are there with them; through them send me everything you hear.” ³⁷ So Hushai David’s friend came into the city when Avshalom was about to enter Yerushalayim.

16 When David had gone a little past the summit, there was Tziva, the servant of M’fivoshet, who met him with a pair of donkeys saddled and on them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit and a skin of wine. ² The king said to Tziva, “What do you mean by these?” Tziva replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat; and the wine is for those who collapse in the desert to drink.” ³ The king asked, “Where is your master’s [grand]son?” Tziva answered the king, “He’s staying in Yerushalayim, because he said, ‘Today the house of Isra’el will restore my father’s kingship to me.’” ⁴ The king said to Tziva, “Everything that belongs to M’fivoshet is now yours.” Tziva answered, “I bow down before you; may I find favor in your sight, my lord, king.”

⁵ When King David arrived at Bachurim, there came out from there a man from Sha’ul’s family named Shim‘i the son of Gera; and he came out pronouncing curses ⁶ and throwing stones at David and all King David’s servants; even though all the people, including his bodyguard, surrounded him right and left. ⁷ When Shim‘i cursed, he said, “Get out of here! Get out of here, you killer, you good-for-nothing! ⁸ Adonai has brought back on you all the blood of the house of Sha’ul. You usurped his kingship, but Adonai has handed over the kingdom to Avshalom your son. Now your own evil has overtaken you, because you are a man of blood!”

⁹ Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah said to the king, “Why allow this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Just let me go over and remove his head!” ¹⁰ The king said, “Do you sons of Tz’ruyah and I have anything in common? Let him curse. If Adonai tells him, ‘Curse David,’ who has the right to ask, ‘Why are you doing it?’” ¹¹ David then said to Avishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, who came from my own body, seeks my life. So how much more now this Binyamini! Let him alone; and let him curse, if Adonai told him to. ¹² Maybe Adonai will notice how I’m treating him, and Adonai will reward me with good instead of his curses.” ¹³ So David and his men went on their way, while on the opposite hillside Shim‘i kept pace with him, cursing, throwing stones and flinging dust as he went. ¹⁴ The king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, so he rested there.

¹⁵ Meanwhile Avshalom and all the people, the men of Isra’el, came to Yerushalayim; Achitofel was with him. ¹⁶ Hushai the Arki, David’s friend, came to Avshalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” ¹⁷ Avshalom asked Hushai, “Is this how you show kindness to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?” ¹⁸ Hushai replied, “No, but whomever Adonai and this people and all the men of Isra’el choose, his I will be; and with him I will stay. ¹⁹ Moreover, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? Just as I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”

²⁰ Avshalom said to Achitofel, “Give your advice as to what we should do.” ²¹ Achitofel answered Avshalom, “Go in, and sleep with your father’s concubines, the ones he left to take care of the palace. All Isra’el will hear that your father utterly despises you, and this will strengthen the position of all those who are on your side.” ²² So they set up a tent for Avshalom on the roof of the palace; and Avshalom went in to sleep with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Isra’el. ²³ In those days Achitofel’s advice was regarded as highly as if someone had sought out the word of God; it was this way with Achitofel’s advice both to David and to Avshalom.

17 Achitofel said to Avshalom, “Let me now choose 12,000 men, and I will pursue David tonight. ² I’ll fall on him unexpectedly when he’s tired and powerless. I’ll frighten him, all the people with him will flee, and I’ll attack only the king. ³ Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace.” ⁴ What he said pleased Avshalom and all the leaders of Isra’el.

⁵ Then Avshalom said, “Now call also Hushai the Arki, and let’s give equal hearing to what he has to say.” ⁶ When Hushai appeared before Avshalom, Avshalom said to him, “Achitofel has said such-and-such. Should we do what he says? If not, you tell us.” ⁷ Hushai said to Avshalom, “The advice Achitofel has given this time is not good. ⁸ You know,” continued Hushai, “that your father and his men are powerful men, and that they are as bitter as a bear deprived of her cubs in the wild. Moreover, your father is a military man, and he won’t camp with the rest of the people — ⁹ right now he’s hidden in a pit or somewhere. So what will happen is this: when they begin their attack, and whoever hears about it says, ‘A slaughter is taking place among Avshalom’s followers,’ ¹⁰ then even the strongest among them, someone whose courage is that of a lion, will completely collapse! For all Isra’el knows that your father is a powerful man, and those with him are powerful men. ¹¹ Rather, I advise that you summon all Isra’el to come to you, from Dan to Be’er-Sheva, numbering as many as sand grains on the seashore; and then you go to battle, yourself. ¹² In this way we’ll come upon him wherever he is, and we’ll fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; of him and all the men with him we won’t leave even one alive. ¹³ If he withdraws into a city, then all Isra’el will bring up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed until not even a pebble is left.” ¹⁴ Avshalom and all the men of Isra’el said, “The advice of Hushai the Arki is better than the advice of Achitofel” — for Adonai had determined to frustrate the good advice of Achitofel, so that Adonai could bring disaster on Avshalom.

¹⁵ Then Hushai said to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim, “Achitofel gave such-and-such advice to Avshalom and the leaders of Isra’el, but I advised so and so. ¹⁶ Now therefore send quickly and tell David, “Don’t stay tonight in the desert plains; but, whatever it takes, move on from there! Otherwise, the king and all the people with him will be engulfed.” ¹⁷ Y’honatan and Achima‘atz were staying at ‘Ein-Rogel; a female servant was to go and tell them, and they in turn were to go and tell King David — for it would not do to have them seen entering the city. ¹⁸ But a boy saw them and told Avshalom; so both of them took off quickly and came to the house of a man in Bachurim who had a cistern in his courtyard; and they went down into it. ¹⁹ His wife spread a covering over the cistern’s opening and scattered drying grain on it, so that nothing showed. ²⁰ Avshalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Achima‘atz and Y’honatan?” The woman answered them, “They’ve crossed the stream.” After searching and not finding them, they returned to Yerushalayim.

²¹ After they had left, the two climbed out of the cistern and went and told King David, “Get up and cross the river, because Achitofel has given such-and-such advice against you.” ²² David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Yarden; by dawn every one of them had crossed the Yarden. ²³ When Achitofel saw that his advice was not being followed, he saddled his donkey, set out, and went home to his own city. After setting his house in order, he hanged himself; he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

²⁴ David had reached Machanayim by the time Avshalom and all the men of Isra’el crossed the Yarden. ²⁵ Avshalom had put ‘Amasa in charge of the army in place of Yo’av. ‘Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Yitra the Isra’eli, who had had sexual relations with Avigal the daughter of Nachash, Tz’ruyah’s sister and Yo’av’s mother. ²⁶ Isra’el and Avshalom pitched camp in the land of Gil‘ad.

²⁷ After David had arrived in Machanayim, Shovi the son of Nachash, from Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon; Machir the son of ‘Ammi’el from Lo-D’var and Barzillai the Gil‘adi from Roglim ²⁸ brought beds, basins, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted millet, ²⁹ honey, curdled milk, sheep and cheese made of cow’s milk for David and the people with him to eat; because they said, “These people are hungry, tired and thirsty from the desert.”

18 David took a census of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. ² Then David dispatched the people, a third of them under the command of Yo’av, a third under Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah, Yo’av’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gitti; and the king said to the people, “I will also go out with you, myself.” ³ But the people replied, “Don’t go out; because if we flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so it is better now that you stay in the city and be ready if we need help.” ⁴ The king answered them, “I will do whatever you think best.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ The king gave orders to Yo’av, Avishai and Ittai, “For my sake, deal gently with young Avshalom.” All the people were listening when the king gave all the commanders this order concerning Avshalom.

⁶ So the people went out into the field against Isra’el; the battle took place in the forest of Efrayim. ⁷ The people of Isra’el were defeated there by David’s servants; there was a terrible slaughter that day of 20,000 men. ⁸ For the battle there was spread all over the countryside; the forest devoured more people that day than did the sword.

⁹ Avshalom happened to meet some of David’s servants. Avshalom was riding his mule, and as the mule walked under the thick branches of a big terebinth tree, his head got caught in the terebinth, so that he was left hanging between earth and sky, as the mule went on from under him. ¹⁰ Someone saw it and told Yo’av, “I saw Avshalom hanging in a terebinth.” ¹¹ Yo’av asked the man who told him, “Here now, you saw it; so why didn’t you strike him to the ground then and there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt besides.” ¹² The man replied to Yo’av, “Even if I were to get a thousand pieces of silver, I still wouldn’t raise my hand against the son of the king! After all, while we were listening, the king ordered you, Avishai and Ittai, ‘Be careful that no one touches young Avshalom.’ ¹³ Or, if I had pretended that I didn’t know, the king would have known otherwise anyway; and you wouldn’t have interceded for me either.” ¹⁴ Yo’av said, “I can’t waste time arguing with you!” He took three darts in his hand and rammed them through Avshalom’s heart while he was still alive, hanging from the terebinth. ¹⁵ Then Yo’av’s ten young armor-bearers surrounded Avshalom, struck him and killed him.

¹⁶ Yo’av sounded the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra’el, because Yo’av held back the troops. ¹⁷ They took Avshalom and threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled a big heap of stones over him. All Isra’el fled, each one to his tent. ¹⁸ In his own lifetime Avshalom had taken and raised for himself the pillar which stands in the King’s Valley; because he said, “I don’t have a son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he named the pillar after himself, and it’s called Avshalom’s Monument to this day.

¹⁹ Then Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok said, “Let me run now and bring news to the king that Adonai has judged in his favor by releasing him from his enemies.” ²⁰ Yo’av said to him, “You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹ Then Yo’av said to the Ethiopian, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” The Ethiopian bowed to Yo’av, then ran off. ²² But Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok said again to Yo’av, “Come what may, please let me also run after the Ethiopian.” Yo’av answered, “Why do you want to run, my son? You won’t receive any reward for bringing the news.” ²³ “I don’t care — whatever happens, I want to run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Achima‘atz ran by the road through the desert flats and outran the Ethiopian.

²⁴ David was sitting between the two gates. A watchman went up to the roof of the gate and out onto the wall, raised his eyes, looked, and saw there a man running by himself. ²⁵ The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, “If he’s alone, he has good news to tell.” As he ran along and came close, ²⁶ the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, “There’s another man running by himself.” The king said, “He too must have good news.” ²⁷ The watchman said, “The first one runs like Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok.” The king said, “He’s a good man, he comes with good news.”

²⁸ Achima‘atz called to the king, “Shalom,” prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be Adonai your God, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king.” ²⁹ The king asked, “Is everything all right with young Avshalom?” Achima‘atz answered, “When Yo’av sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn’t know what it was.” ³⁰ The king said, “Go, and stand over there.” So he went and stood there. ³¹ Then up came the Ethiopian, and the Ethiopian said, “There’s good news for my lord the king, for Adonai has judged in your favor and rid you of all those who rebelled against you.” ³² The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is everything all right with young Avshalom?” The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you in order to harm you be as that young man is.”

19 ^(18:33) Trembling, the king went up to the room over the gate, weeping and crying, “Oh, my son Avshalom! My son! My son Avshalom! If only I had died instead of you! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!”

^2 (1) Yo’av was told, “The king is weeping, mourning for Avshalom.” ^3 (2) Thus the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieving for his son; ^4 (3) so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield. ^5 (4) Meanwhile, the king covered his face and cried aloud, “Oh, my son Avshalom! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!”

^6 (5) Yo’av went inside to the king and said, “Today you made all your servants feel ashamed. They saved your life today, and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and concubines. ^7 (6) But you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you said that princes and servants mean nothing to you — for I can see today that it would have pleased you more if Avshalom had lived today, and we had all died! ^8 (7) Now get up, go out and speak heart-to-heart with your servants. For I swear by Adonai that if you don’t go out, not one man will stay here with you tonight — and that will be worse for you than all the misfortunes you have suffered from your youth until now.” ^9 (8) So the king got up and sat in the city gateway; and when all the people were told, “Now the king is sitting in the gate,” they came before the king.

Meanwhile, Isra’el had fled, each man to his tent; ^10 (9) and throughout all the tribes of Isra’el there was dissension among all the people. They were saying, “The king delivered us from the power of our enemies, and he saved us from the power of the P’lishtim; but now he has fled the land to escape Avshalom. ^11 (10) However, Avshalom, whom we anointed to rule us, is dead in battle. So now, why doesn’t anyone suggest bringing the king back?”

^12 (11) King David sent this message to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim: “Ask the leaders of Y’hudah, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace? The king has already heard that all Isra’el wants to return him to his palace. ^13 (12) You are my kinsmen, my flesh and bone; so why are you the last to bring back the king?’ ^14 (13) Also tell ‘Amasa, ‘You are my flesh and bone. May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if from now on you are not permanent commander of my army instead of Yo’av.” ^15 (14) Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Y’hudah around as if they were one man, so that they sent a message to the king, “Come back, you and all your servants!”

^16 (15) The king started back and arrived at the Yarden, while Y’hudah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king and bring the king over the Yarden. ^17 (16) Shim‘i the son of Gera, the Binyamini from Bachurim, hurried and came down with the men of Y’hudah to meet King David. ^18 (17) There were a thousand men of Binyamin with him, also Tziva the servant of the house of Sha’ul with his fifteen sons and twenty servants; and they rushed into the Yarden ahead of the king ^19 (18) to ferry the king’s household across and do whatever else the king wanted done. Shim‘i the son of Gera fell down before the king when he was ready to cross the Yarden ^20 (19) and said to the king, “May my lord not hold me guilty of a crime. Don’t remember the wrong your servant did on the day my lord the king left Yerushalayim. May the king not take it to heart! ^21 (20) For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, look — I am the first one of all the house of Yosef to come today and go down to meet my lord the king.”

^22 (21) Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah answered, “Shouldn’t Shim‘i be put to death for this? After all, he cursed Adonai’s anointed ruler!” ^23 (22) But David said, “What do I have in common with you, you sons of Tz’ruyah? Why have you become my adversaries today? Should anyone in Isra’el be put to death today? Don’t I know that today I am king over Isra’el?” ^24 (23) Then the king said to Shim‘i, “You will not be put to death,” and the king swore it to him.

^25 (24) M’fivoshet the son of Sha’ul came down to meet the king. He hadn’t cared for his legs, trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he came home in peace. ^26 (25) When he came to Yerushalayim to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why didn’t you go with me, M’fivoshet?” ^27 (26) He answered, “My lord king, my servant deceived me. I your servant had said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself to ride on and go with the king,’ since your servant is lame. ^28 (27) But he slandered me your servant to my lord the king. However, my lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever seems right to you. ^29 (28) For all my father’s household deserved death at the hand of my lord the king; nevertheless you placed your servant with those who eat at your own table. I deserve nothing more; so why should I come crying any more to the king?” ^30 (29) The king said to him, “Why speak any more about these matters of yours? I say: you and Tziva, divide the land.” ^31 (30) M’fivoshet said to the king, “Indeed, let him take it all; for me it’s enough that my lord the king has come home in peace.”

^32 (31) Barzillai the Gil‘adi had come down from Roglim and passed on to the Yarden with the king to bring him across the Yarden. ^33 (32) Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; he had provided for the king’s needs when he was staying at Machanayim; for he was a wealthy man. ^34 (33) The king said to Barzillai, “Come on across with me, and I will provide for your needs with me in Yerushalayim.” ^35 (34) Barzillai said to the king, “How much longer can I live, that I should go up with the king to Yerushalayim? ^36 (35) I am now eighty years old. Can I tell good from bad? Can your servant even taste what he eats or drinks? Can I hear the voice of men and women singing any more? Why should your servant burden my lord the king? ^37 (36) Your servant only wants to cross the Yarden with the king; why should the king reward this so generously? ^38 (37) Please, just let your servant go back and die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Khimham; let him cross with my lord the king; and do for him whatever seems good to you.” ^39 (38) The king answered, “Khimham will cross with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you.” ^40 (39) So all the people crossed the Yarden; and the king crossed too. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him; then he returned to his home. ^41 (40) The king crossed over to Gilgal, and Khimham crossed with him. All the people of Y’hudah brought the king across, as did half the people of Isra’el.

^42 (41) Now all the men of Isra’el came to the king and said to him, “Why have our kinsmen, the men of Y’hudah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household across the Yarden, and all David’s men with him?” ^43 (42) All the men of Y’hudah answered the men of Isra’el, “Because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about this? Have we eaten anything at the king’s expense? Has any gift been given to us?”

^44 (43) The men of Isra’el answered the men of Y’hudah, “We have ten shares in the king; also we have more right in David than you. So why did you despise us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing our king back?” But the men of Y’hudah spoke more vehemently than the men of Isra’el.

20 There happened to be there a scoundrel whose name was Sheva the son of Bikhri, a Binyamini. He sounded the shofar and said, “We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Yishai; so, Isra’el, every man to his tent!” ² All the men of Isra’el left off following David and went after Sheva the son of Bikhri. But the men of Y’hudah stuck with their king, from the Yarden to Yerushalayim.

³ When David arrived at his palace in Yerushalayim, the king took the ten women who were his concubines, whom he had left to care for the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs but never slept with them again. They were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living like widows with their husband still alive.

⁴ The king said to ‘Amasa, “Summon the men of Y’hudah to come to me within three days; and you, be here too.” ⁵ ‘Amasa went to summon the men of Y’hudah but took longer than the time he had been given. ⁶ David said to Avishai, “Sheva the son of Bikhri is going to do us more harm than Avshalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he won’t take over fortified cities and escape us.” ⁷ With him went Yo’av’s men, the K’reti, the P’leti and all the experienced soldiers; they left Yerushalayim in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.

⁸ On arrival at the big rock in Giv‘on, ‘Amasa came to meet them. Yo’av was wearing his battle clothes, over which he had girded a belt with a sheathed sword; but as he came forward it fell out. ⁹ Yo’av said to ‘Amasa, “Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo’av took ‘Amasa by the beard to kiss him. ¹⁰ ‘Amasa took no notice of the sword in Yo’av’s hand, so Yo’av stabbed him in the groin. His insides poured out on the ground, and he died without being stabbed a second time.

Yo’av and Avishai his brother continued in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri. ¹¹ One of Yo’av’s young men standing by Yo’av said, “Whoever is on Yo’av’s side, whoever is for David — let him follow Yo’av.” ¹² ‘Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road; so that as the troops came up, they all halted there. When the man saw that all the people were standing still, he dragged ‘Amasa off the road into the field and threw a cloak over him. ¹³ Once he had been removed from the road, all the troops went on after Yo’av, to pursue Sheva the son of Bikhri.

¹⁴ Sheva went through all the tribes of Isra’el, to Avel and Beit-Ma‘akhah, and to all the Berim; they assembled and followed him. ¹⁵ Yo’av’s troops came and put him under siege in Avel of Beit-Ma‘akhah — they put up a ramp in the moat against the city wall; and all the people with Yo’av battered the wall in order to bring it down. ¹⁶ Then a wise woman in the city shouted, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo’av, ‘Come over here, so that I can speak with you.’” ¹⁷ He approached her, and the woman asked, “Are you Yo’av?” He answered, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” He answered, “I’m listening.” ¹⁸ Then she said, “In the old days they used to say, ‘They will ask advice at Avel’; and that would end the discussion. ¹⁹ We are among those in Isra’el who are peaceful and faithful. Why are you destroying a city and a mother in Isra’el? Why swallow up the inheritance of Adonai?” ²⁰ Yo’av answered, “Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid that I should swallow or destroy anything! ²¹ That’s not how it is. Rather, a man from the hills of Efrayim, Sheva the son of Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Just turn him over to me, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Yo’av, “All right, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” ²² Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. They cut off the head of Sheva the son of Bikhri and threw it out to Yo’av. So he sounded the shofar, and they left the city, sending each man to his tent; while Yo’av returned to the king in Yerushalayim.

²³ Once again Yo’av was commander over the whole army of Isra’el, while B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada was over the K’reti and P’leti, ²⁴ Adoram was in charge of forced labor, Y’hoshafat the son of Achilud was secretary of state, ²⁵ Sh’va was recorder, Tzadok and Evyatar were cohanim, ²⁶ and ‘Ira the Ya’iri was David’s cohen.

21 In David’s time there was a famine that lasted three years, and David consulted Adonai. Adonai said, “It is because of Sha’ul and his bloodstained house, because he put to death the people of Giv‘on.” ² The king summoned the Giv‘onim and said to them — these Giv‘onim were not part of the people of Isra’el but from the remnant of the Emori; and the people of Isra’el had sworn to them; but Sha’ul, in his zeal for the people of Isra’el and Y’hudah, had sought to exterminate them — ³ David said to the Giv‘onim, “What should I do for you? With what should I make atonement, so that you will be able to bless Adonai’s heritage?” ⁴ The Giv‘onim said to him, “Our dispute with Sha’ul can’t be resolved with silver or gold; and we don’t have the right to put anyone in Isra’el to death.” He said, “So, what do you say that I should do for you?” ⁵ They answered the king, “The man who ruined us, who schemed against us so that we would cease to exist anywhere in Isra’el’s territory — ⁶ have seven of his male descendants handed over to us, and we will put them to death by hanging before Adonai in Giv‘ah of Sha’ul, whom Adonai chose.” The king said, “I will hand them over.” ⁷ But the king spared M’fivoshet, the son of Y’honatan the son of Sha’ul, because of the oath before Adonai between David and Y’honatan the son of Sha’ul. ⁸ The king took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she bore to Sha’ul, Armoni and M’fivoshet; and the five sons of Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, whom she bore to Adri’el the son of Barzillai the Mecholati; ⁹ and handed them over to the Giv‘onim, who hanged them on the hill before Adonai. All seven died; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest season, at the beginning of the barley harvest. ¹⁰ Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth, spread it out toward a cliff for herself and stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until water was poured out on the bodies from the sky, not letting the birds land on them during the day or the wild animals at night.

¹¹ David was told what Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, the concubine of Sha’ul, had done. ¹² So David went and took the bones of Sha’ul and the bones of Y’honatan his son from the men of Yavesh-Gil‘ad, who had stolen them from the open square of Beit-Sh’an, where the P’lishtim had hanged them at the time the P’lishtim had killed Sha’ul at Gilboa; ¹³ and he brought up from there the bones of Sha’ul and the bones of Y’honatan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. ¹⁴ Then they buried the bones of Sha’ul and Y’honatan his son in the territory of Binyamin in Tzela, in the tomb of Kish his father; they did everything the king ordered. Only after that was God prevailed on to show mercy to the land.

¹⁵ Once again the P’lishtim made war on Isra’el. David went down with his servants and fought against the P’lishtim, but David began to get tired. ¹⁶ Yishbi-B’nov, one of the sons of the giant, said that he would kill David; his spear weighed seven pounds, and he was wearing new armor. ¹⁷ But Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah came to David’s rescue by striking the P’lishti and killing him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must no longer go out with us to battle, in order not to quench the lamp of Isra’el.” ¹⁸ A while after this there was again war with the P’lishtim, at Gov. Sibkhai the Hushati killed Saf, one of the sons of the giant. ¹⁹ There was more war with the P’lishtim at Gov; and Elchanan the son of Ya‘arei-Orgim, the Beit-Lachmi, killed Golyat the Gitti, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s beam. ²⁰ There was again war at Gat, where there was a belligerent man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all — and he too was a son of the giant. ²¹ When he mocked Isra’el, Y’honatan the son of Shim‘ah David’s brother killed him. ²² These four were sons of the giant in Gat; they fell at the hands of David and his servants.

22 David said the words of this song to Adonai on the day Adonai delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the power of Sha’ul. ² He said: