Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ And forthwith Saul fell all along on the ground, for he was frightened with the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day.

²¹ And the woman came to Saul (for he was very much troubled) and said to him: Behold thy handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand: and I hearkened unto the words which thou spokest to me.

²² Now therefore hear thou also the voice of thy handmaid, and let me set before thee a morsel of bread, that thou mayest eat and recover strength, and be able to go on thy journey.

²³ But he refused, and said: I will not eat. But his servants and the woman forced him, and at length hearkening to their voice, he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.

²⁴ Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she made haste and killed it: and taking meal kneaded it, and baked some unleavened bread,

²⁵ And set it before Saul, and before his servants. And when they had eaten they rose up, and walked all that night.

29 Now all the troops of the Philistines were gathered together to Aphec: and Israel also camped by the fountain which is in Jezrahel.

² And the lords of the Philistines marched with their hundreds and their thousands: but David and his men were in the rear with Achis.

³ And the princes of the Philistines said to Achis: What mean these Hebrews? And Achis said to the princes of the Philistines: Do you not know David, who was the servant of Saul the king of Israel, and hath been with me many days, or years, and I have found no fault in him, since the day that he fled over to me until this day?

⁴ But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him, and they said to him: Let this man return, and abide in his place, which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest he be an adversary to us, when we shall begin to fight: for how can he otherwise appease his master, but with our heads?

⁵ Is not this David, to whom they sung in their dances, saying: Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

⁶ Then Achis called David, and said to him: As the Lord liveth, thou art upright and good in my sight: and so is thy going out, and thy coming in with me in the army: and I have not found my evil in thee, since the day that thou camest to me unto this day: but thou pleasest not the lords.

⁷ Return therefore, and go in peace, and offend not the eyes of the princes of the Philistines.

⁸ And David said to Achis: But what have I done, and what hast thou found in me thy servant, from the day that I have been in thy sight until this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

⁹ And Achis answering said to David: I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: but the princes of the Philistines have said: He shall not go up with us to the battle.

¹⁰ Therefore arise in the morning, thou, and the servants of thy lord, who came with thee: and when you are up before day, and it shall begin to be light, go on your way.

¹¹ So David and his men arose in the night, that they might set forward in the morning, and returned to the land of the Philistines: and the Philistines went up to Jezrahel.

30 Now when David and his men were come to Siceleg on the third day, the Amalecites had made an invasion on the south side upon Siceleg, and had smitten Siceleg, and burnt it with fire.

² And had taken the women captives that were in it, both little and great: and they had not killed any person, but had carried them with them, and went on their way.

³ So when David and his men came to the city, and found it burnt with fire, and that their wives and their sons, and their daughters were taken captives,

⁴ David and the people that were with him, lifted up their voices, and wept till they had no more tears.

⁵ For the two wives also of David were taken captives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

⁶ And David was greatly afflicted: for the people had a mind to stone him, for the soul of every man was bitterly grieved for his sons, and daughters: but David took courage in the Lord his God.

⁷ And he said to Abiathar the priest the son of Achimelech: Bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

⁸ And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after these robbers, and shall I overtake them, or not? And the Lord said to him: Pursue after them: for thou shalt surely overtake them and recover the prey.

⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and they came to the torrent Besor: and some being weary stayed there.

¹⁰ But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred stayed, who being weary could not go over the torrent Besor.

¹¹ And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David: and they gave him bread to eat, and water to drink,

¹² As also a piece of a cake of figs, and two bunches of raisins. And when he had eaten them his spirit returned, and he was refreshed: for he had not eaten bread, nor drunk water three days, and three nights.

¹³ And David said to him: To whom dost thou belong? or whence dost thou come? and whither art thou going? He said: I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of an Amalecite, and my master left me, because I began to be sick three days ago.

¹⁴ For we made an invasion on the south side of Cerethi, and upon Juda, and upon the south of Caleb, and we burnt Siceleg with fire.

¹⁵ And David said to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Swear to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee to this company. And David swore to him.

¹⁶ And when he had brought him, behold they were lying spread upon all the ground, eating and drinking, and as it were keeping a festival day, for all the prey, and the spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda.

¹⁷ And David slew them from the evening unto the evening of the next day, and there escaped not a man of them, but four hundred young men, who had gotten upon camels, and fled.

¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalecites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.

¹⁹ And there was nothing missing small or great, neither of their sons or their daughters, nor of the spoils, and whatsoever they had taken: David recovered all.

²⁰ And he took all the flocks and the herds, and made them go before him: and they said: This is the prey of David.

²¹ And David came to the two hundred men, who being weary had stayed, and were not able to follow David, and he had ordered them to abide at the torrent Besor: and they came out to meet David, and the people that were with him. And David coming to the people saluted them peaceably.

²² Then all the wicked and unjust men that had gone with David answering, said: Because they came not with us, we will not give them any thing of the prey which we have recovered: but let every man take his wife and his children, and be contented with them, and go his way.

²³ But David said: You shall not do so, my brethren, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, who hath kept us, and hath delivered the robbers that invaded us into our hands.

²⁴ And no man shall hearken to you in this matter. But equal shall be the portion of him that went down to battle and of him that abode at the baggage, and they shall divide alike.

²⁵ And this hath been done from that day forward, and since was made a statute, and an ordinance, and as a law in Israel.

²⁶ Then David came to Siceleg, and sent presents of the prey to the ancients of Juda his neighbours, saying: Receive a blessing of the prey of the enemies of the Lord.

²⁷ To them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth to the south, and to them that were in Jether,

²⁸ And to them that were in Aroer and that were in Sephamoth, and that were in Esthamo,

²⁹ And that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerameel, and that were in the cities of Ceni,

³⁰ And that were in Arama, and that were in the lake Asan, and that were in Athach,

³¹ And that were in Hebron, and to the rest that were in those places, in which David had abode with his men.

31 And the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gelboe.

² And the Philistines fell upon Saul, and upon his sons, and they slew Jonathan, and Abinadab and Melchisua the sons of Saul.

³ And the whole weight of the battle was turned upon Saul: and the archers overtook him, and he was grievously wounded by the archers.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armourbearer: Draw thy sword, and kill me: lest these uncircumcised come, and slay me, and mock at me. And his armourbearer would not: for he was struck with exceeding great fear. Then Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.

⁵ And when his armourbearer saw this, to wit, that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.

⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men that same day together.

⁷ And the men of Israel, that were beyond the valley, and beyond the Jordan, seeing that the Israelites were fled, and that Saul was dead, and his sons, forsook their cities, and fled: and the Philistines came, and dwelt there.

⁸ And on the morrow the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his three sons lying in mount Gelboe.

⁹ And they cut off Saul's head, and stripped him of his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the temples of their idols, and among their people.

¹⁰ And they put his armour in the temple of Astaroth, but his body they hung on the wall of Bethsan.

¹¹ Now when the inhabitants of Jabes Galaad had heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹² All the most valiant men arose, and walked all the night, and took the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, from the wall of Bethsan: and they came to Jabes Galaad, and burnt them there:

¹³ And they took their bones and buried them in the wood of Jabes: and fasted seven days.

1 Now it came to pass, after Saul was dead, that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalecites, and abode two days in Siceleg.

² And on the third day, there appeared a man who came out of Saul's camp, with his garments rent, and dust strewed on his head: and when he came to David, he fell upon his face, and adored.

³ And David said to him: From whence comest thou? And he said to him: I am fled out of the camp of Israel.

⁴ And David said unto him: What is the matter that is come to pass? tell me. He said: The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people are fallen and dead: moreover Saul and Jonathan his son are slain.

⁵ And David said to the young man that told him: How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son, are dead?

⁶ And the young man that told him, said: I came by chance upon mount Gelboe, and Saul leaned upon his spear: and the chariots and horsemen drew nigh unto him,

⁷ And looking behind him, and seeing me, he called me. And I answered, Here am I.

⁸ And he said to me: Who art thou? And I said to him: I am an Amalecite.

⁹ And he said to me: Stand over me, and kill me: for anguish is come upon me, and as yet my whole life is in me.

¹⁰ So standing over him, I killed him: for I knew that he could not live after the fall: and I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them hither to thee, my lord.

¹¹ Then David took hold of his garments and rent them, and likewise all the men that were with him.

¹² And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword.

¹³ And David said to the young man that told him: Whence art thou? He answered: I am the son of a stranger of Amalee.

¹⁴ David said to him: Why didst thou not fear to put out thy hand to kill the Lord's anointed?

¹⁵ And David calling one of his servants, said: Go near and fall upon him. And he struck him so that he died.

¹⁶ And David said to him: Thy blood be upon thy own head: for thy own mouth hath spoken against thee, saying: I have slain the Lord's anointed.

¹⁷ And David made this kind of lamentation over Saul, and over Jonathan his son.

¹⁸ (Also he commanded that they should teach the children of Juda the use of the bow, as it is written in the book of the just.) And he said: Consider, O Israel, for them that are dead, wounded on thy high places.

¹⁹ The illustrious of Israel are slain upon thy mountains: how are the valiant fallen?

²⁰ Tell it not in Geth, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph,

²¹ Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew, nor rain come upon you, neither be they fields of firstfruits: for there was cast away the shield of the valiant, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

²² From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the valiant, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

²³ Saul and Jonathan, lovely, and comely in their life, even in death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

²⁴ Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet in delights, who gave ornaments of gold for your attire.

²⁵ How are the valiant fallen in battle? Jonathan slain in the high places?

²⁶ I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.

²⁷ How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished?

2 And after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up. And David said: Whither shall I go up? And he answered him: Into Hebron.

² So David went up, and his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel:

³ And the men also that were with him, David brought up every man with his household: and they abode in the towns of Hebron.

⁴ And the men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda. And it was told David, that the men of Jabes Galaad had buried Saul.

⁵ David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewn this mercy to your master Saul, and have buried him.

⁶ And now the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will, requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.

⁷ Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul's army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp?

⁹ And made him king over Galaad, and, over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

¹⁰ Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over, Israel, and he reigned two years: and only the house of Juda followed David.

¹¹ And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months.

¹² And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.

¹³ And Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when they were come together, they sat down over against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side.

¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.

¹⁵ Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁶ And every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.

¹⁷ And there was a very fierce battle that day: and Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.

¹⁸ And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.

¹⁹ And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

²⁰ And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: I am.

²¹ And Abner said to him: Go to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take thee his spoils. But Asael would not leave off following him close.

²² And again Abner said to Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab thy brother.

²³ But he refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died stood still.

²⁴ Now while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over against the valley by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.

²⁵ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top of a hill.

²⁶ And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?

²⁷ And Joab said: As the Lord liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.

²⁸ Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.

²⁹ And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to the camp.

³⁰ And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David's servants nineteen men, beside Asael.

³¹ But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all died.

³² And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem, and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

3 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: David prospering and growing always stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul decaying daily.

² And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon of Achinoam the Jezrahelitess:

³ And his second Cheleab of Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel: and the third Absalom the son of Maacha the daughter of Tholmai king of Gessur:

⁴ And the fourth Adonias, the son of Haggith: and the fifth Saphathia the son of Abital:

⁵ And the sixth Jethraam of Egla the wife of David: these were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ Now while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner the son of Ner ruled the house of Saul.

⁷ And Saul had a concubine named Respha, the daughter of Aia. And Isboseth said to Abner:

⁸ Why didst thou go in to my father's concubine? And he was exceedingly angry for the words of Isboseth, and said: Am I a dog's head against Juda this day, who have shewn mercy to the house of Saul thy father, and to his brethren and friends, and have not delivered thee into the hands of David, and hast thou sought this day against me to charge me with a matter concerning a woman?

⁹ So do God to Abner, and more also, unless as the Lord hath sworn to David, so I do to him,

¹⁰ That the kingdom be translated from the house of Saul, and the throne of David be set up over Israel, and over Juda from Dan to Bersabee.

¹¹ And he could not answer him a word, because he feared him.

¹² Abner therefore sent messengers to David for himself, saying: Whose is the land? and that they should say: Make a league with me, and my hand shall be with thee: and I will bring all Israel to thee.

¹³ And he said: Very well: I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, saying: Thou shalt not see my face before thou bring Michol the daughter of Saul: and so thou shalt come, and see me.

¹⁴ And David sent messengers to Isboseth the son of Saul, saying: Restore my wife Michol, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

¹⁵ And Isboseth sent, and took her from her husband Phaltiel, the son of Lais.

¹⁶ And her husband followed her, weeping as far as Bahurim: and Abner said to him: Go and return. And he returned.

¹⁷ Abner also spoke to the ancients of Israel, saying: Both yesterday and the day before you sought for David that he might reign over you.

¹⁸ Now then do it: because the Lord hath spoken to David, saying: By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines, and of all their enemies.

¹⁹ And Abner spoke also to Benjamin. And he went to speak to David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to all Benjamin.

²⁰ And he came to David in Hebron with twenty men: and David made a feast for Abner, and his men that came with him.

²¹ And Abner said to David: I will rise, that I may gather all Israel unto thee my lord the king, and may enter into a league with thee, and that thou mayst reign over all as thy soul desireth. Now when David bad brought Abner on his way, and he was gone in peace,

²² Immediately David's servants and Joab came, after having slain the robbers, with an exceeding great booty: and Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had now sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

²³ And Joab and all the army that was with him, came afterwards: and it was told Joab, that Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

²⁴ And Joab went in to the king, and said: What hast thou done? Behold Abner came to thee: Why didst thou send him away, and he is gone and departed?

²⁵ Knowest thou not Abner the son of Ner, that to this end he came to thee, that he might deceive thee, and to know thy going out, and thy coming in, and to know all thou dost?

²⁶ Then Joab going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the cistern of Sira, David knowing nothing of it.

²⁷ And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate, to speak to him treacherously: and he stabbed him there in the groin, and he died, in revenge of the blood of Asael his brother.

²⁸ And when David heard of it, after the thing was now done, he said: I, and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

²⁹ And may it come upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house: and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue of seed, or that is a leper, or that holdeth the distaff, or that falleth by the sword, or that wanteth bread.

³⁰ So Joab and Abisai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asael at Gabaon in the battle.

³¹ And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloths, and mourn before the funeral of Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

³² And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner: and all the people also wept.

³³ And the king mourning and lamenting over Abner, said: Not as cowards are wont to die, hath Abner died.

³⁴ Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet laden with fetters: but as men fall before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people repeating it wept over him.

³⁵ And when all the people came to take meat with David, while it was yet broad day, David swore, saying: So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or any thing else before sunset.

³⁶ And all the people heard, and they were pleased, and all that the king did seemed good in the sight of all the people.

³⁷ And all the people, and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king's doing, that Abner the son of Ner was slain.

³⁸ The king also said to his servants: Do you not know that a prince and great man is slain this day in Israel?

³⁹ But I as yet am tender, though anointed king. And these men the sons of Sarvia are too hard for me: the Lord reward him that doth evil according to his wickedness.

4 And Isboseth the son of Saul heard that Abner was slain in Hebron: and his hands were weakened, and all Israel was troubled.

² Now the son of Saul had two men captains of his bands, the name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Remmon a Berothite of the children of Benjamin: for Beroth also was reckoned in Benjamin.

³ And the Berothites fled into Gethaim, and were sojourners there until that time.

⁴ And Jonathan the son of Saul bad a son that was lame of his feet: for he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan from Jezrahel. And his nurse took him up and fled: and as she made haste to flee, he fell and became lame: and his name was Miphiboseth.

⁵ And the sons of Remmon the Berothite, Rechab and Baana coming, went into the house of Isboseth in the heat of the day: and he was sleeping upon his bed at noon. And the doorkeeper of the house, who was cleansing wheat, was fallen asleep.

⁶ And they entered into the house secretly taking ears of corn, and Rechab and Baana his brother stabbed him in the groin, and fled away.

⁷ For when they came into the house, be was sleeping upon his bed in a parlour, and they struck him and killed him: and taking away his head they went off by the way of the wilderness, walking all night.

⁸ And they brought the head of Isboseth to David to Hebron: and they said to the king: Behold the head of Isboseth the son of Saul thy enemy who sought thy life: and the Lord hath revenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

⁹ But David answered Rechab, and Baana his brother, the sons of Remmon the Berothite, and said to them: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,

¹⁰ The man that told me, and said: Saul is dead, who thought he brought good tidings, I apprehended, and slew him in Siceleg, who should have been rewarded for his news.

¹¹ How much more now when wicked men have slain an innocent man in his own house, upon his bed, shall I not require his blood at your hand, and take you away from the earth?

¹² And David commanded his servants and they slew them: and cutting off their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but the head of Isboseth they took and buried in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.

² Moreover yesterday also and the day before, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.

³ The ancients also of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel.

⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Juda seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned three and thirty years over all Israel and Juda.

⁶ And the king and all the men that were with him went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land: and they said to David: Thou shalt not come in hither unless thou take away the blind and the lame that say: David shall not come in hither.

⁷ But David took the castle of Sion, the same is the city of David.

⁸ For David had offered that day a reward to whosoever should strike the Jebusites and get up to the gutters of the tops of the houses, and take away the blind and the lame that hated the soul of David: therefore it is said in the proverb: The blind and the lame shall not come into the temple.

⁹ And David dwelt in the castle, and called it, The city of David: and built round about from Mello and inwards.

¹⁰ And he went on prospering and growing up, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

¹¹ And Hiram the king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walls: and they built a house for David.

¹² And David knew that the Lord bad confirmed him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom over his people Israel.

¹³ And David took more concubines and wives of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were born to David other sons also and daughters:

¹⁴ And these are the names of them, that were born to him in Jerusalem, Samua, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

¹⁵ And Jebahar, and Elisua, and Nepheg,

¹⁶ And Japhia, and Elisama, and Elioda, and Eliphaleth.

¹⁷ And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel: and they all came to seek David: and when David heard of it, he went down to a strong hold.

¹⁸ And the Philistines coming spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

¹⁹ And David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up to the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said to David: Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

²⁰ And David came to Baal Pharisim: and defeated them there, and he said: The Lord hath divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided. Therefore the name of the place was called Baal Pharisim.

²¹ And they left there their idols: which David and his men took away.

²² And the Philistines came up again and spread themselves in the valley of Raphaim.

²³ And David consulted the Lord: Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hands? He answered: Go not up against them, but fetch a compass behind them, and thou shalt come upon them over against the pear trees.

²⁴ And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face to strike the army of the Philistines.

²⁵ And David did as the Lord had commanded him, and he smote the Philistines from Gabaa until thou come to Gezer.

6 And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

² And David arose and went, with all the people that were with him of the men of Juda to fetch the ark of God, upon which the name of the Lord of hosts is invoked, who sitteth over it upon the cherubims.

³ And they laid the ark of God upon a new cart: and took it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa: and Oza, and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

⁴ And when they had taken it out of the house of Abinadab, who was in Gabaa, Ahio having care of the ark of God went before the ark.

⁵ But David and all Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of wood, on harps and lutes and timbrels and cornets and cymbals.

⁶ And when they came to the floor of Nachon, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it: because the oxen kicked and made it lean aside.

⁷ And the indignation of the Lord was enkindled against Oza, and he struck him for his rashness: and he died there before the ark of God.

⁸ And David was grieved because the Lord had struck Oza, and the name of that place was called: The striking of Oza, to this day.

⁹ And David was afraid of the Lord that day, saying: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?

¹⁰ And he would not have the ark of the Lord brought in to himself into the city of David: but he caused it to be carried into the house of Obededom the Gethite.

¹¹ And the ark of the Lord abode in the house of Obededom the Gethite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.

¹² And it was told king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had, because of the ark of God. So David went, and brought away the ark of God out of the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. And there were with David seven choirs, and calves for victims.

¹³ And when they that carried the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a ram:

¹⁴ And David danced with all his might before the Lord: and David was girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁵ And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and with sound of trumpet.

¹⁶ And when the ark of the Lord was come into the city of David, Michol the daughter of Saul, looking out through a window, saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord: and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ And they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle, which David had pitched for it: and David offered holocausts, and peace offerings before the Lord.

¹⁸ And when he had made an end of offering holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.

¹⁹ And he distributed to all the multitude of Israel both men and women, to every one, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted beef, and fine flour fried with oil: and all the people departed every one to his house.

²⁰ And David returned to bless his own house: and Michol the daughter of Saul coming out to meet David, said: How glorious was the king of Israel to day, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was naked, as if one of the buffoons should be naked.

²¹ And David said to Michol: Before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord in Israel,

²² I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaid of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious.

²³ Therefore Michol the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

7 And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

² He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?

³ And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee.

⁴ But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

⁵ Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?

⁶ Whereas I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt even to this day: but have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent.

⁷ In all the places that I have gone through with all the children of Israel, did ever I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

⁸ And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: a I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:

⁹ And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth.

¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they did before,

¹¹ From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house.

¹² And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³ He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

¹⁴ I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.

¹⁵ But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

¹⁶ And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.

¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

¹⁸ And David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

¹⁹ But yet this hath seemed little in thy sight, O Lord God, unless thou didst also speak of the house of thy servant for a long time to come: for this is the law of Adam, O Lord God.

²⁰ And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God:

²¹ For thy word's sake, and according to thy own heart thou hast done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.

²² Therefore thou art magnified, O Lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there any God besides thee, in all the things that we have heard with our ears.

²³ And what nation is there upon earth, as thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great and terrible things, upon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thyself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods.

²⁴ For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.

²⁵ And now, O Lord God, raise up for ever the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant and concerning his house: and do as thou hast spoken,

²⁶ That thy name may be magnified for ever, and it may be said: The Lord of hosts is God over Israel. And the house of thy servant David shall be established before the Lord.

²⁷ Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.

²⁸ And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things.

²⁹ And now begin, and bless the house of thy servant, that it may endure for ever before thee: because thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

8 And it came to pass after this that David defeated the Philistines, and brought them down, and David took the bridle of tribute out of the hand of the Philistines.

² And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.

³ David defeated also Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba, when he went to extend his dominion over the river Euphrates.

⁴ And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and houghed all the chariot horses: and only reserved of them for one hundred chariots.

⁵ And the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Adarezer the king of Soba: and David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

⁶ And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and Syria served David under tribute: and the Lord preserved David in all his enterprises, whithersoever he went.

⁷ And David took the arms of gold, which the servants of Adarezer wore, and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸ And out of Bete, and out of Beroth, cities of Adarezer, king David took an exceeding great quantity of brass.

⁹ And Thou the king of Emath heard that David had defeated all the forces of Adarezer.

¹⁰ And Thou sent Joram his son to king David, to salute him, and to congratulate with him, and to return him thanks: because he had fought against Adarezer, and had defeated him. For Thou was an enemy to Adarezer, and in his hand were vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and vessels of brass:

¹¹ And king David dedicated them to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations, which he had subdued:

¹² Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalec, and of the spoils of Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba.

¹³ David also made himself a name, when he returned after taking Syria in the valley of the saltpits, killing eighteen thousand:

¹⁴ And he put guards in Edom, and placed there a garrison: and all Edom was made to serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all enterprises he went about.

¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel: and David did judgment and justice to all his people.

¹⁶ And Joab the son of Sarvia was over the army: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

¹⁷ And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Saraias was the scribe:

¹⁸ And Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethi and Phelethi: and the sons of David were the princes.

9 And David said: Is there any one, think you, left of the house of Saul, that I may shew kindness to him for Jonathan's sake?

² Now there was of the house of Saul, a servant named Siba: and when the king had called him to him, he said to him: Art thou Siba? And he answered: I am Siba thy servant.

³ And the king said: Is there any one left of the house of Saul, that I may shew the mercy of God unto him? And Siba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan left, who is lame of his feet.

⁴ Where is he? said he. And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodabar.

⁵ Then king David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodabar.

⁶ And when Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was come to David, he fell on his face and worshipped. And David said: Miphiboseth? And he answered: Behold thy servant.

⁷ And David said to him: Fear not, for I will surely shew thee mercy for Jonathan thy father's sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always.

⁸ He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹ Then the king called Siba the servant of Saul, and said to him: All that belonged to Saul, and all his house, I have given to thy master's son.

¹⁰ Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master's son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth the son of thy master shall always eat bread at my table. And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹ And Siba said to the king: As thou my lord the king hast commanded thy servant, so will thy servant do: and Miphiboseth shall eat at my table, as one of the sons of the king.

¹² And Miphiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha: and all the kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth.

¹³ But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king's table: and he was lame of both feet.

10 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon his son reigned in his stead.

² And David said: I Will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

³ The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?

⁴ Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵ When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶ And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, Bent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.

⁷ And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.

⁸ And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were by themselves in the field.

⁹ Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

¹⁰ And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.

¹¹ And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

¹² Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.

¹³ And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.

¹⁴ And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.

¹⁶ And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.

¹⁷ And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.

¹⁸ And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach the captain of the army, who presently died.

¹⁹ And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

11 And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they spoiled the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabba: but David remained in Jerusalem.

² In the mean time it happened that David arose from his bed after noon, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and he saw from the roof of his house a woman washing herself, over against him: and the woman was very beautiful.

³ And the king sent, and inquired who the woman was. And it was told him, that she was Bethsabee the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urias the Hethite.

⁴ And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in to him, and he slept with her: and presently she was purified from her uncleanness:

⁵ And she returned to her house having conceived. And she sent and told David, and said: I have conceived.

⁶ And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias the Hethite. And Joab sent Urias to David.

⁷ And Urias came to David. And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.

⁸ And David said to Urias: Go into thy house, and wash thy feet. And Urias went out from the king's house, and there went out after him a mess of meat from the king.

⁹ But Urias slept before the gate of the king's house, with the other servants of his lord, and went not down to his own house.

¹⁰ And it was told David by some that said: Urias went not to his house. And David said to Urias: Didst thou not come from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?

¹¹ And Urias said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? By thy welfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing.

¹² Then David said to Urias: Tarry here to day, and to morrow I will send thee away. Urias tarried in Jerusalem that day and the next.

¹³ And David called him to eat and to drink before him, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening, and slept on his couch with the servants of his lord, and went not down into his house.

¹⁴ And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,

¹⁵ Writing in the letter: Set ye Urias in the front of the battle, where the fight is strongest: and leave ye him, that he may be wounded and die.

¹⁶ Wherefore as Joab was besieging the city, he put Urias in the place where he knew the bravest men were.

¹⁷ And the men coming out of the city, fought against Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Urias the Hethite was killed also.

¹⁸ Then Joab sent, and told David all things concerning the battle.

¹⁹ And he charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast told all the words of the battle to the king,

²⁰ If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above off the wall?

²¹ Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, and slew him in Thebes? Why did you go near the wall? Thou shalt say: Thy servant Urias the Hethite is also slain.

²² So the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had commanded him.

²³ And the messenger said to David: The men prevailed against us, and they came out to us into the field: and we vigorously charged and pursued them even to the gate of the city.

²⁴ And the archers shot their arrows at thy servants from off the wall above: and some of the king's servants are slain, and thy servant Urias the Hethite is also dead.

²⁵ And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against The city, and exhort them that thou mayest overthrow it.

²⁶ And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for him.

²⁷ And the mourning being over, David sent and brought her into his house, and she became his wife, and she bore him a son: and this thing which David had done, was displeasing to the Lord.

12 And the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said to him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.

² The rich man had exceeding many sheep and oxen.

³ But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his house together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter.

⁴ And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him, but took the poor man's ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

⁵ And David's anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death.

⁶ He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and 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 from the hand of Saul,

⁸ And gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these things be little, I shall add far greater things unto thee.

⁹ Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in my sight? Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite 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 Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife.