Bible in 90 Days

²⁰ And anon Saul fell down and was stretched forth upon the earth; for he dreaded the words of Samuel, and strength was not in him, for he had not eaten bread in all that day and all that night. (And at once Saul fell down and was stretched out on the ground; for he feared Samuel’s words, and there was no strength in him, for he had not eaten any food all that day and all that night.)

²¹ Therefore that woman entered to Saul, and said; for he was troubled greatly (for he was greatly troubled); and she said to him, Lo! thine handmaid hath obeyed to thy voice, and I have put my life in mine hand, and I heard thy words, which thou spakest to me.

²² And now therefore thou hear the voice of thine handmaid, and I shall set a morsel of bread before thee, and that thou eating wax strong, and mayest do thy journey. (And so now listen thou to the voice of thy servantess, for I shall set a morsel of food before thee, and once that thou hast eaten it, thou shalt grow strong, and then thou shalt go forth on thy journey.)

²³ And he forsook it, and said, I shall not eat. But his servants and the woman compelled him; and at the last, when the voice of them was heard, he rose up from the earth, and sat on the bed.

²⁴ Soothly that woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted, and killed it; and she took meal, and meddled it together, and made therf bread (and she took meal, and mixed it together, and made unleavened bread);

²⁵ and she set (it) forth before Saul, and before his servants, and when they had eaten, they rose up, and walked in all the night (and walked through all that night).

29 Therefore all the companies of the Philistines were gathered in Aphek, but also Israel setted tents above the well that was in Jezreel. (And so all the companies of the Philistines were gathered together at Aphek, and Israel pitched their tents by the well that was in Jezreel.)

² And soothly the princes of the Philistines went in companies of an hundred, and in thousands; but David and his men were in the last company with Achish. (And the princes of the Philistines led out their companies in units of a hundred, and of a thousand; and David and his men were in the last group with Achish.)

³ And the princes of Philistines said to Achish, What will these Hebrews to themselves? And Achish said to the princes of Philistines, Whether ye know not David, that was the servant of Saul, king of Israel? and he was with me many days, either years, and I found not in him anything of imagining to evil, from the day in which he fled to me unto this day. (And the princes of the Philistines said to Achish, What be these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said to the Philistine princes, Do ye not know David, who was the servant of Saul, the king of Israel? he hath been with me for many years, and I have found nothing of evil in him, from the day in which he fled to me until this day.)

⁴ Certainly the princes of (the) Philistines were wroth against Achish, and they said to him, (Have) The man turn again, and abide he in his place, in which thou hast ordained him, and come he not down with us into battle, lest he be made (an) adversary to us, when we have begun to fight; for how may he please his lord in other manner, but in our heads? (for how can he please his lord in any other manner, but than with our heads?)

⁵ Whether this is not David, to whom they sang in dances, and said, Saul smote in [his] thousands, and David smote in his ten thousands? (Is this not David, whom they sang about as they danced, and said, Saul struck down thousands, but David struck down tens of thousands?)

⁶ Therefore Achish called David, and said to him, (As) The Lord liveth; for thou art rightful (for thou art upright), and good in my sight, and thy going out and thy coming in is with me in [the] tents, and I have not found in thee anything of evil, from the day in which thou camest to me till to this day; but thou pleasest not the princes, or satraps.

⁷ Therefore turn thou again, and go in peace (And so return thou, and go home in peace), and offend thou not the eyes of the princes, or satraps, of the Philistines.

⁸ And David said to Achish, And what have I done, and what hast thou found in me thy servant, from the day in which I was (first) in thy sight till into this day, that I come not, and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

⁹ And Achish answered, and spake to David, (and said,) I know that thou art good, and (be) as the angel of God in my eyes; but the princes of Philistines said, He shall not go up with us into battle.

¹⁰ Therefore rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants that came with thee; and when ye have risen by night, and it beginneth to be clear day, go ye forth. (And so rise thou up early, thou, and thy servants who came with thee; and when ye have risen in the night, and it beginneth to be clear daylight, then go ye forth.)

¹¹ Therefore David rose up by night, he and his men, that they should go forth early, and turn again to the land of Philistines; but the Philistines went up into Jezreel. (And so David and his men rose up in the night, so that they could go forth early, and return to the land of the Philistines; and the Philistines went on to Jezreel.)

30 And when David and his men had come into Ziklag in the third day, (they learned that) men of Amalek had made assault on the south part (of Judah,) (and) in Ziklag; and (had) smitten Ziklag, and burnt it by fire. (And when David and his men had come into Ziklag on the third day, they learned that the Amalekites had made an assault on the southern part of Judah, and in Ziklag; and they had struck Ziklag, and had burned it down.)

² And they led (away) the women (as) prisoners from thence, from the least unto the most; and they had not slain any, but they led them forth with them, and went in their way. (And they took away the women as prisoners from there, from the least unto the most; and they did not kill any, but they took them away with them, and went on their way.)

³ Therefore when David and his men had come to the city, and had found it burnt with fire, and that their wives, and their sons, and daughters were led away (as) prisoners,

⁴ then David and the people that was with him raised [up] their voices, and wailed, till the tears failed in them.

⁵ And also [the] two wives of David were led away (as) prisoners, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

⁶ And David was full sorry; certainly all the people would have stoned David, for the soul of each man was bitter on their sons and daughters. Forsooth David was comforted in his Lord God. (And David was in great trouble; yea, all the men would have stoned David, for all of them were bitter over losing their sons and daughters. But David was strengthened by the Lord his God.)

⁷ And he said to Abiathar, the priest, the son of Ahimelech, Bring thou [the] ephod to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David;

⁸ and David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I pursue these thieves, either no? and shall I take them? And the Lord said to him, Pursue thou; for without doubt thou shalt take them, and thou shalt take away from them their prey. (and David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I pursue these thieves, or not? and shall I be able to overtake them? And the Lord said to him, Pursue thou them; for without a doubt thou shalt overtake them, and thou shalt take their prey away from them.)

⁹ Therefore David went forth, he and six hundred men that were with him, and they came unto the strand of Besor; and there the weary men of the host of David abode behind. (And so David went forth, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the Besor Stream; and the weary men in David’s army stayed behind there.)

¹⁰ Forsooth David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred abided (behind), that were weary, and might not pass [over] the strand of Besor.

¹¹ And they found a (young) man of Egypt in the field, and they brought him to David; and they gave him bread, that he should eat, and water to drink (and they gave him some bread to eat, and some water to drink);

¹² but also they gave to him a gobbet of a bundle of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten those, his spirit turned again to him, and he was comforted; for he had not eaten bread, neither had drunk water in three days and three nights. (and they also gave him a piece of a bundle of dried figs, and two clusters of dried grapes. And when he had eaten them, his spirit returned to him, and he was strengthened; for he had not eaten any bread, or drunk any water, for three days and three nights.)

¹³ Then David said to him, Whose man art thou, either from whence and whither goest thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, the servant of a man of Amalek; but my lord forsook me, for I began to be sick the third day ago.

¹⁴ For we brake out at the south coast of (the) Cherethites, and against Judah (near Judah), and at the south of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fire.

¹⁵ And David said to him, Mayest thou lead me to this company? Which said (And the young man said), Swear thou to me by God, that thou shalt not slay me, and that thou shalt not betake me into the hands of my lord; and I shall lead thee to this company. And David swore to him.

¹⁶ And when the young man had led him thither, lo! they sat at the meat, upon the face of all the earth, eating and drinking, and as hallowing a feast day, for all the prey and spoils which they had taken of the land of Philistines, and of the land of Judah. (And when the young man had led him there, lo! they sat spread out over all the ground, eating and drinking, as if celebrating a feast day, because of all the prey and the spoils which they had taken from the land of the Philistines, and the land of Judah.)

¹⁷ And David smote them from the eventide unto the eventide of the tother day, and not any of them escaped, no but four hundred young men, that went upon camels, and fled (who went upon camels, and fled).

¹⁸ Forsooth David delivered all things which the men of Amalek took, and he delivered his two wives; (And so David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives;)

¹⁹ neither any of them failed, from little till to great, as well of sons as of daughters, and of spoils; and whatever things they had ravished, David led again all things; (no one was lost, from the least unto the greatest, sons as well as daughters; and all the spoils, yea, whatever they had taken, David brought home again.)

²⁰ and he took all the flocks and great beasts, and drove them before his face. And they said, This is the prey of David (And the men said, This should all be David’s prey).

²¹ Forsooth David came to the two hundred men, that were weary, and abided behind, and might not follow David; and he [had] commanded them to sit at the strand of Besor; which went out against David, and the people that was with him. Forsooth David nighed to the people, and he greeted it peaceably. (And David came back to the two hundred men who were weary, and had stayed behind, and did not follow David; and he had commanded them to remain there at the Besor Stream; and they went out to meet David, and the people who were with him. And David came to these men, and he greeted them warmly.)

²² And one man, the worst man and wicked of the men that were with David, answered, and said, For they came not with us, we shall not give to them anything of the prey, that we have ravished, but suffice it to each man his wife and his children; and when they have taken them, go they away. (But some men, the worst and the most wicked of those who went with David, said, For they did not come with us, we shall not give them any of the prey, that we have recovered, but let each man take only his wife and his children; and when they have taken them, go they away.)

²³ And David said, My brethren, ye shall not do so, as ye speak, of these things, which the Lord hath given to us, and he hath kept us, and gave the thieves, that brake out against us, into our hands; (But David said, My brothers/My kinsmen, ye shall not do, as ye speak, with these things, which the Lord hath given us, for he hath kept us safe, and delivered the thieves, who broke out against us, into our hands;)

²⁴ neither any shall hear us strive on this word. For even part shall be of him that goeth down to battle, and of him that dwelleth at the fardels; and in like manner they shall part the prey. (nor shall anyone hear us arguing over this matter. For even portion shall be for him who went down to the battle, as well as for him who stayed with the bundles, or the supplies; yea, in like manner they shall divide up the prey.)

²⁵ And this was made a constitution and a doom from that day and afterward, and as a law in Israel till into this day. (And from that day forward, this was made a custom, and a judgement, and a law in Israel, until this day.)

²⁶ Then David came into Ziklag, and he sent gifts of the prey to the elder men of Judah, his neighbours, and said, Take ye blessing of the prey of [the] enemies of the Lord (Have ye a gift out of the prey from the Lord’s enemies);

²⁷ to them that were in Bethel, and that were in Ramoth, at the south, and that were in Jattir,

²⁸ and that were in Aroer, and that were in Siphmoth, and that were in Eshtemoa,

²⁹ and that were in Rachal, and that were in the cities of Jerahmeel, and that were in the cities of Kenites,

³⁰ and that were in Hormah, and that were in Chorashan, and that were in Athach,

³¹ and that were in Hebron, and to other men, that were in these places, in which David dwelled and his men. (and those in Hebron, and to the other men who were in those places, where David and his men had lived.)

31 Forsooth the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the face of Philistines, and they fell down slain in the hill of Gilboa. (Then the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from the Philistines, and they fell down dead on Mount Gilboa.)

² And the Philistines hurled fiercely into Saul, and into his sons, and they killed Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, [the] sons of Saul.

³ And (then) all the weight, or charge, of the battle was turned against Saul; and (the) men archers pursued him, and he was wounded greatly of the archers (and he was seriously wounded by the archers).

⁴ And Saul said to his squire, Draw out thy sword, and slay me, lest peradventure these uncircumcised men come, and slay me, and scorn me. And his squire would not, for he was afeared by full great dread; therefore Saul took his sword, and felled thereon (But his squire would not do it, for he was afraid with a very great fear; and so Saul took his own sword, and fell on it).

⁵ And when his squire had seen this, that Saul was dead, also he felled upon his sword (he also fell on his sword), and was dead with him.

⁶ And so Saul was dead, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men in that day together. (And so Saul, and his three sons, and his squire, and all his men, died together on the same day.)

⁷ And the sons of Israel, that were beyond the valley, and beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul was dead, and his sons, and they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and dwelled there. (And when the Israelites, who were beyond the valley, and east of the Jordan River, saw that the other Israelites had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came, and lived there.)

⁸ Forsooth in the tother day made, Philistines came, that they should despoil the slain men, and they found Saul, and his three sons, lying in the hill of Gilboa; (And the next day, the Philistines came to rob the dead men, and they found Saul, and his three sons, lying there dead on Mount Gilboa;)

⁹ and they cutted away the head of Saul, and despoiled him of his armours; and sent into the land of Philistines by compass, that it should be told in the temple of idols, and in the peoples. (and they cut off Saul’s head, and stripped him of his armour/and robbed him of his arms, or of his weapons; and then they sent messengers into all the land of the Philistines, so that it could be told to their idols, and to their people alike.)

¹⁰ And they putted his armours in the temple of Ashtaroth; but they hanged his body in the wall of Bethshan. (And they put his armour in the temple of Ashtoreth/And they put his arms, or his weapons, in the temple of Astarte, but they hung up his body on the wall of Bethshan.)

¹¹ And when the dwellers of Jabesh of Gilead had heard this, and whatever things the Philistines had done to Saul, (And when the inhabitants of Jabesh of Gilead had heard this, and all the things that the Philistines had done to Saul,)

¹² and all the strongest men rose (up), and went forth all that night, and they took (down) the dead body of Saul, and the dead bodies of his sons, from the wall of Bethshan; and the men of Jabesh of Gilead came, and burnt those dead bodies with fire.

¹³ And they took the bones of them, and buried them in the wood of Jabesh, and fasted by seven days. (And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and then fasted for seven days.)

1 And it was done, after that Saul was dead, that David turned again from the slaying of Amalek, and he dwelled two days in Ziklag. (And it was done, after Saul died, that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and he stayed in Ziklag for two days.)

² And in the third day a man appeared, coming from the tents of Saul with a cloth rent, and his head sprinkled with dust; and as he came to David, he felled upon his face, and worshipped him. (And on the third day a man appeared, coming from Saul’s camp with a torn cloak, and his head sprinkled with dirt, or with earth; and when he came to David, he fell on his face, and honoured him.)

³ And David said to him, From whence comest thou? And he said to David, I fled from the tents of Israel.

⁴ And David said to him, What is the word that is done there; show thou to me (What happened there; tell thou to me). And he said, The people of Israel hath fled from the battle, and many of the people felled (by the sword), and be dead; but also Saul, and Jonathan, his son, have perished.

⁵ And David said to the young man, that told to him, Whereof knowest thou, that Saul is dead, and Jonathan, his son? (And David said to the young man, who told him this, How knowest thou that Saul, and his son Jonathan, be dead?)

⁶ And the young man said, that told to him, By hap I came into the hill of Gilboa, and Saul leaned upon his spear; and chariots and horsemen nighed to him; (And the young man, who told him this, said, By happenstance I was on Mount Gilboa, and Saul was leaning on his spear; and the chariots and the horsemen came towards him;)

⁷ and he turned behind his back, and saw me, and called. To whom when I had answered, I am present; (and he looked behind his back, and saw me, and called to me. To whom when I had answered, I am here;)

⁸ he said to me, Who art thou? And I said to him, I am a man of Amalek.

⁹ And he spake to me, (and said,) Stand thou upon me, and slay me (and kill me); for anguishes hold me, and yet all my life is in me.

¹⁰ And (so) I stood upon him, and I slew him; for I knew that he might not live after the falling (for I knew that he could not live as soon as he fell); and I took the diadem, that was on his head, and the band from his arm, and I have brought them hither to thee, my lord.

¹¹ Forsooth David took and rent his clothes, and (likewise) [all] the men that were with him;

¹² and they wailed, and wept, and fasted till to eventide, on Saul, and Jonathan, his son, and on the people of the Lord, and on the house of Israel, for they had felled by sword. (and they wailed, 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 had fallen by the sword.)

¹³ And David said to the young man, that told to him, Of whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a man comeling, of a man of Amalek. (And David said to the young man, who told him the news, Where art thou from? And he answered, I am the son of a newcomer, or of a foreigner, I am an Amalekite.)

¹⁴ And David said to him, Why dreadest thou not to send thine hand, that thou shouldest slay the christ of the Lord? (And David said to him, Why fearest thou not, to put forth thy hand to kill the Lord’s anointed?)

¹⁵ And David called one of his young men, and said, Go thou, and fall on him. And he smote that young man, and he was dead (And he struck that young man, and he died).

¹⁶ And David said to him, Thy blood be on thine head; for thy mouth spake against thee, and said, I killed the christ of the Lord/I killed the anointed of the Lord.

¹⁷ Forsooth David bewailed such a wailing on Saul, and on Jonathan, his son; (And David bewailed this wailing, or this lament, for Saul, and for his son Jonathan;)

¹⁸ and he commanded, that they should teach the sons of Judah the bow, that is, the craft of shooting, as it is written in the Book of Just Men. (and he commanded, that they should teach the sons of Judah the use of the bow, that is, the craft of shooting arrows, as it is written in the Book of Jasher.)

¹⁹ And (so) David said, Israel, behold thou, for these that be dead, be wounded on thine high places; the noble men of Israel be slain upon thine hills. How have fallen [the] strong men? (How the strong have fallen!)

²⁰ do not ye tell this in Gath, neither tell ye (it) in the way-lots of Askelon; lest peradventure the daughters of Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of uncircumcised men joy.

²¹ Hills of Gilboa, neither dew, neither rain come upon you, neither be they the fields of first fruits (nor be ye the fields of the first fruits); for the shield of (the) strong men was cast away there, the shield of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oil.

²² Of the blood of slain men, of the fatness of strong men, the arrow of Jonathan went never aback, and the sword of Saul turned not again void.

²³ Saul and Jonathan, amiable, and fair in their life, were not parted also in their death; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions. (Saul and Jonathan were so loved, and delightful, in their lives, and were not separated in their deaths; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.)

²⁴ Daughters of Israel, weep ye on Saul, that clothed you with fine red, and in (other) delights, that gave golden ornaments to your attire. (Daughters of Israel, weep ye for Saul, who clothed you in fine red, and in other delights, who gave gold ornaments for your attire.)

²⁵ How have strong men fallen down in battle? Jonathan was slain in the high places. (How the strong have fallen in battle! Jonathan was killed on the hills.)

²⁶ I make sorrow upon thee, my brother Jonathan, full fair and amiable more than the love of women; as a mother loveth her only son, so I loved thee. (I have sorrow for thee, my brother Jonathan, so delightful, and whose love for me was more than even the love of women; like a mother loveth her only son, so I loved thee.)

²⁷ How therefore felled down strong men, and armours of battle perished? (How the strong have fallen, and the arms, or the weapons, of battle have perished!)

2 Therefore after these things David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up into one of the cities of Judah? (And after these things David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?) And the Lord said to him, Go thou up. And David said to the Lord, Whither shall I go up? And the Lord answered to him, Into Hebron.

² Therefore David went up, and his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.

³ But also David led the men that were with him, each man with his house(hold) (each man with his family); and they dwelled in the towns of Hebron.

⁴ And the men of Judah came, and anointed there David, that he should reign upon the house of Judah (And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David to reign upon the house of Judah). And it was told to David, that [the] men of Jabesh of Gilead had buried Saul.

⁵ Therefore David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh of Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that did this mercy with your lord Saul, and buried him. (And so David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh of Gilead, and said to them, May the Lord bless you, who have shown this kindness to your lord Saul, and have buried him.)

⁶ And now soothly the Lord shall yield to you mercy and truth, but also I shall yield thanking, for ye did this word. (And now surely the Lord shall show truth and kindness to you, and I shall also give you thanks, for ye did this thing.)

⁷ Your hands be comforted, and be ye the sons of strength; for though your lord Saul is dead, nevertheless the house of Judah hath anointed me king to him. (May your hands be strengthened, and may ye be the sons of strength; for though your lord Saul is dead, nevertheless the house of Judah hath anointed me king upon them.)

⁸ Forsooth Abner, the son of Ner, prince of the host of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and led him about by the castles, (Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim,)

⁹ and made him king on Gilead, and on Ashurites, and on Jezreel, and on Ephraim, and on Benjamin, and on all Israel.

¹⁰ Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was of forty years, when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned two years. Soothly the house alone of Judah followed David. (Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned for two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.)

¹¹ And the number of days, by which David dwelled reigning in Hebron on the house of Judah, was of seven years and six months.

¹² And Abner, the son of Ner, went out, and the servants of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, from the castles in[to] Gibeon. (And Abner, the son of Ner, and the men of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.)

¹³ And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and they came to them beside the cistern of Gibeon. And when they had come together into one place even against either other, these sat on one part of the cistern, and they on the tother. (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and David’s men, went out, and they came to them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had come together at a place opposite each other, those men sat on one side of the pool, and they sat on the other side.)

¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, The children rise, and play before us^[a] (And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men rise up, and slay, or kill, each other). And Joab answered, Rise they up.

¹⁵ Then they rose up, and passed forth twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David. (Then they rose up, and came forth twelve in number for Benjamin, on the part of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son; and twelve of David’s men.)

¹⁶ And each man, when he had taken his fellow by the head, fixed his sword into the side of his adversary; and they felled down together. And (so) the name of that place was called The Field of Men Slain Together, (which is) in Gibeon.

¹⁷ And full hard battle rose in that day; and Abner and the sons of Israel were driven (away) of the servants of David. (And a hard fought battle arose that day; and Abner and the men of Israel were driven back by David’s men.)

¹⁸ Forsooth (the) three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was a full swift runner, as one of the caprets that dwell in woods (like one of the gazelles that live in the forest).

¹⁹ And Asahel pursued Abner, and he bowed neither to the right side, nor to the left side, ceasing to pursue Abner.

²⁰ Therefore Abner beheld behind his back, and said, Whether thou art Asahel? Which answered, I am.

²¹ And Abner said to him, Go thou to the right side, either to the left side; and take (down) one of the young men, and take to thee his spoils. But Asahel would not cease, that not he pursued him (But Asahel would not cease from pursuing Abner).

²² And again Abner spake to Asahel, (and said,) Go thou away; do not thou pursue me, lest I be compelled to pierce thee into the earth, and I shall not be able to raise then my face to Joab, thy brother. (And again Abner said to Asahel, Go thou away; do not thou pursue me, lest I be compelled to pierce thee through to the ground, and then I shall not be able to face thy brother Joab.)

²³ And Asahel despised to hear, and would not bow away. Therefore Abner smote him with the spear turned away, that is, turned against him, in the share-bone, that is, behind the maw, in the fifth rib, under which be the members of life, and pierced [him] through, and he was dead in the same place; and all men that passed by the place, in which place Asahel felled down, and was dead, stood still. (And Asahel despised to hear him, and would not turn away. And so Abner struck him with the spear turned against him, in the belly, at the fifth rib, under which be the members of life, and pierced him through, and he died there; and all those who came to the place, where Asahel fell down, and died, stopped and stood there, and gawked.)

²⁴ And while Joab and Abishai pursued Abner fleeing, the sun went down; and they came to the little hill of a water conduit, that is even against the valley, and the way of desert in Gibeon. (And while Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, the sun went down; and they came to the hill of Ammah, that is opposite Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.)

²⁵ And the sons of Benjamin were gathered to Abner, and they were gathered together into one company, and they stood in the height of an heap of earth (and they stood on the top of a hill).

²⁶ And Abner cried to Joab, and said, Whether thy sword shall be fierce unto slaying? Whether thou knowest not, that despair is perilous? How long sayest thou not to the people, that it cease to pursue his brethren? (How long before thou sayest to thy people, that they should cease pursuing their kinsmen?)

²⁷ And Joab said, The Lord liveth, for if thou haddest spoken thus early, the people pursuing his brother had gone away. (And Joab said, As the Lord liveth, if thou haddest not spoken, the people would have continued pursuing their kinsmen until morning.)

²⁸ And Joab sounded with a clarion, and all the host stood still; and they pursued no further Israel, neither began battle. (And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, and all the army stood in place; and they no longer pursued the men of Israel, and the fighting ceased.)

²⁹ And Abner and his men went (from) thence by the field places of Moab in all that night, and they passed [over] Jordan; and when all Bithron was compassed, they came to the castles. (And Abner and his men went from there through the fields of Moab all that night, and then they crossed over the Jordan River; and when all Bithron had been traversed, they came to Mahanaim.)

³⁰ And when Abner was left, Joab turned again, and gathered together all his people; and ten men and nine, besides Asahel, failed of the servants of David. (And when Joab left off pursuing Abner, he returned, and gathered together all his people; and he found that nineteen of David’s men, besides Asahel, were missing.)

³¹ Forsooth the servants of David smited of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred men and sixty, which also were dead. (But David’s men struck and killed three hundred and sixty of the Benjaminites, and of Abner’s men.)

³² And they took Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men that were with him, went in all that night, and in that morrowtide they came into Hebron (and in the morning they came to Hebron).

3 Therefore a long strife was made betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul; and David profited and ever[more] was stronger than himself, in comparison of time passed, for his power increased ever, but the house of Saul decreased each day. (And so for a long time there was strife between the house of David and the house of Saul; and David grew in strength, that is, as more time that passed, the more his power increased, but the house of Saul grew ever weaker.)

² And sons were born to David in Hebron; and his first begotten son was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

³ and after him was Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;

⁴ and the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;

⁵ and the sixth was Ithream, of Eglah, the wife of David. These (sons) were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ Therefore when battle was betwixt the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, governed the house of Saul.

⁷ And to Saul was a concubine, that is, a secondary wife, Rizpah by name, the daughter of Aiah; and Abner entered [in] to her. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou entered [in] to the concubine of my father?

⁸ And Abner was wroth greatly for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Whether I am the head of a dog against Judah today, and I have done mercy on the house of Saul, thy father, and on his brethren, and neighbours, and I betook not thee into the hands of David, and (yet) thou hast sought in me that, that thou shouldest reprove for a woman today? (And Abner was greatly angered by Ishbosheth’s words, and said, Am I the head of a dog, that is, a traitor, and do I serve Judah today? have I not shown mercy, or loyalty, to the house of Saul, thy father, and to his brothers, and to his neighbours? I did not deliver thee into the hands of David, and yet today thou hast sought that for which thou wouldest reprove me for, yea, for but a woman!)

⁹ God do these things to Abner, and add these things to him, no but as the Lord swore to David, so I do with him (so I shall do for him),

¹⁰ that the realm be translated from the house of Saul (that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul), and (that) the throne of David be raised on Israel and on Judah, from Dan till to Beersheba.

¹¹ And Ishbosheth might not answer anything to Abner, for he dreaded Abner (for he feared Abner).

¹² Therefore Abner sent messengers to David, and they said for him, Whose is the land? and that the messengers should (also) speak thus, Make thou friendships with me, and mine hand shall be with thee, and I shall bring (over) all Israel to thee.

¹³ And David said, Best, I shall make friendships with thee; but I ask of thee one thing, and say, Thou shalt not see my face, before that thou bring Michal, the daughter of Saul, and so thou shalt come, and shalt see me. (And David answered, Very well, I shall be friends with thee; but I require one thing from thee, and that is, that thou shalt not see my face, until thou bring Saul’s daughter Michal to me; only then shalt thou come, and see me.)

¹⁴ Therefore David sent messengers to Ishbosheth (And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth), the son of Saul, and said, Yield thou my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for an hundred prepuces of Philistines.

¹⁵ Therefore Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, Phaltiel, the son of Laish; (And so Ishbosheth sent some men, and took her away from her husband, Phaltiel, the son of Laish;)

¹⁶ and her husband followed her, and wept till to Bahurim. And Abner said to him, Go thou, and turn again; and he turned again. (and her husband followed her, and wept all the way to Bahurim. But Abner said to him, Go thou back home! and so he went home.)

¹⁷ Also Abner brought in a word to the elder men of Israel, and said, Both yesterday and the third day ago ye sought David, that he should reign upon you.

¹⁸ Now therefore do ye; for the Lord spake to David, and said, In the hand of my servant David I shall save my people Israel from the hand of Philistines, and of all his enemies. (And so now do ye it; for the Lord spoke to David, and said, By my servant David I shall save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines, and from all their enemies.)

¹⁹ And also Abner spake to Benjamin; and he went, that he should speak to David, in Hebron, (of) all things that pleased Israel and all Benjamin. (And Abner also spoke to the Benjaminites; and then he went to speak to David in Hebron, about all that the Israelites and the Benjaminites had agreed to do.)

²⁰ And he came to David, in Hebron, with twenty men. And David made a feast to Abner, and to the men that came with him (And David made a feast for Abner, and the men who came with him).

²¹ And Abner said to David, I shall rise up, that I gather all Israel to thee, my lord the king, and that I make (a) bond of peace with thee, and that thou reign on all, as thy soul desireth. Therefore when David had led forth Abner, and he had gone in peace, (And Abner said to David, I shall rise up, and gather all Israel to thee, my lord the king, and they shall make a covenant with thee, and thou shalt reign upon all of them, as thy soul desireth. And after David had let Abner go away, with a guarantee of surety, or of safety,)

²² anon the servants of David and Joab came with a full great prey, when the thieves were slain; and Abner was not then with David, in Hebron, for David had let him go, and he went forth in peace. (shortly thereafter David’s men and Joab came back from a raid, with a great deal of prey; and Abner was then not with David, in Hebron, for David had let him go away, with a guarantee of safety.)

²³ And Joab, and the hosts that were with him, came afterward; therefore it was told to Joab of tellers, (saying,) Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king, and the king let go him, and he went forth in peace. (And so Joab, and the men who were with him, came shortly thereafter; and people said to Joab, Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king, and the king let him go away, with a guarantee of safety.)

²⁴ And Joab entered to the king, and said, What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came to thee; why lettest go thou him (why hast thou let him go), and he went, and departed from thee?

²⁵ Knowest thou not (that) Abner, the son of Ner, for hereto he came to thee, that he should deceive thee, and that he should know thy going out and thine entering, and should know all things which thou doest? (Thou must know that Abner, the son of Ner, came to thee so that he could deceive thee, and learn thy going out and thy coming in, and so know all the things that thou doest.)

²⁶ Therefore Joab went out from David, and sent messengers after Abner; and led him again from the cistern of Sirah (and they brought him back from the Well of Sirah), while David knew not.

²⁷ And when Abner had come again into Hebron, Joab led him asides half to the middle of the gate, (as if) that he should speak to him in guile; and he smote Abner there in the share-bone, and he was dead, into vengeance of the blood of his brother Asahel (and Joab struck, or stabbed, Abner in the belly, and he died there, in revenge for killing Joab’s brother Asahel).

²⁸ That when David had heard this thing done, he said, I am clean, and my realm, with God into without end from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner; (And when David had heard that this thing was done, he said, I and my kingdom, be clean with God forevermore, of the blood, or of the murder, of Abner, the son of Ner;)

²⁹ and come it on the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and fail there not from the house of Joab a man suffering flowing of seed, and a leprous man, (and a man) holding a spindle, and a man falling by sword, and (a man) having need to bread. (yea, let it come upon Joab’s head, and upon all his father’s family; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab a man suffering the flowing out of his seed, or a leprous man, or a man holding a spindle, or a man falling by the sword, or a man having need of bread.)

³⁰ Therefore Joab, and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner, for he had slain Asahel, their brother (for he had killed their brother Asahel), in Gibeon, in battle.

³¹ And David said to Joab, and to all the people that was with him, Rend ye your clothes, and be ye gird with sackcloths, and bewail ye before the hearses, either dirge, of Abner. Forsooth king David followed the bier. (And David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear ye your clothes, and be ye gird with sackcloths, and bewail ye the dirge for Abner. And King David himself followed the bier.)

³² And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David raised (up) his voice, and wept on the burial of Abner; and certainly all the people wept.

³³ And the king bewailed, and bemourned Abner, and said, Abner, thou diedest not as dreadful men, either cowards, be wont to die (Abner, thou hast not died like fearful men, or like cowards, be wont to die).

³⁴ Thine hands were not bound, and thy feet were not grieved with stocks, but thou hast fallen down, as men be wont to fall before the sons of wickedness. And all the people doubled together, and wept on him. (Thy hands were not bound, and thy feet were not put in the stocks, but thou hast fallen, like men be wont to fall before the sons of wickedness. And all the people wept again for him.)

³⁵ And when all the multitude came to take meat with David, while the day was yet clear, David swore, and said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, if I shall taste bread, either any other thing, before the going down of the sun.

³⁶ And all the people heard this; and all things which the king did in the sight of all the people pleased them;

³⁷ and all the common people and all Israel knew in that day, that it was not done of the king (that it was not done by the king), that Abner, the son of Ner, was slain.

³⁸ Also the king said to his servants, Whether ye know not, that the prince and the greatest (man) hath fallen down today in Israel?

³⁹ And I am yet tender, and anointed king; and these sons of Zeruiah be (too) hard to me; the Lord yield to him that doeth evil after his (own) malice. (And I am yet weak, though anointed the king; and these sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me; may the Lord yield to him who doeth evil after his own malice.)

4 And Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had fallen down in Hebron; and his hands were discomforted, and all Israel was troubled. (And Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had been killed in Hebron; and his hands were enfeebled, that is, he was afraid, and all Israel was troubled.)

² And two men, princes of (raiding) companies, were to the son of Saul; name to the one was Baanah, and name to the tother was Rechab, the sons of Rimmon (the) Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin; for also Beeroth is areckoned in Benjamin. (And two men, leaders of raiding parties, were officers for Saul’s son; one was named Baanah, and the other was named Rechab; they were the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, for Beeroth is reckoned as part of Benjamin.)

³ And men of Beeroth fled into Gittaim; and they were comelings there till to that time. (And the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim; and they had lived there until that time.)

⁴ And a son feeble in his feet was to Jonathan, the son of Saul; and he was five years eld, when the messenger came from Saul and Jonathan, from Jezreel, telling that they were dead (and he was five years old, when a message came from Jezreel about Saul and Jonathan, saying that they were dead). Therefore his nurse took him, and fled; and when she hasted to flee, she felled down, and the child was made lame; and the name of the child was Mephibosheth.

⁵ Therefore Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, came, and entered in the hot (of the) day into the house of Ishbosheth, that slept upon his bed at midday; and the woman that kept the doors of the house, (who had been) purging wheat, (now also) slept fast. (And so Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, came, and in the heat of the day entered into Ishbosheth’s house, while he slept on his bed at midday; and the woman who kept the doors of the house, had been purging wheat, but now she was also asleep.)

⁶ And they came till to the midst of the house, and took wheat; and Rechab, and Baanah, his brother, smote Ishbosheth in the share-bone, and fled. (And they came into the midst of the house, carrying wheat; and Rechab, and his brother Baanah, struck, or stabbed, Ishbosheth in the belly, and then fled.)

⁷ Soothly when they had entered into the house, he slept on his bed in a (bed-)closet; and they smited and killed him; and when they had taken [off] his head, they went by the way of desert in all that night. (Yea, when they entered into the house, he slept on his bed in the bed-chamber; and they struck, or stabbed, him and killed him; and when they had cut off his head, they left, and went by the way of the wilderness all that night.)

⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David, in Hebron, and they said to the king, Lo! the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, that sought thy life; and the Lord hath given today to our lord the king vengeance of Saul, and of his seed (yea, today the Lord hath avenged our lord the king upon Saul, and upon his descendants, or his family).

⁹ And David answered to Rechab, and Baanah, his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, The Lord liveth, that hath delivered my life from all anguish (As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my life from all anguish);

¹⁰ for I held him that told to me, and said, Saul is dead, which man guessed himself to tell prosperities, and I killed him in Ziklag, to whom (he thought) it behooved me (to) give meed for (his) message; (for I took hold of him who told me, and said, Saul is dead, which man thought that he told good news, and I killed him in Ziklag, yea, he who thought it behooved me to give him a reward for his message;)

¹¹ how much more now, when wicked men have slain a guiltless man in his house upon his bed, shall I not seek his blood of your hand, and shall not I do away you from the earth? (how much more now, when you wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house on his own bed, will I not avenge his blood upon you, and shall I not do you away from the face of the earth?)

¹² Therefore David commanded to his servants, and they killed them; and they cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them over the cistern in Hebron (and hung them up near the pool in Hebron). Forsooth they took the head of Ishbosheth, and they buried it in the sepulchre of Abner, in Hebron.

5 And all the lineages of Israel came to David, in Hebron, and said, Lo! we be thy bone and thy flesh. (And all the tribes of Israel came to David, in Hebron, and said, Lo! we be thy flesh and blood.)

² But also yesterday and the third day ago, when Saul was king upon us, thou leddest out, and leddest again Israel; forsooth the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be duke upon Israel. (And yesterday and the third day ago, when Saul was king upon us, thou leddest out the people Israel, and leddest them in again; and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be the leader of Israel.)

³ Also and the elder men of Israel came to the king, into Hebron; and king David smote with them (a) bond of peace in Hebron, before the Lord; and they anointed David into king upon Israel. (And the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron; and King David struck a covenant with them in Hebron, before the Lord; and they anointed David king upon Israel.)

⁴ David was a son of thirty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years(.)

⁵ in Hebron; he reigned upon Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years upon all Israel and Judah. (In Hebron, he reigned seven years and six months upon Judah; and in Jerusalem, he reigned thirty-three years upon all Israel and Judah.)

⁶ And the king went, and all [the] men that were with him, into Jerusalem, to Jebusites, the dweller(s) of the land. And it was said of them to David, Thou shalt not enter hither, no but thou do away blind men and lame, saying, David shall not enter hither. (And the king, and all the men who were with him, went to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. And they said to David, Thou shalt not come in here until thou do away all the blind and the crippled, that is to say, Thou, David, shalt never come in here.)

⁷ Forsooth David took the tower of Zion; this is the city of David. (But David captured the stronghold, or the fortress, of Zion; this is known as the City of David.)

⁸ For David had purposed in that day to have given meed to him, that had smitten Jebusites, and that had touched the gutters of the house roofs, and that had taken away lame men and blind, hating the life of David. Therefore it is said in common speech, A blind man and a lame shall not enter into the temple. (For David had put forth a reward that day, to anyone who struck down the Jebusites, yea, up to the gutters of the housetops, and who did away even the crippled and the blind, yea, any and all who hated the life of David. And so it is said in common speech, No one blind or crippled shall enter into the Temple.)

⁹ And David dwelled in the tower, and called it the city of David; and he builded by compass from Millo, and within. (And David lived in the stronghold, and called it the City of David; and he built all around from Millo, inwards.)

¹⁰ And he entered profiting, and increasing; and the Lord God of hosts was with him.

¹¹ Also Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and craftsmen of wood, and craftsmen of stones to (make) walls; and they builded the house of David.

¹² And David knew, that the Lord had confirmed him king upon Israel, and that he had enhanced his realm upon his people Israel (and that he had raised up his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel).

¹³ Therefore David took yet (more) concubines, and wives of (the inhabitants of) Jerusalem, after that he came from Hebron; and also other sons and daughters were born to David.

¹⁴ And these be the names of them that were born to him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

¹⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

¹⁶ and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

¹⁷ Then the Philistines heard, that they had anointed David king upon Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David. And when David had heard this, he went down into a stronghold.

¹⁸ And the Philistines came, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim. (And the Philistines came, and they were spread all over the Rephaim Valley.)

¹⁹ And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up to Philistines, and whether thou shalt give them in mine hand? And the Lord said to David, Go thou up, for I shall betake the Philistines, and I shall give them in thine hand. (And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I go up to the Philistines? and shalt thou give them into my hands? And the Lord said to David, Go thou up, for I shall deliver the Philistines into thy hands.)

²⁰ Therefore David came into Baalperazim, and smote them there (and he struck them there), and said, The Lord hath parted mine enemies before me, as waters be parted. Therefore the name of that place was called Baalperazim, that is, The Field, either Plain, of Parting.

²¹ And they left there their sculptures, (or their images,) which David burnt, and his men. (And they left their idols there, which David and his men burned to ashes.)

²² And [the] Philistines added yet, that they should ascend, and they were spread abroad in the valley of Rephaim. (And the Philistines attacked again, and they were spread all over the Rephaim Valley.)

²³ And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall go up against the Philistines, and whether thou shalt betake them into mine hands? (And David counselled with the Lord, and said, Shall I go up against the Philistines, and shalt thou deliver them into my hands?) And the Lord answered, Thou shalt not go up against them, but compass thou them behind their back, and (then) thou shalt come to them on the contrary side of the pear trees.

²⁴ And when thou shalt hear the sound of (a) cry going in the top(s) of (the) pear trees, then thou shalt begin (the) battle; for then the Lord shall go out before thy face, that he smite the tents of Philistines (for then the Lord shall go out before thee, and strike down the host, or the army, of the Philistines).

²⁵ Therefore David did as the Lord commanded to him; and he smote the Philistines from Geba till they came to Gazer.

6 Forsooth David gathered again all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. (Then David gathered together all the chosen, or all the best, out of Israel, yea, thirty thousand men.)

² And David rose, and went, and all the people that was with him of the men of Judah, to bring the ark of God, on which the name of the Lord of hosts, sitting in cherubim on that ark, was called. (And David rose up, and then he, and all the people who were with him, went to Baalath in Judah, to bring back from there the Ark of God, which beareth the name of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon, or above, the cherubim.)

³ And they putted the ark of God on a new wain, and they took it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah (And they put the Ark of God on a new wagon, and they took it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill). And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new wain.

⁴ And when they had taken it from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah, and kept the ark of God, Ahio went before the ark. (And so they took it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill, who had kept the Ark of God safe; and Ahio went before the Ark.)

⁵ And David and all Israel played before the Lord, in all treen instruments of melody, and in harps, and citoles, and tympans, and trumps, and cymbals. (And David and all Israel played music before the Lord, on all the wooden instruments, and on harps, and lutes, and drums, or tambourines, and trumpets, and cymbals.)

⁶ Forsooth after that they came to the cornfloor of Nachon, Uzzah held forth his hand to the ark of God, and held it, for the oxen kicked, and bowed it. (But when they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God, and held it, for the oxen stumbled, and shook it.)

⁷ And the Lord was wroth by indignation against Uzzah, and smote him on the folly (and struck him down for his foolishness in touching the Ark); and he was dead there beside the ark of God.

⁸ And David was sorry, for the Lord had slain Uzzah; and the name of that place was called The Smiting of Uzzah till into this day. (And David was grieved that the Lord had killed Uzzah; and the name of that place is called Perezuzzah, or the Punishment of Uzzah, unto this day.)

⁹ And David dreaded the Lord in that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord enter to me? (And David feared the Lord that day, and said, How can I bring the Ark of the Lord back with me?)

¹⁰ And (so) he would not turn [aside] the ark of the Lord (un)to himself into the city of David, but he turned it [aside] into the house of Obededom of Gath.

¹¹ And the ark of the Lord dwelled in the house of Obededom of Gath three months; and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his house(hold). (And the Ark of the Lord stayed at the house of Obededom the Gittite for three months; and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his family.)

¹² And it was told to king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all his things, for the ark of God. And David said, I shall go, and bring the ark with blessing into mine house. Therefore David went, and brought the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy. (And it was told to King David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all that he had/and all that was his, for keeping the Ark of God safe. And David said, Now I shall go, and bring the Ark of God with blessing to my house. And so David went, and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obededom to the City of David with great joy.)

¹³ And when they, that bare the ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, they offered an ox and a ram. (And when they, who carried the Ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, he offered an ox and a ram.)

¹⁴ And David smote in organs fastened to his arm (And David played on an instrument fastened to his arm); and he danced with all his strengths before the Lord; and David was clothed with (only) a linen surplice.

¹⁵ And David, and all the house of Israel, led forth the ark of [the] testament of the Lord/the ark of [the] witnessing of the Lord in hearty song, and in sound of trump. (And David, and all the house of Israel, brought forth the Ark of the Lord with hearty song, and the sound of trumpets.)

¹⁶ And when the ark of the Lord had entered into the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, beheld by a window, and she saw the king skipping and dancing/hopping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and setted it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle, which tabernacle David had made therefore/had made ready thereto; and David offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable (sacrifices) before the Lord. (And they brought in the Ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the Tent, which David had prepared for it; and David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord.)

¹⁸ And when David had ended those, and had offered burnt sacrifices and peaceable (sacrifices), he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. (And when David had finished offering the burnt sacrifices and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.)

¹⁹ And he gave to all the multitude of Israel, as well to man as to woman, to each a cake of bread, and one part roasted of bugle flesh, and flour of wheat fried with oil; and all the people went forth, each into his house. (And he gave to all the multitude of Israel, yea, to each man and woman, a cake of bread, and a piece of roasted ox flesh, and wheat flour fried with oil; and then all the people went home.)

²⁰ And David turned again to bless his house, and Michal, the daughter of Saul, went out into the coming of David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and he was made naked, as if one of the knaves had been made naked? (And David returned to bless his own house, and Michal, Saul’s daughter, went out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself before the slave-girls of his servants, yea, he was made naked, just like one of the knaves would be made naked!)

²¹ And David said to Michal, The Lord liveth, for I shall play, (or I shall dance,) before the Lord, that chose me rather than thy father, and rather than all the house of him, and commanded to me, that I should be duke on the people of the Lord of Israel; and I shall play, (And David said to Michal, As the Lord liveth, I shall dance before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and all of his family, and who commanded to me that I should be the leader of the people of the Lord of Israel; and so I shall dance,)

²² and I shall be made more vile than I am yet made, and I shall be meek in mine eyes, and I shall appear more glorious with those handmaidens, of which thou hast spoken. (and I shall be made even more vile than I am yet made, and I shall be abased in thine eyes, but I shall appear more glorious to those slave-girls of whom thou hast spoken.)

²³ Therefore a son was not born to Michal, the daughter of Saul, till into the day of her death. (And so no child was ever born to Saul’s daughter Michal, unto the day of her death.)

7 Forsooth it was done, when king David had sat in his house, and the Lord had given rest to him on each side from all his enemies,

² he said to Nathan the prophet, Seest thou not, that I dwell in an house of cedar (that I live in a cedar house), and the ark of God is put in the midst of skins?

³ And Nathan said to the king, Go thou, and do all thing that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.

⁴ And it was done in that night, and lo! the word of the Lord, was made to Nathan, [saying,]

⁵ Go thou, and speak to my servant David, (and say,) The Lord saith these things, Whether thou shalt build to me an house to dwell in? (Shalt thou build a house for me to live in?)

⁶ Soothly I have not dwelled in an house from the day in which I led the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt till into this day; but I have gone in a tabernacle and in a tent,

⁷ by all places, to which I passed with all the sons of Israel? Whether I speaking spake to (any)one of the lineages of Israel, to whom I commanded, that he should feed my people Israel, and said, Why buildedest thou not an house of cedar to me? (to all the places, to which I went with all the people of Israel. Did I speak to anyone of the tribes of Israel, to whom I commanded, that they should feed my people Israel, and did I ever ask them, Why hast thou not built a cedar house for me?)

⁸ And now thou shalt say these things to my servant David, The Lord of hosts saith these things, I took thee from [the] pastures following flocks, that thou shouldest be duke on my people Israel (so that thou couldest be the leader of my people Israel),

⁹ and I was with thee in all things, wherever thou hast gone, and I have killed all thine enemies from thy face, and I have made to thee a great name, by the name of great men that be in earth; (and I was with thee in all things, wherever thou hast gone, and I have killed all thy enemies before thee, and I have made a great name for thee, like the names of the great men who be on the earth;)

¹⁰ and I shall set a place to my people Israel, and I shall plant him, and I shall dwell with him, and he shall no more be troubled, and the sons of wickedness shall not add to, that they torment him as before, (and I shall set a place for my people Israel, and I shall plant them, and I shall live with them, and they shall no more be troubled, and the sons of wickedness shall not torment them anymore, like they did in the past,)

¹¹ (like they did) from the day in which I ordained judges upon my people Israel; and I shall give rest to thee from all thine enemies. And the Lord before-saith to thee, that he shall make an house to thee (And the Lord saith in advance to thee, that he shall make a house for thee);

¹² and when thy days be fulfilled, and thou hast slept with thy fathers, (that is, when thou hast died,) I shall raise up thy seed after thee, which shall go out of thy womb, and I shall make steadfast his realm (and I shall establish his kingdom).

¹³ (And) He shall build an house to my name, and I shall make stable the throne of his realm till into without end;

¹⁴ I shall be to him into a father, and he shall be to me into a son; and if he shall do anything wickedly, I shall chastise him in the rod of men, and in the wounds of the sons of men. (I shall be his father, and he shall be my son; and if he doeth anything wicked, I shall chastise him with the rod of men, and with wounds from the sons of men.)

¹⁵ Forsooth I shall not do away my mercy from him, as I did it away from Saul, whom I removed from my face. (But I shall not take away my love from him, like I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from my presence.)

¹⁶ And thine house shall be faithful, and thy realm shall be till into without end before my face, and thy throne shall be steadfast continually (and thy throne shall be established forever).

¹⁷ By all these words, and by all this revelation, so Nathan spake to David.

¹⁸ Forsooth David the king entered into the tabernacle, and he sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁹ But also this is seen (as but a) little (thing) in thy sight, my Lord God; no but (that) thou shouldest speak also of the house of thy servant into long time. For this is the law of Adam, Lord God (For this is the law of men, or people’s lot, O Lord God);

²⁰ what therefore may David add yet, that he speak to thee? (and so what can I say to thee?) For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant;

²¹ thou hast done all these great things, for thy word, and by thine heart (for thy word’s sake, and according to thy heart), so that thou madest those known to thy servant.

²² Therefore, Lord God, thou art made great, for none is like thee, nor there is no God except thee, in all things which we have heard with our ears. (And so, Lord God, thou art truly great, and from everything that we have heard with our ears, no one is like thee, nor is there any God except thee.)

²³ Soothly what folk in (the) earth is as the people of Israel, for which the Lord God went, that he should again-buy it to him into a people, and should set to himself a name, and should do to it great things, and horrible, on [the] earth, in casting out thereof the folks, and gods thereof, from the face of thy people, which thou again-boughtest to thee from Egypt? (Yea, what nation on earth is like the people of Israel, for whom the Lord God went, and redeemed, or rescued, them in order to be a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for them great and wonderful things on the earth, in throwing out from here the nations, and their gods, from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed, or rescued, for thyself from Egypt?)

²⁴ And thou hast confirmed to thee thy people Israel into a people everlasting, and thou, Lord, art made into God to them. (And thou hast confirmed thy people Israel to be thy own people forevermore, and O Lord, thou hast become their God.)

²⁵ Now therefore, Lord God, raise up (into) without end the word that thou hast spoken upon thy servant, and upon his house, and do as thou hast spoken;

²⁶ and thy name be magnified/and thy name be made great till into without end, and be it said, The Lord of hosts is God upon Israel; and the house of thy servant David shall be stablished before the Lord;

²⁷ for thou, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast made revelation to the ear of thy servant, and saidest, I shall build an house to thee; therefore thy servant hath found by his heart, that he should pray thee by this prayer. (for thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made a revelation in the ear of thy servant, and saidest, I shall build a house for thee; and so thy servant hath found in his heart, that he should pray to thee by this prayer.)

²⁸ Now therefore, Lord God, thou art very God, and thy words shall (always) be true; for thou hast spoken these good things to thy servant;

²⁹ therefore begin thou, and bless the house of thy servant, that it be into without end before thee; for thou, Lord God, hast spoken these things, and through thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed [into] without end.

8 And it was done after these things, David smote the Philistines, and made low them; and David took away the bridle of tribute from the hand of Philistines. (And it was done after these things, that David struck the Philistines, and made them low, or conquered them; and David took away Methegammah from the Philistines.)

² And David smote Moab, and meted them with a cord, and he made them even to the earth; forsooth he meted (them by) two cords, one to slay, and one to quicken. And Moab served David under tribute. (And David struck the Moabites, and he made his captives to lie on the ground, and had them measured with a cord; and for every two cord lengths of men that he killed, one cord length was allowed to live. And then the Moabites paid tribute, or taxes, to David.)

³ And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went forth to be lord over the flood Euphrates. (And then David struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah, as he went to recover his land by the Euphrates River.)

⁴ And when a thousand and seven hundred horsemen of his part were taken, and twenty thousand of footmen, David hocked all [the] drawing beasts in chariots; but David left of those an hundred chariots, that is, the horses of an hundred chariots. (And David took from him, or captured, a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and he hocked all the drawing beasts for the chariots; but he left unharmed the horses for a hundred chariots.)

⁵ Also Syrians of Damascus came, that it should bear help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah; and David smote of (the) Syrians two and twenty thousand of men. (And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer; and David struck down twenty-two thousand of the men of Syria.)

⁶ And David setted a stronghold in Syria of Damascus, and Syria was made serving David under tribute. And the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth. (And David set up strongholds in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians were made to serve David, and to pay tribute, or taxes, to him. And the Lord gave victory to David in all his battles, wherever he went.)

⁷ And David took golden armours and bands (And David took the gold arms, or the weapons), which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those into Jerusalem.

⁸ And of Betah, and of Berothai (And from Betah, and Berothai), the cities of Hadadezer, David [the] king took full much brass.

⁹ Forsooth Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer.

¹⁰ And Toi sent Joram, his son, to king David, that he should greet him, and thank (him), and do thankings, for he had overcome Hadadezer, and had smitten him; for Toi was enemy of Hadadezer; and vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass were in his hand. (And King Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him on his victory, for he had overcome Hadadezer, and had beaten him; for Toi was Hadadezer’s enemy; and his son brought with him vessels of silver, and gold, and brass, for David.)

¹¹ And the same vessels king David hallowed to the Lord, with the silver and gold, which he had hallowed of all heathen men, which he had made subject. (And King David dedicated these vessels to the Lord, along with the silver and the gold which he had dedicated from all the heathen whom he had made subject,)

¹² of Syria, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, and of Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoils of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ Also David made to him a name, when he turned again when Syria was taken, for eighteen thousand men were slain in the valley, where salt was made, and in Helam, to three and twenty thousand.^[b] (And so David had made a name for himself, by the time he returned after the Syrians were killed, for eighteen thousand men were slain in the Salt Valley, and twenty-two thousand in Helam.)

¹⁴ And he setted keepers in Idumea, and ordained [a] stronghold, and all Idumea was made serving to David; and the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth. (And he set up strongholds in Edom, or Idumea, and all the Edomites served David; and so the Lord gave victory to David everywhere he went.)

¹⁵ And David reigned upon all Israel, and David did doom, and rightwiseness to all his people. (And David reigned over all Israel, and David brought justice, or judgement, and righteousness unto all his people.)

¹⁶ And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the host of David; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was recorder; (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the leader of David’s army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the officer in charge of the records;)

¹⁷ and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was a scribe (and Seraiah was the writer).

¹⁸ But Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over Cherethites and Pelethites, that is, over archers and arrow-blasters; and the sons of David were priests. (And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was the leader of the Cherethites and Pelethites, that is, the archers and the arrow-blasters; and David’s sons were priests.)

9 And David said, Whether any man is, that (is) left of the house of Saul, that I do mercy with him for Jonathan? (And David asked, Is there any man who is left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?)

² And there was a servant, Ziba by name, of the house of Saul; whom when the king had called to himself, the king said to him, Whether thou art not Ziba? (Art thou Ziba?) And he answered, I am thy servant.

³ And the king said, Whether any man liveth of the house of Saul, that I do with him the mercy of God? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, feeble in the feet. (And the king said, Is there any man left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show the kindness that God commandeth? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, who is lame, or crippled.)

⁴ And the king said, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Lo! he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

⁵ Therefore king David sent, and took Jonathan’s son from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. (And so King David sent for Jonathan’s son, and brought him to Jerusalem from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.)

⁶ And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, [the] son of Saul, had come to David, he felled into his face, and worshipped. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am present, thy servant. (And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face, and honoured him. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am thy servant.)

⁷ And David said to him, Dread thou not, for I doing shall do mercy to thee for Jonathan, thy father; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread in my table ever[more]. (And David said to him, Fear not, for I shall do kindness to thee because of thy father Jonathan; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy grandfather, and thou shalt have a place at my table forevermore.)

⁸ Which worshipped him (Who bowed low before him again), and said, Who am I, thy servant, for thou hast beheld on a dead dog like me?

⁹ Therefore the king called Ziba, the servant of Saul; and said to him, I have given to the son of thy lord all things, whichever were of Saul, and all the house of him; (And so the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given to thy lord’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul, and his family;)

¹⁰ therefore work thou the land to him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in meats to the son of thy lord, that he be fed; but Mephibosheth, the son of thy lord, shall eat ever bread on my board. And fifteen sons and twenty servants were to Ziba. (and so work thou the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in the harvest for the family of thy lord, so that they can be fed; but Mephibosheth, the grandson of thy lord, shall have a place at my table forevermore. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ And Ziba said to the king, As thou, my lord (the) king, hast commanded to thy servant, so thy servant shall do; and Mephibosheth, as one of the sons of the king, shall eat on thy board (and Mephibosheth, like one of the king’s sons, ate at the king’s table).

¹² And Mephibosheth had a little son, Micha by name; and all the family of the house of Ziba served Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth dwelled in Jerusalem; for he ate continually of the king’s board, and was crooked, or halt, on either foot. (And so Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem; and he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame, or crippled, in both feet.)

10 Forsooth it was done after these things, that Nahash, [the] king of the sons of Ammon, died; and Hanun, his son, reigned for him (and his son Hanun reigned in his place).

² And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father did mercy with me. Therefore David sent comforting (to) him by his servants on the death of the father (And David said, I shall show friendship to Nahash’s son Hanun, like his father showed to me. And so, by his servants, David sent words of comfort to Hanun on the death of his father). And when the servants of David had come into the land of the sons of Ammon,

³ the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, Guessest thou, that for the honour of thy father David hath sent comforters to thee; and not rather therefore David sent his servants to thee, that he should espy, and ensearch the city, and destroy it? (and not rather, that David sent his servants to thee to spy out, and to search through the city, so that later he could destroy it?)

⁴ Therefore Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved half the part of the beard of them, and he cutted away the middle clothes of them, till to the buttocks; and let go them. (And so Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off half of their beards, and cut away half of their clothes, unto the buttocks, and then let them go.)

⁵ And when this was told to David, he sent into the coming of them, for the men were shamed full vilely (And when this was told to David, he sent men to meet them, for these men had been vilely shamed). And David commanded to them, (and said,) Dwell ye in Jericho, till your beard (hath) waxed, and then turn ye again.

⁶ And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, and they sent, and hired with meed of Bethrehob of Syria, and of Zoba of Syria, twenty thousand of footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob, twelve thousand of men. (And the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, and so they sent for, and hired for pay, Syrians from Bethrehob and from Zoba, yea, twenty thousand footmen, and a thousand men from King Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.)

⁷ And when David had heard this, he sent (out) Joab, and all the host of fighters (and all his army of fighting men).

⁸ Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field. (And so the Ammonites went out, and dressed the battle array before them at the entrance to the city gate. And the Syrians from Zoba and from Rehob, and the men from Tob, and from Maacah, were asides half in the field.)

⁹ Therefore Joab saw, that the battle was made ready against him, both even against him and behind his back; and he chose to himself of all the chosen men of Israel (and he chose for himself the best men out of all Israel), and ordained (the) battle array against (the) Syrians.

¹⁰ Forsooth he betook to Abishai, his brother, the tother part of the people, which dressed (the) battle array against the sons of Ammon.

¹¹ And Joab said, If (the) men of Syria have the mastery against me, thou shalt be to me into help; and if the sons of Ammon have the mastery against thee, I shall help thee;

¹² be thou a strong man (be thou of good courage), and fight we for our people, and for the city of our God; for the Lord shall do that, that is good in his sight.

¹³ Therefore Joab and the people that was with him, began battle against men of Syria, which fled anon from his face. (And so Joab, and the men who were with him, began to fight against the Syrians, who fled at once from before them.)

¹⁴ And the sons of Ammon saw, that [the] men of Syria had fled; and they fled also from the face of Abishai, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again from the sons of Ammon, and came into Jerusalem (and then Joab left off fighting the Ammonites, and went back to Jerusalem).

¹⁵ And [the] men of Syria saw that they had fallen before Israel, and they were gathered together. (And when the Syrians saw that they had fallen before Israel, they gathered themselves together.)

¹⁶ And Hadadezer^[c] sent, and led out [the] men of Syria that were beyond the flood, and he brought forth the host of them; and Shobach, [the] master of the chivalry of Hadadezer, was the prince of them. (And Hadadezer sent for the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they came forth to Helam; and Shobach, the master of Hadadezer’s cavalry, or of his army, was their leader.)

¹⁷ And when this was told to David, he drew together all Israel, and he passed over Jordan (and he crossed over the Jordan River), and came into Helam. And [the] men of Syria dressed (the) battle array against David, and fought against him.

¹⁸ And Syrians fled from the face of Israel; and David killed of the Syrians (the men in) seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand of horsemen; and he smote Shobach, the prince of the chivalry, the which was dead anon. (And the Syrians fled from the Israelites; and David killed of those Syrians the men in seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck down Shobach, the leader of the cavalry, or of the army, who died on the battlefield.)

¹⁹ And all the kings, that were in help of Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome of Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them; and the Syrians dreaded to give (more) help to the sons of Ammon. (And when all the kings, who were subject to Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them; and from then on the Syrians were afraid to give any more help to the Ammonites.)

11 And it was done, when the year turned again, in that time in which kings be wont to go forth to battles, David sent forth Joab, and with him his servants, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah; and David dwelled in Jerusalem. (And it was done, when the year turned again, at the time when kings be wont to go forth to battle, David sent out Joab, and with him his officers, and all of Israel’s army; and they destroyed the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah; but David stayed in Jerusalem.)

² While these things were done, it befelled, that David rose in a day from his bed after midday, and walked in the solar of the king’s house; and he saw a woman washing herself even against him upon her solar; and the woman was full fair. (While these things were done, it befell one day, that David rose from his bed after midday, and walked on the roof of his palace; and he saw a woman opposite him washing herself on her roof; and the woman was truly beautiful.)

³ Therefore the king sent, and inquired, what woman it was; and it was told to him that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, and (that) she was the wife of Uriah (the) Hittite.

⁴ Then by messengers sent, David took her; and when she entered to him, he slept with her, and anon she was hallowed from her uncleanness^[d]. And she turned again into her house, (Then David sent messengers, who brought her to him; and after she came to him, he slept with her, and at once she was hallowed from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house,)

⁵ with a child conceived; and she sent, and told to David, and said, I have conceived.

⁶ And David sent to Joab, and said, Send thou Uriah (the) Hittite to me; and Joab sent Uriah to David.

⁷ And Uriah came to David; and David asked, how rightfully Joab did and the people, and how the battle was (ad)ministered, or served. (And Uriah came to David; and David asked him how well Joab and the men were doing, and how the battle was going.)

⁸ And David said to Uriah, Go into thine house, and wash thy feet. [And] Uriah went out from the house of the king, and the king’s meat followed him (and the king’s gift followed him home).

⁹ Soothly Uriah slept before the gate of the king’s house with other servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. (But Uriah slept by the palace gate with other servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.)

¹⁰ And it was told to David of men, saying, Uriah went not to his house (And it was told to David by men, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house). And David said to Uriah, Whether thou camest not from the way? why wentest thou not down into thine house?

¹¹ And Uriah said to David, The ark of God, [and] Israel, and Judah (all) dwell in tents, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord dwell upon the face of the earth, and shall I (then) go into mine house, to eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By thine health, and by the health of thy soul, I shall not do this thing.

¹² Therefore David said to Uriah, Dwell thou here also today, and tomorrow I shall deliver thee. Uriah dwelled in Jerusalem in that day, and the tother (And so Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next day as well).

¹³ And David called him, that he should eat and drink before him, and David made drunken Uriah (and David made Uriah drunk); and he went out in the eventide, and slept in his bed with the servants of his lord; and went not down into his house.

¹⁴ Therefore when the morrowtide was made, David wrote [an] epistle to Joab, and sent (it) by the hand of Uriah,

¹⁵ and wrote in the epistle, Put ye Uriah even against the battle, where the battle is strongest, that is, where the adversaries be (the) strong(est), and forsake ye him, that he be smitten and perish (and leave ye him there, so that he can be struck down and die).

¹⁶ Therefore when Joab besieged the city, he setted Uriah in the place where he knew that (the) strongest men were.

¹⁷ And [the] men went out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed of the people of the servants of David, and also Uriah (the) Hittite was dead there. (And the men came out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed some of David’s officers, and Uriah the Hittite was also killed.)

¹⁸ Therefore Joab sent, and told all the words of the battle; (And so Joab sent a message to David, telling him all about the battle;)

¹⁹ and he commanded to the messenger, and said, When thou hast fulfilled all the words of the battle to the king (When thou hast finished telling the king everything about the battle),

²⁰ if thou seest, that he is wroth, and saith, Why nighed ye to the wall to fight? whether ye knew not, that many darts, (or arrows,) (would) be sent out from the wall above?

²¹ who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? whether not a woman sent on him a gobbet of a millstone from the wall, and killed him in Thebez? why nighed ye beside the wall? thou shalt say, Also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, died. (do ye not recall who struck down Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman send down a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall above, and killed him there in Thebez? why did ye go beside the wall? thou shalt say, And thy officer, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)

²² Therefore the messenger went, [and came] (to the king), and told to David all things which Joab had commanded to him.

²³ And the messenger said to David, [The] Men had the mastery against us, and they went out to us into the field; and with great fierceness we pursued them unto the gate of the city.

²⁴ And [the] archers sent (out) darts to thy servants from the wall above, and some of the king’s servants be dead; and also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, is dead. (And their archers sent out arrows at thy servants, or thy officers, from the wall above, and some of the king’s servants were killed; and thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)

²⁵ And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, This thing break not thee; for the hap of battle is diverse, and sword wasteth now this man, [and] now that man; comfort thy fighters against the city, that thou destroy it, and excite thou them. (And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, Do not let this thing break thee; for the happenstance of battle is diverse, and the sword wasteth now this man, and now that one; make thy fighting men strong against the city, so that thou destroy it, yea, encourage thou them.)

²⁶ And the wife of Uriah heard, that Uriah her husband was dead, and she bewailed him.

²⁷ And when the mourning was passed, David sent, and brought her into his house; and she was made (a) wife to him, and she childed a son to him. And this word that David had done displeased before the Lord (But this thing that David had done greatly displeased the Lord).

12 Therefore the Lord sent Nathan to David; and when he had come to David, he said to him, Answer thou a doom to me (Give thou to me your judgement on this); two men were in one city; one man was rich, and the tother was poor.

² The rich man had full many sheep, and oxen;

³ and the poor man had utterly nothing, except one little sheep, which he had bought, and nourished, and which had waxed at him, (and) with his sons, and ate together (with them) of his bread, and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom; and it was as a daughter to him. (and the poor man had utterly nothing, except one little lamb, which he had bought, and nourished, and which had grown up with him, and with his sons, and together with them ate his food, and drank from his cup, and slept in his bosom; yea, it was like a daughter to him.)

⁴ But when a pilgrim came to this rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, that he should make a feast to that pilgrim, that came to him; and he took the sheep of the poor man, and prepared meats to the man that came to him. (But when a visitor came to the rich man, he would not take his own sheep and oxen to make a feast for that visitor, who came to him; but instead he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared food for the man who came to him.)

⁵ Certainly David was full wroth with indignation against that man, and he said to Nathan, (As) The Lord liveth, for the man that did this thing is the son of death, that is, is worthy of death, for the hideousness of the deed;

⁶ he shall yield the sheep into fourfold, for he did this word, and spared not. (he shall give him four sheep, for he did this thing, and yet could care less.)

⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art that man, that hast done this thing. The Lord God of Israel saith these things, I anointed thee into king on Israel (I anointed thee king upon Israel), and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul,

⁸ and I gave to thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord in(to) thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel, and of Judah; and if these things be little, I shall add to thee much greater things (and if these things were too little, I would have added much greater things for thee).

⁹ Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, that thou didest evils in my sight? Thou hast killed by sword Uriah (the) Hittite, and thou hast taken his wife into wife to thee, and thou hast slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. (And so why hast thou despised the word of the Lord, so that thou didest evils in my sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and thou hast taken his wife for thy wife, and thou hast killed him by the sword of the Ammonites.)

¹⁰ Wherefore a sword shall not go away from thine house till into without end; for thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah (the) Hittite, that she should be thy wife.