Bible in 90 Days

¹¹ Therefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise on thee evil (out) of thine house, and I shall take thy wives in thine eyes, and I shall give to thy neighbour, and he shall sleep with thy wives in the eyes of this sun. (And so the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise up evil against thee from thy own house, and I shall take thy wives from before thee, and I shall give them to thy neighbour, or to another man, and he shall sleep with thy wives in broad daylight.)

¹² For thou hast done (thy sin) privily; forsooth I shall do this word in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of this sun. (Yea, thou hast done thy sin in secret; but I shall do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.)

¹³ And David said to Nathan, I have sinned to the Lord. And Nathan said to David, Also the Lord hath turned away thy sin; thou shalt not die. (And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord hath turned away thy sin; thou shalt not die.)

¹⁴ Nevertheless for thou hast made [the] enemies to blaspheme the name of the Lord, for this word the child that is born to thee shall die by death (because of this, the child who is born to thee shall die).

¹⁵ And Nathan turned again into his house. And the Lord smote the little child, whom the wife of Uriah childed to David, and he despaired. (And Nathan returned to his house. And the Lord struck the young child, whom Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became very ill.)

¹⁶ And David prayed to the Lord for the little child; and David fasted by fasting, and entered asides half, and lay on the earth (and lay on the floor all night).

¹⁷ And the elder men of his house came, and constrained him, that he should rise up from the earth; and he would not, neither he ate meat with them. (And the older men of his household came, and compelled him to get up off the floor; but he would not, nor would he eat any food with them.)

¹⁸ And it befelled in the seventh day, that the young child died; and the servants of David dreaded to tell to him, that the little child was dead; for they said, Lo! while the little child lived yet, we spake to him, and he heard not our voice; how much more (now), if we say the child is dead, he shall torment himself? (And it befell that on the seventh day, the young child died; and David’s servants feared to tell him that the young child was dead; for they said, Lo! while the young child yet lived, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us; how much more now shall he torment himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?)

¹⁹ Therefore when David had heard his servants speaking privily, either muttering, he understood that the young child was dead; and he said to his servants, Whether the child is dead? (Is the child dead?) Which answered to him, He is dead.

²⁰ Therefore David rose up from the earth, and was washed, and anointed; and when he had changed his clothes, he entered into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and came into his house; and he asked, that they should set bread to him, and he ate. (And so David got up off the floor, and washed, and anointed himself; and when he had changed his clothes, he went to the House of the Lord, and worshipped, and then came back to the palace; and he asked them to set food before him, and he ate it.)

²¹ And his servants said to him, What is the word that thou hast done? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while he lived yet; but when the child was dead, thou risedest/thou hast risen up, and atest bread? (And his servants said to him, What is this? Thou hast fasted, and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; but when the child was dead, thou hast risen up, and eaten food?)

²² And David said, I fasted and wept for the young child, when he lived yet; for I said, Who knoweth, if peradventure the Lord give him to me, and the young child live? (And David said, Yes, I fasted and wept for the young child, while yet he lived; for I said, Who knoweth, perhaps the Lord shall give him back to me, and the young child shall live.)

²³ But now for he is dead, why fast I? whether I shall be able to again-call him more? I shall go more to him, but he shall not turn again to me. (But now that he is dead, why should I fast? can I call him back again? One day, I shall go to him, but he shall never return to me.)

²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife; and he entered [in] to her, and slept with her. And she engendered a son, and David called his name Solomon; and the Lord loved him.

²⁵ And he sent him in the hand of Nathan, the prophet; and he called his name Amiable to the Lord, for the Lord loved him. (And he sent word through Nathan, the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, that is, Beloved of the Lord, for the Lord loved him.)

²⁶ Then Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and he fought against the king’s city.

²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and the city of waters shall be taken (and I have taken the city’s water supply).

²⁸ Now therefore gather thou the tother part of the people, and besiege thou the city, and take thou it, lest when the city is wasted of me (lest when I have destroyed the city), the victory be areckoned to my name.

²⁹ Therefore David gathered together all the people, and he went forth against Rabbah; and when he had fought against that city, he took it.

³⁰ And he took the diadem of the king of them^[a] from his head, by weight [of] a talent of gold, (and) having precious pearls; and it was put on the head of David; but also David bare away full much prey of the city. (And he took the crown off the head of their king/And he took the crown off the head of their idol, which weighed a talent of gold, and was adorned with precious pearls; and it was put on David’s head; and David also took away a great deal of prey, or of spoils, from the city.)

³¹ And he led forth the people thereof, and sawed (them), and did about them iron instruments of torment, and parted (them) with knives, and led (them) over by the likeness of tilestones; so he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David turned again, and all his host, into Jerusalem (And then David, and all his army, returned to Jerusalem).

13 And it was done after these things, that Amnon, the son of David, loved the fairest sister, Tamar by name, of Absalom, the son of David. (And it was done after these things, that Amnon, one of David’s sons, loved Tamar, the fairest sister of Amnon, and of Absalom, another of David’s sons.)

² And Amnon perished greatly for her, so that he was sick for her love. For since she was a virgin, it seemed hard to him, that he should do anything unhonestly with her. (And Amnon greatly burned for her, so that he was sick for her love. But since she was a virgin, it was hard for him to do anything dishonourable to her.)

³ But there was a friend to Amnon, Jonadab by name, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David; and Jonadab was a full prudent man, [(that is), a full sly man].

⁴ Which said to Amnon, Son of the king, why art thou made feeble so by leanness, by all days? why showest thou not to me? (And he said to Amnon, Son of the king, why art thou made so weak and thin, day after day? why not tellest thou to me?) And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.

⁵ And Jonadab answered to him, Lie thou on thy bed, and feign thou sickness; and when thy father cometh, that he visit thee, say thou to him, I pray, come Tamar, my sister, that she give meat to me, and make a stew, that I eat it of her hand. (And Jonadab answered to him, Do thou this. Lie thou on thy bed, and pretend to be sick; and when thy father cometh to visit thee, say thou to him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give food to me, yea, to make me a stew, and I shall eat it by her hand/and she shall serve it to me.)

⁶ Therefore Amnon lay down, and feigned to be sick. And when the king had come to visit him, Amnon said to the king, I beseech, come Tamar, my sister, that she make two suppings before my eyes, and that I take of her hand the meat made ready. (And so Amnon lay down, and pretended to be sick. And when the king had come to visit him, Amnon said to the king, I beseech thee, that my sister Tamar come, and make supper for me, and when the food is ready, I shall eat it by her hand/she shall serve it to me.)

⁷ Therefore David sent to the house of Tamar, and said, Come thou into the house of Amnon, thy brother, and make thou a stew to him. (And so David sent word to Tamar’s house, and said, Go thou to thy brother Amnon’s house, and make thou a stew for him.)

⁸ And Tamar came into the house of Amnon, her brother. And he lay down; and she took meal, and mixed (it) together, and made (it) moist before his eyes, and seethed [the] suppings (and boiled the supper);

⁹ and she took that, that she had sodden, and poured it out, and set it before him, and he would not eat (and she took what she had boiled, and poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat it). And Amnon said, Put ye out all men from me. And when they had put out all (the) men,

¹⁰ Amnon said to Tamar, Bear the meat into the (bed-)closet, that I eat of thine hand. Therefore Tamar took the suppings which she had made, and brought in to Amnon, her brother, in the (bed-)closet. (Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the bed-chamber, so that I can eat it by thy hand/so that thou can serve it to me. And so Tamar took the supper which she had made, and brought it to her brother Amnon, in the bed-chamber.)

¹¹ And when she had proffered the meat to him, he took her, and said, Come thou, my sister, lie thou with me. (And when she offered him the food, he took hold of her, and said, Come thou, my sister, lie thou with me/sleep with me.)

¹² And she answered to him, My brother, do not thou, do not thou oppress me, for this is not leaveful in Israel (for this is not lawful in Israel); do not thou do this folly.

¹³ For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the unwise men, (or the fools,) in Israel; but rather speak thou to the king, and he shall not deny me to thee.

¹⁴ Soothly he would not assent to her prayers; but he was stronger in mights, and oppressed her, and lay with her.

¹⁵ And then (afterward,) with full great hatred Amnon hated her, so that the hatred was greater, by which he hated her, than the love by which he (had) loved her before. And Amnon said to her, Rise thou (up), and go.

¹⁶ And she answered to him, This evil is more which thou doest now against me, and puttest me out, than that, that thou didest before. And he would not hear her; (And she answered to him, This evil which thou now doest against me, by putting me out, is worse, than what thou didest before. But he would not listen to her;)

¹⁷ but when the servant was called, that ministered to him (who served him), he said, Put thou out this woman from me, and close thou the door after her.

¹⁸ And she was clothed with a coat down to the heel; for the king’s daughters (who were) virgins used such clothes. Then the servant of Amnon put her out, and closed the door after her.

¹⁹ And she sprinkled ashes (on)to her head, and when her long coat was rent, and her hands put on her head, she went entering [in] and crying.

²⁰ And Absalom, her brother, said to her, Whether Amnon, thy brother, hath lain with thee? But now, sister, be still; he is thy brother, and torment thou not thine heart for this thing. Therefore Tamar dwelled mourning in the house of Absalom, her brother (And so Tamar stayed in the house of her brother Absalom, and mourned her state).

²¹ Forsooth when king David had heard these words, he was full sorry, and he would not make sore the spirit of Amnon, his son (And when King David heard about this, he was very upset, but he would not punish his son Amnon); for he loved Amnon, for he was his first begotten son.

²² And Absalom spake not to Amnon, neither evil nor good; for Absalom hated Amnon, for he had defouled Tamar, his sister (for he had defiled his sister Tamar).

²³ And it was done after the time of two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim. And Absalom called all the sons of the king (And Absalom invited all the king’s sons to be there).

²⁴ And he came to the king, and said to him, Lo! the sheep of thy servant be shorn; I pray (thee), come the king with his servants to his servant.

²⁵ And the king said to Absalom, Do not thou, my son, do not thou pray, that all we come, and charge thee. And when he constrained David, and he would not go, he blessed Absalom. (And the king said to Absalom, Do not thou, my son, do not thou pray, that we all come, and be a burden to thee. And when Absalom pressed David, he still would not go, but he blessed Absalom.)

²⁶ And Absalom said to David, If thou wilt not come, I beseech thee, come namely Amnon, my brother, with us (And Absalom said to David, If thou wilt not come, I beseech thee, then let my brother Amnon come with us). And the king said to him, It is no need, that he go with thee.

²⁷ Therefore Absalom constrained him; and he delivered with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king. (But Absalom pressed him; and so he let Amnon, and all his other sons, go with him.)

²⁸ And Absalom had made a feast as the feast of a king. And Absalom [had] commanded to his servants, and said, Espy ye, when Amnon is drunken of wine, and when I say to you, Smite ye, and slayeth him. Do not ye dread, for I am that command to you; be ye strengthened, and be ye strong men. (And Absalom made a feast like the feast of a king. And Absalom commanded to his servants, and said, Watch ye, so that when Amnon is drunk with wine, and I say to you, Strike ye him! that you kill him. Do not ye fear, for I am the one who command you to do this; be ye of good courage, and be ye strong men.)

²⁹ Therefore the servants of Absalom did against Amnon, as Absalom had commanded to them; and (then) all the sons of the king (swiftly) rose up, and ascended each upon his mule, and fled.

³⁰ And when they went yet in the way, (the) fame came thereof to the king, and it was said, Absalom hath slain all the sons of the king, and namely not one (is) left of them. (And when they were yet on the way, the report came to the king, and it was said, Absalom hath killed all of the king’s sons, and not one of them is left alive.)

³¹ Therefore the king rose up, and rent his clothes, and felled down on the earth (and fell down on the ground); and all his servants that stood nigh to him, rent their clothes.

³² But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, brother of David, answered and said, My lord the king, guess thou not, that all the young men, and sons of the king, be slain; Amnon alone is dead, for he was set in hatred to Absalom, from the day in which he oppressed Tamar, his sister. (But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, My lord the king, think thou not, that all of the king’s sons be killed; no, only Amnon is dead, for Absalom hath hated him, from the day that he oppressed his sister Tamar.)

³³ Now therefore, my lord the king, set not this word on his heart, and say, All the sons of the king be slain; for Amnon alone is dead. (And so now, my lord the king, put not this thing upon thy heart, and say, All the king’s sons be killed; for only Amnon is dead.)

³⁴ Forsooth Absalom fled. And a young man, (an) espyer, raised [up] his eyes, and beheld, and lo! much people came by a way out of the common way, by the side of the hill. (And so Absalom fled away. And a young man, a watchman, raised up his eyes, and looked, and lo! a crowd of people came by the road, on the side of the hill behind him.)

³⁵ And Jonadab said to the king, Lo! the sons of the king come; after the word of thy servant, so it is done (yea, so it is done, just as thy servant hath said).

³⁶ And when he had ceased to speak, also the sons of the king appeared; and they entered, and raised up their voice, and wept; but also the king and all his servants wept with full great weeping.

³⁷ Forsooth Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Therefore David bewailed his son Amnon in many days (And so David bewailed his son Amnon for many days).

³⁸ Forsooth Absalom, when he had fled, and had come into Geshur, was there (for) three years.

³⁹ And [king] David ceased to pursue Absalom, for he was comforted upon the death of Amnon. (And after King David resigned himself to Amnon’s death, he longed for his son Absalom.)

14 Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, understood, that the heart of the king was turned to(ward) Absalom;

² and he sent to Tekoah, and took from thence a wise woman, and he said to her, Feign thee to mourn, and be thou clothed with a cloak of dole, and be thou not anointed with oil, that thou be as a woman by mourning now in full much time a dead man (so that thou be like a woman now after a great deal of time mourning for her husband).

³ And thou shalt enter to the king, and thou shalt speak to him such manner words. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴ Therefore when the woman of Tekoah had entered to the king, she felled before him on the earth, and worshipped, and said, O! king, keep thou me. (And so when the woman from Tekoah had entered before the king, she fell on the ground before him, and honoured him, and said, O! king, help thou me.)

⁵ And the king said to her, What hast thou of cause? And she answered, Alas! I am a woman widow, for mine husband is dead; (And the king said to her, What is thy problem? And she answered, Alas! I am a widow woman, for my husband is dead;)

⁶ and twain sons were of thine handmaid, which debated against themselves in the field, and none was that might forbid them, and the one smote the tother, and killed him. (and thy servantess had two sons, who raged against each other out in the field, and no one could separate them, and one of them struck the other, and killed him.)

⁷ And lo! all the kindred riseth against thine handmaid, and saith, Give thou him to us that killed his brother, that we slay him, for the life of his brother whom he killed, and that we do away the heir; and they seek to quench my spark that is left, that the name dwell not to mine husband, and that remnants be not to him on earth. (And lo! all the kinsmen riseth against thy servantess, and saith, Give thou to us he who killed his brother, so that we can kill him for taking his brother’s life, and so that we can do away the heir; yea, they seek to quench what is left of my spark, so that my husband’s name not remain, and that there be no remnant of him left here on the earth.)

⁸ And the king said to the woman, Go into thine house, and I shall (give a) command for thee.

⁹ And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord the king, this wickedness be on me, and on the house of my father; forsooth (let) the king and his throne be innocent/be guiltless.

¹⁰ And the king said, Bring thou him to me, that against-saith thee, and he shall no more add to (it,) that he touch thee.

¹¹ And she said, The king have mind on his Lord God, and the next (kins)men of blood to take vengeance be not multiplied, and they shall not slay my son. And the king said, The Lord liveth, for none of the hairs of thy son shall fall upon the earth. (And she said, May the king pray to the Lord his God, that the kinsmen who be next of blood, and who desire vengeance, be not able to take it, and so they shall not kill my son. And the king said, As the Lord liveth, none of the hairs of thy son shall fall on the ground!)

¹² Therefore the woman said, Thine handmaid speak a word to my lord the king (And the woman said, May thy servantess speak a word to my lord the king?). And the king said, Speak thou.

¹³ And the woman said, Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? and the king spake this word, that he do sin, and bring not again his son (who is) cast out? (And the woman said, Why then hast thou done this same thing against the people of God? and so by speaking this word, the king hath sinned, for he hath not brought back his own son who is cast out.)

¹⁴ All we die, and as waters that shall not turn again, we slide into the earth; and God will not that a soul perish, but he withdraweth, and thinketh, lest he perish utterly, which is cast away. (We shall all die, and we shall slide into the earth, like water that shall not return; but God desireth that no soul perish, but he withdraweth, and thinketh, lest he, who is cast away, utterly perish.)

¹⁵ Now therefore come thou, that I speak to my lord the king this word, while the people is present; and thine handmaid said, I shall speak to the king, if in any manner the king do the word of his handmaid. (And so now, I have come that I may speak of this thing to my lord the king, because the people have threatened me; and so thy servantess said to herself, I shall speak to the king, if by any chance the king will do what I request.)

¹⁶ And the king heard the words, that he should deliver his handmaid from the hands of all men, that would do away me, and my son together, from the heritage of the Lord. (And for the king to hear these words, so that he might deliver his servantess from the hands of all those who would do away me, and my son, from the Lord’s inheritance.)

¹⁷ Therefore thine handmaid say, that the word of my lord the king be made as sacrifice, that is, that the sentence given of him be pleasant to God, as sacrifice pleaseth God (And so thy servantess said to herself, that the words of my lord the king would be like a sacrifice, that is, that his judgement would be pleasing to God, like a sacrifice pleaseth God); for as an angel of the Lord, so is my lord the king, that he be not moved by blessing neither by cursing. Wherefore and thy Lord God is with thee.

¹⁸ And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide thou not from me the word which I ask thee (Hide thou not from me what I ask thee). And the woman said to him, Speak thou, my lord the king.

¹⁹ And the king said, Whether the hand of Joab is with thee in all these things? The woman answered, and said, By the health of thy soul, my lord the king, neither to the left side neither to the right side is anything of all these things, which my lord the king hath spoken. For thy servant Joab himself commanded to me, and he putted all these words into the mouth of thine handmaid,

²⁰ that I should turn the figure of this word (so that I might help straighten out this matter); for thy servant Joab commanded this thing. Forsooth thou, my lord the king, art wise, as an angel of God that hath wisdom, that thou understand all things on (the) earth.

²¹ And (later,) the king said to Joab, Lo! I am pleased, and I have done thy word; therefore go thou, and again-call thou the child Absalom. (And later, the king said to Joab, Lo! I grant thy request; go thou, and bring back the young man Absalom.)

²² And Joab felled upon his face to the earth, and he worshipped, and blessed the king; and Joab said, Thy servant hath understood today, that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord (the) king, for thou hast done the word of thy servant. (And Joab fell down on the ground, or the floor, and he honoured the king, and blessed him; and Joab said, Thy servant knoweth today, that I have found favour in thine eyes, my lord the king, for thou hast granted my request.)

²³ Therefore Joab rose up, and went into Geshur, and brought Absalom into Jerusalem. (And so Joab rose up, and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.)

²⁴ And the king said, Turn he again into his house, and see not he my face. Therefore Absalom turned again into his house, and saw not the face of the king. (And the king said, Go he back to his own house, for he shall not come before me, or into my presence. And so Absalom returned to his own house, and did not come before the king.)

²⁵ Soothly no man in all Israel was so fair as Absalom, and full comely; from the step of the foot unto the top, there was no wem in him (there was no flaw, or blemish, on him);

²⁶ and inasmuch as he clipped more his hairs, by so much the more they waxed; but he was clipped once in the year, for his hair grieved him. And when he clipped the hairs, he weighed the hairs of his head by two hundred shekels by common weight (And when he cut his hair, the hairs of his head weighed two hundred shekels by common weight).

²⁷ And three sons, and a daughter, Tamar by name, (and she was) of seemly shape, or excellent form, were born to Absalom.

²⁸ And Absalom dwelled in Jerusalem two years, and he saw not the face of the king. (And Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never came before the king.)

²⁹ Therefore he sent to Joab, that he should send him to the king; and Joab would not come to him. And when he had sent the second time, and Joab would not come, (And so he sent for Joab, so that he could take a message to the king; but Joab would not come to him. And when he had sent for him a second time, and Joab would still not come,)

³⁰ Absalom said to his servants, Ye know the field of Joab beside my field, (the field of his) having ripe barley; therefore go ye, and burn ye it [up] with fire. Therefore the servants of Absalom burnt the (barley) corn with fire. (Absalom said to his servants, Ye know Joab’s field beside my field, the one with the ripe barley; go ye, and burn it down. And so Absalom’s servants burned down the crop.)

³¹ And Joab rose up, and came to Absalom into his house, and said, Why have thy servants burnt [up] my (barley) corn with fire? (And Joab rose up, and came to Absalom at his house, and said, Why have thy servants burned down my crop?)

³² And Absalom answered to Joab, I sent to thee, and besought that thou shouldest come to me, and that I should send thee to the king, that thou shouldest say to him, Why came I from Geshur? It was better to me to have been there; therefore I beseech, that I see the face of the king, that if he is mindful of my wickedness, slay he me. (And Absalom answered to Joab, I sent for thee, and desired that thou wouldest come to me, so that I could send thee to the king, and thou couldest say to him for me, Why did I come back from Geshur? It was better for me to have stayed there; and so I beseech thee, let me go before the king, and if he thinketh on my wickedness, then let him kill me.)

³³ (So) Joab entered to the king, and told to him. And Absalom was called, and he entered to the king, and he worshipped on the face of [the] earth before him (and honouring him, he bowed low to the ground before him), and the king kissed Absalom.

15 Therefore after these things, Absalom made a chariot to him, and (had) knights and fifty men, that should go before him. (And so after these things, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself, and had fifty men who went before him.)

² And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the entering of the gate in the way; and Absalom called to him each man, that had a cause, [(or) a need,] that he should come to the doom of the king, and Absalom said, Of what city art thou? Which answered, and said, Of one lineage of Israel I am, thy servant. (And Absalom would rise up early, and stand beside the entrance to the city gate on the road; and then he would call over each man who had a case, or a dispute, that should have gone before the king for judgement, and Absalom would say, Of what city art thou? And each one would answer, and say, I, thy servant, am from such and such tribe of Israel.)

³ And Absalom answered to him, Thy words seem to me good and just, but none is ordained of the king to hear thee. (And then Absalom would say to him, Thy words seem good and just to me, but no one is ordained by the king to hear thee.)

⁴ And Absalom said, Who shall ordain me judge on the land, that all men that have (a) cause come to me, and I deem justly? (And Absalom would add, Who shall ordain me judge over the land, so that all who have a case, or a dispute, can come before me, and I shall give them justice?)

⁵ But when a man came to Absalom to greet him, he held forth his hand, and took, and kissed that man; (And whenever a man came to Absalom to greet him, he would stretch out his hand, and take hold of him, and kiss him;)

⁶ and Absalom did this to all Israel, that came to doom to be heard of the king (and Absalom did this for all of Israel who came to the king for a judgement); and (so) Absalom stole the hearts of [the] men of Israel.

⁷ But after four years, Absalom said to king David, I shall go, and shall yield my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Hebron; (And after four years, Absalom said to King David, I shall now go to Hebron, and yield my vows, which I vowed to the Lord;)

⁸ for thy servant vowing vowed, when he was in Geshur of Syria, and said, If the Lord bringeth again me into Jerusalem, I shall make sacrifice to the Lord. (for thy servant made a vow, when he was in Geshur of Syria, and said, If the Lord bringeth me back again to Jerusalem, I shall go and make sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron.)

⁹ And the king said to him, Go thou in peace. And Absalom rose up, and went into Hebron (And so Absalom rose up, and went to Hebron).

¹⁰ Forsooth Absalom sent spyers into all the lineage[s] of Israel, and said, Anon as ye hear the sound of [the] clarion, say ye, Absalom shall reign in Hebron. (But Absalom also sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel, who said, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, say ye, Absalom is king in Hebron.)

¹¹ And two hundred men called (out) of Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, and went with simple heart, and utterly they knew not the cause. (And Absalom invited two hundred men to go out of Jerusalem with him, and they went innocently, that is, in good faith, and utterly knew nothing about his true intentions.)

¹² Also Absalom called (for) Ahithophel of Giloh, the counsellor of David, from his city Giloh. And when he offered sacrifices, a strong swearing together was made, and the people running together was increased with Absalom. (And Absalom summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city of Giloh. And so while he offered his sacrifices, the conspiracy strengthened, and the number of people joining Absalom increased.)

¹³ Therefore a messenger came to David, and said, With all [the] heart all Israel followeth Absalom,

¹⁴ And David said to his servants that were with him in Jerusalem, Rise ye up, and flee we; for none escaping shall be to us from the face of Absalom; therefore haste ye to go out, lest he come, and occupy us, and fulfill upon us his falling, and smite the city with sharpness of [the] sword. (And David said to his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, Rise ye up, and flee we; for there shall be no escape for us from Absalom; and so haste ye to go out, lest he come, and occupy us, and fulfill his falling on us, that is, that he destroy us, and strike down the people of the city with the sharpness of his sword.)

¹⁵ And the servants of the king said to him, We thy servants shall perform gladly all things (We thy servants shall gladly do all things), whatever our lord the king shall command.

¹⁶ Then the king went out, and all his house, upon their feet; and the king left ten women concubines, that is, secondary wives, to keep the house. (Then the king departed, and all his household followed him; but the king left ten of his concubines, or his secondary wives, to look after the palace.)

¹⁷ And (so) the king went out, and all Israel, upon their feet, and the king stood far from the house (and they stopped far away from the palace).

¹⁸ And all his servants went beside him, and the legions of Cherethites and of Pelethites, and all the strong fighting men of Gath, six hundred men, that followed him from Gath, went on foot before the king.

¹⁹ And the king said to Ittai of Gath, Why comest thou with us? Turn thou again, and dwell with the (new) king, for thou art a pilgrim, and wentest out from thy place.

²⁰ Thou camest yesterday, and today thou art compelled to go out with us. Soothly I shall go, whither I shall go; (but thou) turn again, and lead again thy brethren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and truth with thee, for thou hast showed to me grace and faith. (Thou camest but yesterday, and so today, art thou compelled to go out with us? Nay! Truly I shall go, wherever I shall go; but thou return, and take thy kinsmen with thee, and may the Lord show kindness and truth to thee, for thou hast shown favour and faith to me.)

²¹ And Ittai answered to the king, and said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) my lord the king liveth, for in whatever place thou shalt be, my lord the king, either in death either in life, there thy servant shall be.

²² And David said to Ittai, Come thou, and pass forth. And Ittai of Gath passed forth, and the king, and all men that were with him, and the tother multitude. (And David said to Ittai, Then come thou, and let us go. And so Ittai the Gittite, and the king, and the men who were with him, and all the other people, went forth.)

²³ And all men wept with great voice, and all the people passed forth; and the king went over the strand of Kidron, and all the people went against the way of the olive tree(s), that beholdeth to the desert. (And all the people wept loudly, as they all went forth; and the king led the people over the Kidron Stream/over the Kidron Gorge, and they went toward the way of the olive trees which looketh toward the wilderness.)

²⁴ Forsooth and Zadok the priest came, and all the deacons with him, and they bare the ark of [the] bond of peace of God, and they setted down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, till all the people was passed forth that went out of the city. (And Zadok the priest came, and all the Levites with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God; and they set down the Ark of God beside Abiathar, until all the people who went out of the city had passed by.)

²⁵ And the king said to Zadok, Bear again the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the Lord, he shall lead me again, and he shall show to me that ark, and his tabernacle. (And the king said to Zadok, Take the Ark of God back to the city; if I shall find favour before the Lord, he shall bring me back here, and he shall let me see that Ark, and its resting place again.)

²⁶ Soothly if the Lord saith, Thou pleasest not me; I am ready, do he that, that is good before himself. (But if the Lord saith, Thou pleasest me not; I am ready; do he what he desireth with me.)

²⁷ And the king said to Zadok, the priest, O! thou seer, that is, (a) prophet, turn again into the city, with peace; and Ahimaaz, thy son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you. (And the king said to Zadok, the priest, O! thou prophet, return to the city in peace; and thy son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, these two young men, go they with you.)

²⁸ Lo! I shall be hid in [the] field places of the desert, till word come from you, and show to me. (Lo! I shall hide at the Fords, or the river crossings, of the Wilderness, until word come from thee to me.)

²⁹ Therefore Zadok and Abiathar bare again the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they dwelled there (and they stayed there).

³⁰ Forsooth David went up upon the hill of olive trees, going up and weeping, with his head covered, and with bare feet passing forth; but also all the people that was with him, went up with their head(s) covered, and (they also) wept. (And David went up on the Mount of Olives, walking and weeping, with his head covered, and going forth with bare feet; and all the people who were with him also went up weeping, and with their heads covered.)

³¹ And it was told to David, that Ahithophel was in the swearing together with Absalom; and David said, Lord, I beseech, make thou fond the counsel of Ahithophel. (And it was told to David that Ahithophel was in the conspiracy with Absalom; and David said, Lord, I beseech thee, turn thou Ahithophel’s advice into foolishness.)

³² And when David went up into [the] highness of the hill, in which he should worship the Lord, lo! Hushai of Archi, with his cloth rent, and with his head full of earth, came to him. (And when David reached the top of the hill, where he would worship the Lord, lo! Hushai the Archite came to him, with his cloak torn, and with earth, or with dirt, on his head.)

³³ And David said to him, If thou comest with me, thou shalt be to me (a) charge (thou shalt be a burden to me);

³⁴ soothly if thou turnest again to the city, and sayest to Absalom, I am thy servant, O king, suffer thou me to live; as I was the servant of thy father, so I shall be thy servant; thou shalt destroy the counsel of Ahithophel (then thou shalt be able to destroy Ahithophel’s advice).

³⁵ And thou hast with thee Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; and whatever word thou shalt hear in the house of the king, thou shalt show it to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar. (And thou shalt have with thee Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; and whatever thing that thou shalt hear in the king’s house, thou shalt tell it to those priests, Zadok and Abiathar.)

³⁶ And their two sons be with them, Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar; and ye shall send by them to me each word that ye shall hear (and ye shall send them to me with all that ye hear).

³⁷ Therefore when Hushai, friend of David, came into the city, also Absalom entered into Jerusalem. (And so David’s friend Hushai came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.)

16 And when David had passed a little (by) the top of the hill, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, appeared into his coming, with twain asses, that were charged with two hundred loaves, and with an hundred bundles of dried grapes, and with an hundred gobbets/an hundred pieces of pressed figs, and with two vessels of wine. (And after David had just left the hilltop, Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba appeared before him, with two donkeys that were loaded with two hundred loaves, a hundred bundles of dried grapes, a hundred pieces of pressed figs, and two vessels of wine.)

² And the king said to Ziba, What will these things to themselves? And Ziba answered, My lord the king, the asses be to the menials of the king, that they sit on them; and the loaves and the pressed figs be to thy children to eat; forsooth the wine is, that if any man fail in desert, he (may) drink. (And the king said to Ziba, What doest thou with these things? And Ziba answered, My lord the king, the donkeys be for the king’s menials to sit on; and the loaves and the pressed figs be for thy young men to eat; and the wine, so that if any man feel faint in the wilderness, he hath something to drink.)

³ And the king said, Where is the son of thy lord? And Ziba answered to the king, He dwelled [still] in Jerusalem, and said, Today the Lord of the house of Israel shall restore to me the realm of my father. (And the king said, Where is the grandson of thy lord? And Ziba answered to the king, He remaineth in Jerusalem, and said, Today the house of Israel shall restore my grandfather’s kingdom to me.)

⁴ And the king said to Ziba, All things that were of Mephibosheth be thine. And Ziba said, I pray, find I grace before thee, my lord the king. (And the king said to Ziba, All the things that were Mephibosheth‘s now be thine. And Ziba said, I pray thee, that I may find favour before thee, my lord the king.)

⁵ Therefore king David came to Bahurim, and lo! a man of the family of the house of Saul, Shimei by name, [the] son of Gera, went out from thence; he went forth going out, and cursed (and he cursed David as he went forth).

⁶ And he sent stones against David, and against all the servants of king David; and all the people, and all the fighting men went at the right side and at the left side of the king.

⁷ And Shimei spake thus, when he cursed the king, Go out, go out, thou man of bloods, that is, the shedder out of much guiltless blood, and man of Belial!

⁸ The Lord hath yielded to thee all the blood of the house of Saul, for thou hast ravished the realm from him (for thou hast stolen the kingdom from him); and the Lord hath given the realm into the hand of Absalom, thy son; and lo! thine evils oppress thee, for thou art a man of bloods.

⁹ And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Why curseth this dog, that shall die, my lord the king? I shall go, and I shall gird off his head. (And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Why let this dead dog curse my lord the king? I shall go, and I shall cut off his head!)

¹⁰ And the king said, Ye sons of Zeruiah, what is (it) to me and to you? Suffer ye him, that he curse (But the king said, Ye sons of Zeruiah, what is it to me, or to you? Allow ye him to curse me); forsooth the Lord hath commanded to him, that he should curse David; and who is he that dare say, Why did he so?

¹¹ And the king said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Lo! my son, that went out of my womb, seeketh my life; how much more now this son of Benjamin? Suffer ye him, that he curse (me) by [the] commandment of the Lord;

¹² if in hap the Lord behold my tormenting, and yield good to me for this day’s cursing. (perhaps the Lord shall behold my torments, and shall yield good to me for this day’s curses.)

¹³ Therefore David went forth, and his fellows, by the way with him; but Shimei went aside by the slade of the hill (over) against David; and cursed David, and threw stones against him, and sprinkled earth. (And so David, and his fellows, went forth by the way; but Shimei went alongside by the ridge of the hill opposite David; and cursed David, and threw stones at him, and threw dirt.)

¹⁴ And so king David came, and all the people weary with him, and they were refreshed there. (And so the king, and all the people who were with him, came weary to the Jordan River, and they were refreshed there.)

¹⁵ And Absalom, and all the people of Israel entered into Jerusalem, but also Ahithophel with him (and Ahithophel was with him).

¹⁶ And when Hushai of Archi, the friend of David, had come to Absalom, he said to him, Hail, king! hail, king!

¹⁷ To whom Absalom said, This is thy grace to thy friend (This is how thou showest thy loyalty to thy friend?); why wentest thou not with thy friend?

¹⁸ And Hushai answered to Absalom, Nay, for I shall be the servant of him, whom the Lord hath chosen, and all this people, and all Israel; and I shall dwell with him (and I shall stay with him).

¹⁹ But that I say also this, to whom shall I serve? whether not to the son of the king? as I obeyed to thy father, so I shall obey to thee.

²⁰ And Absalom said to Ahithophel, Take ye counsel (Give ye advice to me), what we ought to do.

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Enter thou [in] to the concubines of thy father, which he left to keep the house; that when all Israel heareth, that thou hast defouled thy father’s bed, the hands of them be strengthened with thee. (And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Enter thou in to thy father’s concubines, whom he left in charge of the palace; and when all Israel heareth, that thou hast defiled thy father’s bed, the hands of them who be with thee shall be strengthened.)

²² Therefore they stretched out (for) Absalom a tabernacle in the solar, and he entered [in] to the concubines of his father before all Israel. (And so they stretched out a tent on the roof for Absalom, and he lay with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.)

²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man had counselled with God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom.

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, I shall choose to me twelve thousand of men, and I shall rise up, and pursue David in this night. (Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me choose twelve thousand men, and then I shall rise up, and pursue David this very night.)

² And I shall fall on him, for he is weary, and with unbound hands I shall smite him. And when all the people fleeth that is with him, I shall smite the king left alone. (And I shall fall on him, for he is weary, and with enfeebled hands, and I shall strike him down. Yea, when all the people who be with him fleeth away, then I shall strike down only the king/then I shall strike down the king alone.)

³ And I shall lead again all the people, as one man is wont to be turned again; for thou seekest (only) one man, and (then) all the people shall be in peace. (And I shall bring back all the people, and they shall return as if but one man; for thou seekest only one man, and all the other people shall be unharmed.)

⁴ And the word(s) of Ahithophel pleased Absalom, and all the greater men in birth of Israel. (And Ahithophel’s plan pleased Absalom, and all the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Israel.)

⁵ And Absalom said, Call ye also Hushai of Archi, and hear we what also he saith. (And Absalom said, Now call ye Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what he saith.)

⁶ And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom said to him, Ahithophel hath spoken such a word; ought we (to) do thereafter, either nay? what counsel givest thou?

⁷ And Hushai said to Absalom, This is not good counsel, that Ahithophel hath given in this time. (And Hushai said to Absalom, This is not good advice which Ahithophel hath given thee at this time.)

⁸ And again Hushai said, Thou knowest, that thy father, and the men that be with him, be most strong, and in bitter soul, as if a she bear is fierce in the forest, when her whelps be ravished from her; but also thy father is a man warrior, and he shall not dwell with the people. (And Hushai said, Thou knowest, that thy father, and the men who be with him, be most strong, and with bitter souls, like when a she bear is fierce in the forest, after her cubs be stolen from her; but also thy father is a fighting man, and he shall not stay with the army.)

⁹ In hap now he is hid, either lurketh, in ditches, either in one place, in which he will hide him; and when any man falleth in the beginning, whoever shall hear (of) it, he shall hear, and shall say, Vengeance is done in the people that followed Absalom. (Perhaps even now he is hid, or lurketh, in a ditch, or some other place, where he hideth himself; and when any of your men falleth at the beginning, whoever shall hear of it, he shall say, Revenge is now taken on the people who followed Absalom.)

¹⁰ And each full strong man, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall be discomforted for dread; for all the people of Israel knoweth, that thy father is strong, and that all the men be strong, that be with him. (And then even the strongest man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, shall be enfeebled by fear; for all the people of Israel know that thy father is strong, and that all the men who be with him also be strong.)

¹¹ But this seemeth to me to be rightful counsel; (let) all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan till to Beersheba, (and they shall be as) unnumberable as the sand of the sea; and thou shalt be in the midst of them.

¹² And we shall fall upon him, in whatever place he is found, and we shall cover him, as dew is wont to fall on the earth; and we shall not leave (any) of the men that be with him, soothly not one. (And then we shall fall on David wherever he is found, and we shall cover him like dew is wont to fall on the ground; and we shall not leave alive any of the men who be with him, no not one.)

¹³ That if he entereth into any city, all Israel shall compass that city with ropes, and we shall draw it into the strand, yea that nothing be found, soothly not a little stone thereof. (And if he entereth into any city, all Israel shall surround that city with ropes, and we shall draw it into the stream, yea so that nothing be found of it, truly not even a little stone of it.)

¹⁴ And Absalom said, and all the men of Israel, The counsel of Hushai of Archi is better than the counsel of Ahithophel; and the profitable counsel of Ahithophel was destroyed by God’s will, that the Lord should bring in evil on Absalom. (And Absalom, and all the men of Israel, said, Hushai the Archite’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s; and so Ahithophel’s good advice was destroyed by God’s will, so that the Lord could bring in evil upon Absalom.)

¹⁵ And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, Ahithophel gave counsel to Absalom, and to the elder men of Israel in this and this manner, and I gave such and such counsel.

¹⁶ Now therefore send ye soon, and tell ye to David, and say ye, Dwell thou not this night in [the] field places of the desert, but pass thou [over] without delay; lest peradventure the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him. (And so now send ye to him soon, and tell ye to David, Stay thou not this night at the Fords, or the crossings, of the Wilderness, but cross thou over the river without delay; lest perhaps the king be swallowed up, and all the people who be with him.)

¹⁷ And Jonathan and Ahimaaz stood beside the well of Rogel (And Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at Enrogel); (and) an handmaid went, and told to them, and (then) they went forth to tell the message to king David; for they might not be seen, neither (could) enter into the city.

¹⁸ And a child saw them, and he showed it to Absalom; and they entered with swift going into the house of a man in Bahurim, that had a pit in his place, and they went down into that pit. (But a boy saw them, and he went and told Absalom; and going swiftly, Jonathan and Ahimaaz entered into the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well at his place, and they went down into that well.)

¹⁹ And a woman took, and spread abroad a covering over the mouth of the pit, as (if) drying barley with the peel taken away, and so the thing was hid. (And a woman took, and spread out a covering over the mouth of the well, and then put some peeled barley on top of it, as if to dry it, and so they were hid.)

²⁰ And when the servants of Absalom had come into the house, they said to the woman, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman answered to them, They passed (over) the river of waters, that is, (over the) Jordan. And when they that sought them had not found them, they turned again into Jerusalem (And so when the men who sought them could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem).

²¹ And when they had gone forth, they went up from the pit; and they went, and told to king David, and said, Rise ye up, and passeth soon (over) the flood, for Ahithophel hath given such counsel against you. (And when the men had gone, Ahimaaz and Jonathan went up from the well; and they went, and said to King David, Quickly rise ye up, and cross ye over the river, and know ye also that Ahithophel hath spoken such and such a plan against you.)

²² Therefore David rose up, and all the people that was with him, and they passed (over) Jordan, till it was clear day, before that the word was published; and soothly not one was left, that passed not (over) the flood. (And so David, and all the people who were with him, rose up, and they crossed the Jordan River before anyone knew it; and by daylight, everyone had crossed over the river.)

²³ And Ahithophel saw, that his counsel was not done, and he saddled his ass, and rose up, and went into his house, and into his city; and when his house was disposed, he perished by hanging himself, and he was buried in the sepulchre of his father. (And Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, and so he saddled up his donkey, and went back to his house in his city; and after his affairs were in order, he hanged himself, and he was buried in his father’s tomb, or his grave.)

²⁴ And David came into the castles, and Absalom passed [over] Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. (And as David came to Mahanaim, Absalom, and all the men of Israel who were with him, crossed over the Jordan River.)

²⁵ And Absalom ordained Amasa for Joab upon his host; and Amasa was the son of a man that was called Ithra of Jezreel, the which entered to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, (and) the sister of Zeruiah, that was the mother of Joab. (And Absalom ordained Amasa upon his army, in Joab’s place; and Amasa was the son of a man called Ithra, an Ishmaelite, who entered in to Abigail, who was Nahash’s daughter, and Zeruiah’s sister, Joab’s mother.)

²⁶ And Israel setted tents with Absalom in the land of Gilead.

²⁷ And when David had come into the castles (And when David had come to Mahanaim), Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and Machir, the son of Ammiel, of Lodebar, and Barzillai, of Gilead, of Rogelim,

²⁸ brought to him beddings, and tapets (brought him bedding, and blankets), and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and flour, and beans, and lentils/vetches, and fried chick(pea)s,

²⁹ and honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves. And they gave those to David, and to the people that were with him, to eat; for they supposed the people to be made faint for hunger and thirst in desert (for they knew that the people would be made hungry and thirsty in the wilderness).

18 Therefore David, when he had beheld his people, ordained chieftains of thousands, and (chieftains) of hundreds upon them.

² And he gave the third part of the people under the hand of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Ittai, that was of Gath. And the king said to the people, Also I shall go out with you. (And he sent out a third part of the people under Joab’s command; and a third part under Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother; and a third part under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, And I shall go out with all of you.)

³ And the people answered, Thou shalt not go out; for whether we flee, it shall not pertain to them by great work of us; whether half the part fall down of us, they shall not reckon (it) enough, for thou art reckoned for ten thousand; therefore it is better, that thou be to us in the city in strong succour. (And the people answered, Thou shalt not go out with us; for if we flee, it shall not pertain to them to make any great effort against us; and even if half of us shall fall down, or shall die, they shall not reckon it enough/they shall not reckon it much, for thou art reckoned for ten thousand; and so it is better for us, if thou be in the city, and support us from here.)

⁴ And the king said to them, I shall do that, that seemeth rightful to you. Therefore the king stood beside the gate, and the people went out by their companies, by hundreds, and by thousands.

⁵ And the king commanded to Joab, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding to all the princes for Absalom. (And the king commanded to Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, and said, For my sake, do not ye harm the young man Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding to all his officers about Absalom.)

⁶ Therefore the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was made in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷ And the people of Israel was slain there of the host of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand was made in that day. (And many Israelites were killed there by David’s army, yea, there was a great slaughter of twenty thousand that day.)

⁸ And the battle was scattered there upon the face of all the land, and many more were of the people which the forest wasted, than they which the sword devoured in that day. (And the battle there was scattered over all the countryside, and the forest killed many more people that day, than they whom the sword devoured.)

⁹ Soothly it befelled, that Absalom, sitting on a mule, came against the servants of David; and when the mule had entered under a thick oak, and great, the head of Absalom cleaved to the oak; and when he was hanged betwixt heaven and earth, the mule, on which he sat, passed (forth). (And it befell, that Absalom, sitting on a mule, came toward David’s men; and when the mule had entered under a great thick oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the branches; and while he hung in the air above the ground, the mule, on which he sat, went forth.)

¹⁰ And some man saw this, and told it to Joab, and said, I saw Absalom hanged on an oak (and said, I saw Absalom hung up in an oak).

¹¹ And Joab said to the man that told to him, If thou saw him, why piercedest thou not him through to the earth, and I should have given to thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle? (And Joab said to the man who told him this, If thou saw him thus, why didest thou not pierce him through to the ground, and then I would have gladly given thee ten silver shekels, and a girdle.)

¹² And he said to Joab, Though thou paidest in mine hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not send mine hand into the son of the king; for while we heard, the king commanded to thee, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom. (And he said to Joab, Though thou paidest me a thousand pieces of silver, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son; for while we heard, the king commanded to thee, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, For my sake, do not ye harm the young man Absalom.)

¹³ But and though I had done fool hardily against my life (But if I had acted so foolishly against my own life), this might not be hid from the king, and thou wouldest stand on the contrary side.

¹⁴ And Joab said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall assail him before thee. Therefore Joab took three spears in his hand, and fixed those in(to) the heart of Absalom. And when he sprawled, yet cleaving in the oak (And yet while he sprawled, still caught up in the oak),

¹⁵ ten young squires of Joab ran, and smote, and killed him. (ten young squires of Joab ran over to him, and struck, or stabbed, and killed him.)

¹⁶ And Joab trumped with a clarion, and held with him the people, lest it pursued Israel fleeing, and he would spare the multitude. (And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, to hold back the army with him, lest they pursued the men of Israel fleeing away, for he would spare the multitude.)

¹⁷ And they took Absalom, and casted forth him into a great ditch in the forest, and bare together a full great heap of stones on him; and all Israel fled into their tabernacles. (And they took Absalom’s body, and threw it forth into a great ditch in the forest, and put a great heap of stones on it; and all Israel fled back to their homes.)

¹⁸ Forsooth Absalom, while he lived yet, had raised to him a memorial, which is in the valley of the king; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be the mind of my name; and he called the memorial by his name, and it is called The Hand, that is, (the) Work, of Absalom, till to this day. (And Absalom, while yet he lived, had raised up a memorial to himself, in the King’s Valley; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be in remembrance of my name; and he called the memorial after his own name, and unto this day it is still called The Work of Absalom.)

¹⁹ And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell to the king, that the Lord hath made doom to him of the hand of his enemies. (And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell the king, that the Lord hath made judgement for him, that is, hath avenged him, upon his enemies.)

²⁰ To whom Joab said, Thou shalt not be a messenger in this day, but thou shalt tell in another day; I will not that thou tell this today, for the son of the king is dead (I do not desire that thou tell this news today, for the king’s son is dead).

²¹ And Joab said to Cushi, Go thou, and tell to the king those things that thou hast seen. Cushi worshipped Joab, and ran forth (Cushi bowed to Joab, and ran off).

²² And again Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab, What hindereth, if also I run after Cushi? And Joab said to him, What wilt thou run, my son? Come thou hither, thou shalt not be a bearer of good message (And Joab said to him, Why would thou run, my son? It is better to stay here, for thou shalt not be a bearer of good news).

²³ The which answered, But what if I shall run? And Joab said to him, (Then) Run thou. Therefore Ahimaaz ran by the way of shortness, and speed, and passed Cushi.

²⁴ And David sat betwixt (the) two gates; soothly the espyer, that was in the highness of the gate on the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man alone running; (And David sat between the two gates of the city; and the watchman, who was on the roof of the gate by the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man running alone;)

²⁵ and the espyer cried, and showed to the king. And the king said to him, If he is alone, good message is in his mouth. But while he hasted, and nighed near, (and the watchman cried aloud, and told the king. And the king said to himself, If he is alone, then he hath good news. But while he hastened, and drew near,)

²⁶ the espyer saw another man running; and the espyer cried on high, and said, Another man running alone appeareth to me. And the king said to him, And this man is a good messenger. (the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman cried out on high, and said, Another man also running alone appeareth to me. And the king said to himself, This man must also have good news.)

²⁷ Soothly the espyer said (And the watchman said), I behold the running of the former, as the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and he cometh bringing a good message.

²⁸ And Ahimaaz cried, and said to the king, Hail king! And he worshipped the king lowly before him to the earth, and said, Blessed be thy Lord God, that hath closed together the men, that raised their hands against my lord the king. (And Ahimaaz cried out, and said to the king, Hail king! And honouring the king, he bowed low to the ground before him, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath given thee victory over the men who raised up their hands, that is, who rebelled, against my lord the king.)

²⁹ And the king said, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw, that is, I heard, a great noise, when Joab, thy servant, thou king, sent me, thy servant; I know none other thing. (And the king said, Is all well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult/I heard a great noise, when thy servant Joab, O king, sent me, thy servant; I know nothing else.)

³⁰ To whom the king said, Pass thou, and stand here. And when he had passed, and stood, (To whom the king said, Stand thou over there. And when he had stepped aside, and stood in silence,)

³¹ Cushi appeared; and he came and said, My lord the king, I bring good message; for the Lord hath deemed today for thee of the hand of all men that rised against thee. (Cushi appeared; and he came and said, My lord the king, I bring good news; for the Lord hath given thee victory today over all the men who rebelled against thee.)

³² And the king said to Cushi, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? To whom Cushi answered, and said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all men that rise against him into evil, be made as the child. (And the king said to Cushi, Is all well with the young man Absalom? To whom Cushi answered, May all the enemies of my lord the king, and all the men who rebel against him, be made like that young man!)

³³ Therefore the king was sorry, and went up into the solar of the gate, and he wept, and spake thus going (And so the king was deeply grieved, and went up to the roof of the gate, and as he went, he wept, and spoke thus), My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son! who giveth to me, that I die for thee? Absalom, my son! my son, Absalom!

19 Forsooth it was told to Joab, that the king wept, and bewailed his son;

² and the victory in that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard, that it was said in that day, The king maketh sorrow on his son. (and so the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people; for the people heard, that it was said that day, The king sorroweth for his son.)

³ And the people eschewed to enter into the city in that day, as the people turned and fleeing from [the] battle is wont to bow away. (And the people entered into the city on that day in shameful quiet, like the people who turned, and fled away from a battle, be wont to go.)

⁴ And the king covered his head, and cried with great voice (and cried with a loud voice), My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son!

⁵ Therefore Joab entered to the king into the house, and said, Thou hast shamed today the cheers of all thy servants, that have made safe thy life, and the life of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy secondary wives. (And so Joab entered into the palace, and said to the king, Today thou hast brought shame upon all of thy servants who have made thy life safe, and also upon the lives of thy sons and thy daughters, and thy wives, and thy secondary wives, or thy concubines.)

⁶ Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee; and thou hast showed today that thou reckest not of thy dukes and of thy servants; and verily I have known now, that if Absalom lived, and all we had been dead, then it should please thee. (Thou lovest them who hate thee, and thou hatest them who love thee; and thou hast shown today that thou carest not for thy leaders or for thy men; and now I truly know, that if Absalom had lived, and all of us had died, it would have pleased thee.)

⁷ Now therefore rise up, and go thou forth, and speak thou, and make satisfaction to thy servants; for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou shalt not go forth, soothly not one man shall dwell with thee in this night; and this shall be worse to thee, than all the evils that came [up]on thee from thy young waxing age till into this present time. (And so now rise up, and go thou out, and speak thou, and give satisfaction to thy men; for I swear by the Lord to thee, that if thou shalt not go out to them, truly not one man shall stay with thee through this night; and this shall be worse for thee, than all the evil that hath come upon thee from thy youngest age unto this present time.)

⁸ Therefore the king rose up, and sat in the gate; and it was told to all the people, that the king sat in the gate, and all the multitude came before the king. Forsooth Israel fled into their tabernacles (Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their homes).

⁹ And all the people strived in all the lineages of Israel, and said, The king delivered us from the hand of all our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of Philistines; and now he hath fled from the land for Absalom (and now he hath fled from the land because of Absalom).

¹⁰ Certainly Absalom, whom we anointed upon us, is dead in battle; how long be ye still, and bring not again the king? (how long shall ye be silent, and not bring back the king?) And the counsel of all Israel came to the king.

¹¹ And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, and said, Speak ye to the greater men in birth of Judah, and say ye, Why came ye the last to bring again the king into his house? Soothly the word of all Israel came to the king, that they would bring him again into his house. For the king said, Ye shall say these things to the people, (And King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and said, Speak ye to the men of great age, that is, to the elders, of Judah, and say ye, Why be ye the last to help bring back the king to his palace? Truly the word of all Israel had come to the king, that they would bring him back to his palace. And so the king said, Ye shall say these things to the elders,)

¹² Ye be my brethren, ye be my bone and my flesh; why the last bring ye again the king? (Ye be my kinsmen, ye be my flesh and blood; so why be ye the last to bring back the king?)

¹³ And say ye to Amasa, Whether thou art not my bone and my flesh? God do these things to me, and add these things too, if thou shalt not be master of chivalry (if thou shalt not be the leader of the cavalry, or of the army), before me in all time after Joab.

¹⁴ And David bowed to him the heart of all [the] men of Judah as of one man; and they sent to the king, and said, Turn thou again, and all thy servants. (And so David turned to himself the hearts of all the men of Judah as if one man; and they sent word to the king, and said, Come thou back again with all thy men.)

¹⁵ And the king turned again, and came till to Jordan (And so the king returned, and came to the Jordan River); and all Judah came till into Gilgal to meet the king, and to lead him over (the) Jordan.

¹⁶ But Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, hasted, and came down with the men of Judah into the meeting of king David, (And Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, hastened from Bahurim, and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,)

¹⁷ with a thousand men of Benjamin; and Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and (the) fifteen sons of him, and (his) twenty servants were with him; and they brake into (the) Jordan, before the king (and they went over the Jordan River before the king),

¹⁸ and they passed the fords, that they should lead over the house of the king, and do by the behest of the king. Soothly Shimei, the son of Gera, kneeled before the king, when he had passed now Jordan, (and they passed over the crossing, in order to bring over the king’s household, and to do whatever the king commanded. And Shimei, the son of Gera, kneeled before the king, when he had crossed over the Jordan River,)

¹⁹ and said to the king, My lord the king, areckon thou not wickedness to me, neither have thou mind of the wrongs of thy servant in the day (nor remember the wrongs of thy servant on the day), in which thou, my lord the king, wentest out of Jerusalem, neither set thou, king, those wrongs in thine heart;

²⁰ for I thy servant acknowledge my sin; and therefore today I came the first of all the house of Joseph, and I came down into the meeting of my lord the king (and I came down to meet my lord the king).

²¹ And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said, Whether Shimei, that cursed the christ of the Lord, shall not be slain for these words? (And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered to him and said, Should not Shimei, who cursed the Lord’s anointed, be killed for those words?)

²² And David said, What is (it) to me and to you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Why be ye made to me today into Satan, that is, (an) adversary? Therefore whether a man shall be slain today in Israel? Whether I know not (that) me (am) made king today on Israel? (And David said, What is it to me or to you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Why be ye made into my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death on this day in Israel? The day that I am made king upon Israel? Nay!)

²³ And the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die; and the king swore to him.

²⁴ Also Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down with unwashed feet, and with his beard unclipped, into the coming of the king. And Mephibosheth had not washed his clothes, from the day in which the king went out of Jerusalem till to the day of his coming again in peace. (And Mephibosheth, Saul’s son, came down with unwashed feet, and with his beard unclipped, to meet the king. And Mephibosheth had not washed his clothes from the day in which the king went out of Jerusalem until the day that he returned in victory/until the day that he safely returned home.)

²⁵ And when at Jerusalem he had come to the king (And when he had come from Jerusalem to meet the king), the king said to him, Mephibosheth, why camest thou not with me?

²⁶ And he answered and said, My lord the king, my servant despised me; and I thy servant said to him, that he should saddle the ass to me, and I should ascend, and I should go with the king; for I thy servant am crooked. (And he answered, My lord the king, my servant deceived me; for I thy servant had said to him, that he should saddle up the donkey for me, and then I would get on it, and I would go with the king; for I thy servant am crippled.)

²⁷ Moreover and he accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king; but thou, my lord the king, art as the angel of God; do thou that, that is pleasant to thee. (And moreover he hath accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king; but thou, my lord the king, art like the angel of God to me; so do thou what is pleasing to thee.)

²⁸ For the house of my father was not no but guilty of death to my lord the king; soothly thou hast set me thy servant among the guests of thy board; what therefore have I of just complaint, either (of) what may I more cry to the king? (For my father’s family was guilty of death before my lord the king; but thou hast put me thy servant among the guests at thy table; so what right have I of any complaint, or what more may I ask for from the king?)

²⁹ And the king said to him, What speakest thou more? that that I have spoken is steadfast; thou and Ziba part the possessions. (And the king said to him, Why sayest thou anything more? my decision is final; thou and Ziba will share the possessions.)

³⁰ And Mephibosheth answered to the king, Yea, take he all things, after that my lord the king turned again peaceably into his house (now that my lord the king hath returned home in victory/now that my lord the king hath safely returned home).

³¹ Also Barzillai of Gilead, a full eld man, came down from Rogelim, and led the king over Jordan, ready also to follow him over the flood. (And Barzillai of Gilead, a very old man, came down from Rogelim, and joined in escorting the king over the Jordan River.)

³² And Barzillai of Gilead was full eld, that is, of fourscore years; and he gave meats to the king, when the king dwelled in castles; for Barzillai was a full rich man. (And Barzillai of Gilead was very old, that is, eighty years old; and he gave food to the king, when the king lived at Mahanaim; for Barzillai was a very rich man.)

³³ And so the king said to Barzillai, Come thou with me, that thou rest securely with me in Jerusalem. (And so the king said to Barzillai, Come thou with me, so that thou can have a peaceful life there in Jerusalem with me.)

³⁴ And Barzillai said to the king, How many (more) be the days of [the] years of my life, that I (should) go up with the king into Jerusalem?

³⁵ I am of fourscore years today; whether my wits be quick to deem sweet thing either bitter, either meat and drink may delight thy servant, either may I hear more the voice of singers either of singsters? Why is thy servant to (be a) charge to my lord the king? (I am eighty years old now; can my wits still judge a thing bitter or sweet? or can food and drink still delight thy servant? or can I still hear the voice of singers and singsters? No! So why should thy servant be a burden to my lord the king?)

³⁶ I thy servant shall go forth a little from (the) Jordan with thee, I have no need to this yielding; (I thy servant shall go forth a little from the Jordan River with thee, but I have no need for this reward;)

³⁷ but I beseech thee, that I thy servant turn again, and die in my city, and be buried beside the sepulchre of my father and of my mother; forsooth (my son) Chimham is thy servant, my lord the king, (so) go he with thee, and do thou to him that that seemeth good to thee.

³⁸ Therefore the king said to Barzillai, Chimham (shall) go forth with me; and I shall do to him whatever thing pleaseth thee (and I shall do for him whatever pleaseth thee), and thou shalt get all thing, that thou askest of me.

³⁹ And when all the people and the king had passed [over] Jordan, the king abode; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he turned again into his place. (And when the king and all the people had crossed over the Jordan River, the king stopped there; and he kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and then Barzillai returned to his home.)

⁴⁰ Then the king passed forth into Gilgal, and Chimham (was) with him. And all the people of Judah had led the king over, and the half part only of the people of Israel was present (and also half the people of Israel).

⁴¹ Therefore all the men of Israel came together to the king, and said to him, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee, and have led the king and his house over Jordan, and all the men of David with him? (And so all the men of Israel who were there came together to the king, and said to him, Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have led the king, and his household, and all the men of David with him, over the Jordan River?)

⁴² And each man of Judah answered to the men of Israel, (and said,) For the king is near (of kin) to me (For the king is our next of kin); why art thou wroth upon this thing? Whether we have eaten anything of the king(’s), either gifts be given to us?

⁴³ And a man of Israel answered to the men of Judah, and said, I am greater by ten parts to the king, and David pertaineth more to me than to thee; why hast thou done wrong to me, and it was not told to me the former, that I should bring again my king? Forsooth the men of Judah answered harder to the men of Israel. (And the men of Israel answered to the men of Judah, and said, We have a greater stake in the king by ten parts, and David pertaineth more to us than to thee; why hast thou done us this wrong? were we not the first to say that we should bring back our king? But the men of Judah answered back even harder to the men of Israel.)

20 Also it befelled, that a man of Belial was there, Sheba by name, the son of Bichri, a man of the generation of Benjamin; and he sounded with a trump, and said, No part is to us in David, neither heritage in the son of Jesse; thou Israel, turn again into thy tabernacles. (And it befell, that a man of Belial was there, named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of the tribe of Benjamin; and he sounded with a trumpet, and said, There is no part for us with David, nor inheritance with the son of Jesse; O Israel, return to thy homes!)

² And all Israel was parted from David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; and the men of Judah cleaved to their king, from Jordan till to Jerusalem. (And so all Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah cleaved to their king, from the Jordan River unto Jerusalem.)

³ And when the king had come into his house in Jerusalem, he took [the] ten women, his secondary wives, which he had left to keep the house, and he betook them into keeping, and gave meat to them; and he entered not [in] to them; but they were closed (up) till to the day of their death, and lived in widowhood. (And when the king had come to his palace in Jerusalem, he took his secondary wives, the ten women whom he had left in charge of the palace, and he put them under guard, and gave them food; but he did not sleep with them any more; and they were enclosed until the day of their death, and lived in widowhood.)

⁴ And David said to Amasa, Call thou together to me all the men of Judah into the third day, and be thou present. (And David said to Amasa, Call thou together for me all the men of Judah in three days’ time, and be thou present with them.)

⁵ Therefore Amasa went forth, that he call together the people of Judah; and he dwelled over the covenanted time, which the king had set to him. (And so Amasa went out to call together the people of Judah; but he took more time to arrange matters than what the king had set for him.)

⁶ And (so) David said to Abishai, Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, shall torment us (even) more than Absalom did; therefore take the servants of thy lord (and so take my bodyguards), and pursue him, lest in hap he find strengthened, (or fortified,) cities, and escape us.

⁷ Therefore the men of Joab went out with Abishai, and (the) Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the strong men, (and they) went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.

⁸ And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came, and ran to them; and Joab was clothed with a strait coat at the measure of his shape, and he was girded above with a sword hanging down unto his entrails in a sheath; and it went out, and felled down. (And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came over to them; and Joab was clothed with a narrow coat tight to his body, and he was girded with a sword in a sheath hanging down to his entrails; and as Amasa came over, it fell out/he secretly took it out.)

⁹ And so Joab said to Amasa, Hail, my brother! And Joab held with his right hand the chin of Amasa, as kissing him (And Joab held Amasa’s chin with his right hand, as if to kiss him).

¹⁰ Forsooth Amasa took not keep of the sword, which sword Joab had, and Joab smote Amasa in the side, and shedded out his entrails into the earth, and Amasa was dead; and Joab added not the second wound. And (then) Joab, and Abishai, his brother, pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri. (But Amasa was not on guard for the sword which Joab had, and suddenly Joab struck, or stabbed, Amasa in the side with it, and poured out his entrails onto the ground, and so Amasa died; and Joab did not need to add a second wound. And then Joab, and his brother Abishai, pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri.)

¹¹ In the meantime, when some of the children of David, of the fellows of Joab, had stood beside the dead body of Amasa, they said, Lo! he that would be the fellow of David, (be) for Joab. (In the meantime, one of Joab’s young men stood beside Amasa’s dead body, and he said, Lo! he who would be the fellow of Joab and of David, follow he Joab!)

¹² And Amasa was besprinkled with blood, and lay in the middle of the way. Some man saw this/A man saw this, that all the people abode to see Amasa, and he removed Amasa from the way into the field, and he covered Amasa with a cloth, lest men passing should abide [still] for him. (And Amasa was covered with blood, and lay in the middle of the road. And some man saw that all the people stood about looking at Amasa, and so he moved Amasa’s body from the road to a nearby field, and he covered it with a cloak, lest men passing by should stand there, and gawk at him.)

¹³ Therefore when he was removed from the way, each man passed forth, following Joab to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.

¹⁴ Forsooth Sheba had passed by all the lineages of Israel till into Abel, and into Bethmaachah; and all the chosen men were gathered to him. (And Sheba passed through the territories of all the tribes of Israel unto Abel of Bethmaachah; and all the men of Bichri/and all the Berites were gathered to him, and followed him.)

¹⁵ Therefore they came, and fought against him in Abel, and in Bethmaachah, and (en)compassed the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the company, that was with Joab, enforced to destroy the walls. (And then Joab and his men came, and fought against him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and surrounded the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the men who were with Joab endeavoured to destroy the walls.)

¹⁶ And a wise woman of the city cried (out from) on high, Hear ye! hear ye! say ye to Joab, Nigh thou hither (Come thou here), and I shall speak with thee.

¹⁷ And when he had nighed to her, she said to him, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. To whom she spake thus, Hear thou the words of thine handmaid. Joab answered, I hear (And Joab answered, I am listening).

¹⁸ And again she said, A word was said in (an) eld proverb, They that ask, ask in Abel; and so they profited.

¹⁹ Whether I am not, that answer truth to Israel? and seekest thou to destroy a city, and to do away a mother city in Israel?^[b] why castedest thou down/why throwest thou down the heritage of the Lord? (My city is one of the most peaceful, and faithful, in all of Israel; so why seekest thou to destroy such a city, and to do away such a mother in Israel? why throwest thou down the Lord’s inheritance?)

²⁰ And Joab answered, and said, Far be (this), far be this from me; I cast not down, neither I destroy (I do not want to destroy this city).

²¹ The thing hath not so itself; but a man of the hill of Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by surname, raised his hand against king David; betake ye him alone to us, and we shall go away from the city (That is not my goal; but a man named Sheba, the son of Bichri, of the hill country of Ephraim, raised a rebellion against King David; deliver ye him to us, and him alone, and we shall go away from your city). And the woman said to Joab, Lo! his head shall be sent to thee by the wall.

²² Then the woman went in to all the people, and she spake to them wisely; and they threw (out) to Joab the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, girded off. And Joab sounded with a trump, and they departed from the city, each man into his tabernacles; and Joab turned again to Jerusalem to the king. (Then the woman went to all the people, and she spoke wisely to them; and so they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, and they left the city, and each man went back to his home; and Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.)

²³ Therefore Joab was on all the host of Israel; forsooth Benaiah, [the] son of Jehoiada, was on Cherethites and Pelethites; (And so Joab was over all of Israel’s army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;)

²⁴ and Adoram was upon the tributes (and Adoram was over the forced labour/was over the taxation); and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was (the) chancellor;

²⁵ and Sheva was scribe; but Zadok and Abiathar were priests; (and Sheva was the writer; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;)

²⁶ and Ira of Jairites was the priest of David.

21 And hunger was made in the land of Israel in the days of David, by three years continually. And David counselled the answer of the Lord, that is, asked counsel of the Lord in the answering place; and the Lord said, It is for Saul, and for his house, and for [the] blood, for he killed the men of Gibeon. (And in the days of David, there was hunger in the land of Israel, for three years without ceasing. And David counselled with the Lord; and the Lord said, It is because Saul, and his family, were guilty of the blood, or of murder, for he killed the Gibeonites.)

² Therefore when [the] Gibeonites were called, the king said to them; soothly Gibeonites be not of the sons of Israel, but they be the relics of Amorites; and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, that they should not slay them, and Saul would smite them for (his) fervent love, as for the sons of Israel and of Judah; (And so when the Gibeonites were called, the king said to them; now the Gibeonites be not Israelites, but they be the remnants of the Amorites; and the Israelites had sworn to them, that they would not kill them, but Saul did strike many of them down in his fervent love for the people of Israel and of Judah;)

³ therefore David said to Gibeonites, What shall I do to you, and what shall be your amends, that ye bless the heritage of the Lord? (and so David said to the Gibeonites, What can I do for you? and what shall be your amends, so that ye bless the Lord’s inheritance, that is, his people?)

⁴ And Gibeonites said to him, No question is to us upon gold and silver, but against Saul, and against his house; neither we will, that a man of Israel be slain. To whom the king said, What therefore will ye, that I do to you? (And the Gibeonites said to him, No answer shall be for us in gold or silver, but rather with Saul and his family; and we do not desire that just any man of Israel be killed. To whom the king said, And so what do ye desire, that I do for you?)

⁵ And they said to the king, We ought so to do away the man, that defouled and oppressed us wickedly, that not one soothly be left of his generation in all the coasts of Israel. (And they said to the king, We want to completely do away the man, who defiled and wickedly oppressed us, so that truly not one of his generation be left in all the coasts of Israel.)

⁶ Seven men of his sons be given to us, that we crucify them to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, sometime the chosen man of the Lord. And the king said, I shall give them to you. (Let seven of his kinsmen be given to us, so that we can hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was, at one time, the Lord’s chosen man. And the king said, I shall give them to you.)

⁷ And the king spared Mephibosheth (But the king spared Mephibosheth), the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, for the oath of the Lord, that was betwixt David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.

⁸ And so the king took (the) two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, which she childed to Saul, Armoni, and (another) Mephibosheth; and he took [the] five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul (and he took the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab), which she engendered to Adriel, the son of Barzillai, that was of (the) Meholathites.

⁹ And he gave them (up) into the hands of (the) Gibeonites, and they did those seven sons upon (a) cross in an hill before the Lord (and they hanged those seven kinsmen on a hill before the Lord); and (so) these seven fell down slain together in the days of the first reap(ing), when the reaping of barley began.

¹⁰ Forsooth Rizpah, (the) daughter of Aiah, took an hair-shirt, and arrayed to herself a place above the stone/and laid it under her(self) upon a stone (and arrayed for herself a place on the rock where their bodies lay), from the beginning of harvest till water dropped on them from (the) heaven(s); and she suffered not (the) birds to tear them by day, neither (the) beasts by night.

¹¹ And those things which Rizpah, the secondary wife of Saul, the daughter of Aiah, had done, were told to David.

¹² And David went, and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son, from the men of Jabesh of Gilead; which had stolen those bones from the street of Bethshan, in which Philistines had hanged them, when they had slain Saul in Gilboa (for they had stolen those bones from the street in Bethshan, where the Philistines had hung them, after they had killed Saul at Gilboa).

¹³ And David bare out from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan, his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were crucified (and they also gathered up the bones of the seven men who were hanged),

¹⁴ and they buried those with the bones of Saul and of Jonathan, his son, in the land of Benjamin, in the side of the sepulchre of Kish, the father of Saul (in the tomb, or the grave, of Saul’s father Kish). And they did all things, whatever the king commanded them; and the Lord did mercy to the land after these things.

¹⁵ Forsooth battle of the Philistines was made again against Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. Soothly when David failed, (And again the Philistines made battle against Israel; and David and his men went down, and fought against the Philistines. And when David grew weary,)

¹⁶ Ishbibenob, that was of the kin of Harapha, that is, (the father) of the giants, and the iron of his spear weighed three hundred ounces, and he was girded with a new sword, enforced to smite David. (Ishbibenob, who was a descendant of Harapha, that is, the father of the giants, whose iron of his spear weighed three hundred ounces, and who was girded with a new sword, endeavoured to strike down David.)

¹⁷ And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, was in help to David; and he smote and killed the Philistine. Then the men of David swore, and said, Now thou shalt not go out with us into battle, lest thou quench the lantern of Israel. (But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, helped David; and he struck and killed the Philistine. And then the men of David swore, and said, From now on, thou shalt not go out with us into battle, lest thou quench Israel’s lantern.)

¹⁸ Also the second battle was in Gob against [the] Philistines; then Sibbechai of Hushathites smote Saph, of the generation of Harapha, of the kin of giants. (And there was a second battle against the Philistines at Gob; there Sibbechai of the Hushathites struck down Saph, a descendant of Harapha, that is, the father of the giants.)

¹⁹ Also the third battle was in Gob against [the] Philistines; in which battle a man given of God, the son of a forest, and a(n) (em)broiderer, a man of Bethlehem, smote (the brother of) Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was as a beam of webs. (And the third battle against the Philistines was also at Gob; in which battle Elhanan, the son of Jair/the son of Jaareoregim, a man of Bethlehem, struck down the brother of Goliath of Gath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.)

²⁰ The fourth battle was in Gath; wherein was an high man, that had six fingers in his hands and (six toes) in his feet, that is, four and twenty (digits); and he was of the kin of Harapha, (the father of the giants); (And the fourth battle was at Gath; and there was a very tall man there, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, that is, twenty-four digits altogether; and he was a descendant of Harapha, that is, the father of the giants;)

²¹ and he blasphemed Israel; and Jonathan, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, killed him.

²² These four were born of Harapha in Gath, and they felled down in the hand of David, and of his servants. (These four were descendants of Harapha of Gath, that is, the father of the giants, and they all fell down at the hands of David and his men.)

22 Soothly David spake to the Lord the words of this song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

² And David said, The Lord is my stone, and my strength/and my stronghold, and my saviour;

³ my God, my strength, I shall hope into him; my shield, and the horn of mine health, my raiser (up), and my refuge; my saviour, thou shalt deliver me from wickedness, that is, (thou) hast delivered (me from violence). (my God, my strength/my stronghold, yea, I have hope in him; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, or of my victory, my raiser-up, and my refuge; my saviour, thou hast delivered me from all violence.)

⁴ I shall inwardly call (upon) the Lord, worthy to be praised (I shall call to the Lord, who is worthy to be praised); and I shall be safe from mine enemies.

⁵ For the sorrows of death compassed me; the strands of Belial made me afeared.

⁶ The cords of hell (en)compassed me; the snares of death have gone before me. (The cords of hell surrounded me; the snares of death were set to catch me.)

⁷ In tribulation I shall call thee, Lord, that is, I have called thee, Lord, and I shall cry to my God; and he heard from his holy temple my voice, and my cry shall come to his ears. (In tribulation I called on thee, Lord, yea, I cried to my God; and he heard my voice in his holy Temple, and my cry came to his ears.)

⁸ The earth was moved, and trembled; the foundaments of hills were smitten and shaken together, for the Lord was wroth to them. (The earth was moved, and trembled; the foundations of heaven were altogether shaken, for the Lord was angry.)

⁹ Smoke went up from his nostrils, and fire of his mouth shall devour; coals were kindled of it. (Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire came out of his mouth; coals were kindled by it.)

¹⁰ And he bowed (the) heavens, and came down; and mist (was) under his feet.

¹¹ And he went upon cherubim, and flew; and he slid on the pens/on the feathers of the wind (and he went upon the wings of the wind).

¹² He put darkness (a) hiding place in his compass, and riddled, or winnowed, waters from the clouds of heavens; (He hid himself in darkness, and the clouds of the heavens, which were filled with water, encompassed, or surrounded, him;)

¹³ for brightness in his sight coals of fire were kindled. (coals of fire were kindled from the brightness going out before him.)

¹⁴ The Lord shall thunder from (the) heaven(s); and [the] high God shall give his voice.

¹⁵ He sent his arrows, and scattered them; and sent lightnings, and wasted them.

¹⁶ And the sheddings out of the sea appeared, and the foundaments of the world were showed; from the blaming of the Lord, from the breathing of the spirit of his strong vengeance. (And the seabed appeared, and the foundations of the world were uncovered; at the Lord’s rebuke, and at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.)

¹⁷ He sent from heaven, and took (hold of) me; and drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸ He delivered me from my mightiest enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were stronger than I.