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he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called Absalom's monument, unto this day.

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath 'avenged him of his enemies. ✓ 20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt 21 bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead. Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed 22 himself unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing 23 that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings? But come what may, said he, I will run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite.

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Now David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, 25 and, behold, a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his 26 mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, He also 27 bringeth tidings. And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. 28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that 29 lifted up their hand against my lord the king. And the king said, *Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great 30 tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said, Turn aside, 31 and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Tidings for my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against 32 thee. And the king said unto the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that 33 young man is. "And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

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And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for 2 Absalom. And the 'victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day, The king grieveth for 3 his son. And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as 4 people that are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. And the

1 Heb. judged him from the hand &c.

2 Or, hast no sufficient tidings

3 Heb. Peace.

4 Heb. Is there peace with &c.?

5 Or, and

6 [Ch. xix. I in Heb.]
7 Heb. salvation.

king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son 5 Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy 6 concubines; in that thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee. For thou hast declared this day, that princes and servants are nought unto thee: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. 7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than 8 all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now. Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate: and all the people came before the king.

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Now Israel had fled every man to his tent. And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of 10 the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom. And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?

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And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the 12 king, to bring him to his house. Ye are my brethren, ye are my bone and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 13 And say to Amasa, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me con14 tinually in the room of Joab. And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent unto the 15 king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants. So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to bring the king over Jordan.

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And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went through Jordan in the presence of the king. 18 And there went over 'a ferry boat to bring over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell 19 down before the king, when he was come over Jordan. And he said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his 20 heart. For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go 21 down to meet my lord the king. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah 2 Or, would go over

1 Or, the convoy

answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he 22 cursed the LORD'S anointed? And David said, What have I to do with

you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I 23 know that I am this day king over Israel? And the king said unto : Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

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And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home 25 in peace. And it came to pass, 'when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou 26 with me, Mephibosheth? And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king: because thy servant is lame, 27 And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. 28 For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more unto 29 the king? And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more 30 of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.

31 And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went 32 over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he 33 was a very great man. And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou 34 over with me, and I will sustain thee with me in Jerusalem. And Barzillai said unto the king, How many are the days of the years of my 35 life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old? can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant 36 be yet a burden unto my lord the king? Thy servant would but just go over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense 37 it me with such a reward? Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold, thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee. 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou 39 shalt 'require of me, that will I do for thee. And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.

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So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went over with him :

1 Or, when Jerusalem was come

2 Another reading is, to.

3 Or, the

4 Heb. men of death.

5 Heb. choose to lay upon.

and all the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the 41 people of Israel. And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and brought the king, and his household, over 42 Jordan, and all David's men with him? And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the 43 king's cost? or hath he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, 'that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

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And there happened to be there a man of 'Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the 2 son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

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And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, 3living in widowhood.

Then said the king to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together 5 within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together: but he tarried longer than the set time 6 which he had appointed him. And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced 7 cities, and escape out of our sight. And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of 8 Bichri. When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab 10 took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the belly, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother II pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. And there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is 12 for David, let him follow Joab. And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the high way. And when the man saw that all the

1 Or, and were not we the first to speak of bringing back our king?

2 That is, worthlessness.

3 Heb. in widowhood of life.

people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the high way into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came 13 by him stood still. When he was removed out of the high way, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaacah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and 15 went also after him. And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mount against the city, and it stood against the rampart: and all the people that were with Joab 'battered 16 the wall, to throw it down. Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may 17 speak with thee. And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear. 18 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter. 19 I am of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to

destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the 20 inheritance of the LORD? And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far 21 be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. The matter is not so but a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over 22 the wall. Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

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Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of 24 Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: and Adoram was over the 3tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was 25 the *recorder: and Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were 26 priests and Ira also the Jairite was "priest unto David.

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And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to 2 death the Gibeonites. And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children 3 of Israel and Judah:) and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may 4 bless the inheritance of the LORD? And the Gibeonites said unto him, It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house:

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