Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 David inquired, “Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha’ul, to whom, for Y’honatan’s sake, I can show kindness?”

2 In Sha’ul’s household there had been a servant named Tziva, and they summoned him to David. The king asked him, “Are you Tziva?” and he answered, “At your service.”

3 The king said, “Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha’ul, to whom I can show God’s grace?” Tziva said to the king, “There is still Y’honatan’s son with the lame legs.”

4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” and Tziva answered, “He’s there in the house of Makhir the son of ‘Ammi’el, in Lo-D’var.”

5 King David sent and took him from the house of Makhir the son of ‘Ammi’el in Lo-D’var.

6 M’fivoshet the son of Y’honatan, the son of Sha’ul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. David said, “M’fivoshet!” and he answered, “Here is your servant!”

7 David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y’honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha’ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table.”

8 He prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant that makes you pay such attention to a dead dog like me?”

9 The king called to Tziva, Sha’ul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given everything Sha’ul and his family owned to your master’s [grand]son.

10 You are to work the land for him, you, your sons and your slaves. Harvest the crops, so that your master’s [grand]son will have food to feed his family; but M’fivoshet your master’s [grand]son will always eat at my table.” Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.

11 Tziva said to the king, “Your servant will do everything my lord the king commands his servant, although M’fivoshet has been eating at my table as one of the king’s descendants.”

12 M’fivoshet had a young son whose name was Mikha. Everyone living in Tziva’s house was a servant of M’fivoshet.

13 But M’fivoshet lived in Yerushalayim; he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both legs.

1 Some time later, when the king of the people of ‘Amon died, his son Hanun became king in his place.

2 David said, “I will show grace to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father showed grace to me.” So David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father.

David’s servants entered the territory of the people of ‘Amon;

3 but the leaders of the people of ‘Amon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn’t David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over, reconnoiter it and overthrow it?”

4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their clothes halfway up, at their buttocks, and then sent them away.

5 On hearing how they had been treated, David sent a delegation to meet them, because the men had been deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Yericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

6 Aware that they were utterly abhorrent to David, the people of ‘Amon sent and hired 20,000 Aram foot soldiers from Beit-Rechov and Tzovah, the king of Ma‘akhah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 soldiers from Tov.

7 When David heard of it, he sent Yo’av with his entire army of trained soldiers.

8 The army of ‘Amon came out and went into battle formation at the entrance to the city gate; the men of Aram from Tzovah and Rechov and the men of Tov and Ma‘akhah were by themselves in the open countryside.

9 When Yo’av saw that he would be fighting on two fronts, ahead and behind, he chose the best troops of Isra’el to deploy against Aram;

10 while the rest of the army he put under the command of Avishai his brother to deploy against the army of ‘Amon.

11 He said, “If Aram is too strong for me, you help me; but if the army of ‘Amon is too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

12 Take courage, and let’s be strong for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. MayAdonaido what seems good to him.”

13 So Yo’av and the people with him went to battle Aram, and they fled before him.

14 When the people of ‘Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai and retreated into the city. Yo’av returned from the people of ‘Amon and went to Yerushalayim.

15 When Aram saw that Isra’el had gotten the better of them, they gathered themselves together.

16 Hadad‘ezer sent and brought out the people of Aram who lived beyond the [Euphrates] River. They came to Heilam with Shovakh the commander of Hadad‘ezer’s army at their head.

17 It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra’el together, crossed the Yarden and came to Heilam. Aram deployed themselves against David and fought him.

18 But Aram fled before Isra’el; David killed 700 chariot-drivers and 40,000 horsemen from Aram, and he struck Shovakh the commander of their army, so that he died there.

19 When all Hadad‘ezer’s vassal kings saw that they had been defeated by Isra’el, they made peace with Isra’el and became their subjects. So Aram was afraid to help the people of ‘Amon any more.

1 In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent out Yo’av, his servants who were with him and all Isra’el. They ravaged the people of ‘Amon and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Yerushalayim.

2 Once, after his afternoon nap, David got up from his bed and went strolling on the roof of the king’s palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.

3 David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli‘am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti.

4 David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house.

5 The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, “I am pregnant.”

6 David sent this order to Yo’av: “Send me Uriyah the Hitti.” Yo’av sent Uriyah to David.

7 When Uriyah had come to him, David asked him how Yo’av was doing, how the people were feeling and how the war was going.

8 Then David said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriyah left the king’s palace and was followed by a present of food from the king.

9 But Uriyah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord and didn’t go down to his house.

10 When they told David, “Uriyah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriyah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”

11 Uriyah answered David, “The ark, Isra’el and Y’hudah stay in tents; and my lord Yo’av and the servants of my lord are camping in the countryside. So should I go into my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

12 David said to Uriyah, “Stay here today also; tomorrow I will let you leave.” So Uriyah stayed in Yerushalayim that day and the following day.

13 David summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord’s servants and did not go down to his house.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo’av and sent it with Uriyah.

15 In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed.”

16 So while Yo’av had the city under siege, he assigned Uriyah to the place where he knew the toughest defenders were.

17 The men of the city went out and fought Yo’av; a number of people fell, including some of David’s servants, with Uriyah the Hitti among the dead.

18 Yo’av sent a message to David reporting all the news concerning the war,

19 and he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling the king all the news about the war,

20 he may become angry and ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot from the wall?

21 Didn’t you think about the person who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet, that a woman threw an upper millstone down on him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?’ If he says this, tell him, ‘Your servant Uriyah is dead also.’”

22 So the messenger left, and on arrival he told David all that Yo’av had sent him to say.

23 The messenger said to David, “The men were overpowering us and came out after us into the countryside. But we chased them back all the way to the entrance of the city gate.

24 The archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king’s servants are dead; also your servant Uriyah the Hitti is dead.”

25 David said to the messenger, “Tell Yo’av, ‘Don’t let this matter get you down — the sword devours in one way or another. Intensify your battle against the city, and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

26 When the wife of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her husband was dead, she mourned her husband.

27 When the mourning was over, David sent and took her home to his palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son.

ButAdonaisaw what David had done as evil.

1 Adonaisent Natan to David. He came and said to him, “In a certain city there were two men, one rich, the other poor.

2 The rich man had vast flocks and herds;

3 but the poor man had nothing, except for one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared. It had grown up with him and his children; it ate from his plate, drank from his cup, lay on his chest — it was like a daughter to him.

4 One day a traveler visited the rich man, and instead of picking an animal from his own flock or herd to cook for his visitor, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to him.”

5 David exploded with anger against the man and said to Natan, “AsAdonailives, the man who did this deserves to die!

6 For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb — and also because he had no pity.”

7 Natan said to David, “You are the man.

“Here is whatAdonai, the God of Isra’el says: ‘I anointed you king over Isra’el. I rescued you from the power of Sha’ul.

8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives to embrace. I gave you the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah. And if that had been too little, I would have added to you a lot more.

9 “‘So why have you shown such contempt for the word ofAdonaiand done what I see as evil? You murdered Uriyah the Hitti with the sword and taken his wife as your own wife; you put him to death with the sword of the people of ‘Amon.

10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house — because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriyah the Hitti as your own wife.’

11 Here is whatAdonaisays: ‘I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it.

12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra’el in broad daylight.’”

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

Natan said to David, “Adonaialso has taken away your sin. You will not die.

14 However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemedAdonai, the child born to you must die.”

15 Then Natan returned to his house.

Adonaistruck the child that Uriyah’s wife had borne to David, and it became very ill.

16 David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground.

17 The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn’t eat food with them.

18 On the seventh day, the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, because they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he didn’t listen to us; if we tell him now that the child is dead, he may do himself some harm.”

19 But when David saw his servants whispering to each other, he suspected that the child was dead. David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” and they answered, “He is dead.”

20 Then David got up off the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes. He went into the house ofAdonaiand worshipped; then he went to his own palace; and when he asked for food, they served it to him; and he ate.

21 His servants asked him, “What are you doing? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat food!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; because I thought, ‘MaybeAdonaiwill show his grace to me and let the child live.’

23 But now that he’s dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

24 David comforted his wife Bat-Sheva, came to her and went to bed with her; she gave birth to a son and named him Shlomo.Adonailoved him

25 and sent through Natan the prophet to have him named Y’didyah [loved by God], forAdonai’s sake.

26 Yo’av fought against Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon and took the royal city.

27 Yo’av sent people to David with this message: “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.

28 Therefore, assemble the rest of the people; lay siege to the city; and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city; and it will be named after me!”

29 David assembled all the people, went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it.

30 He took the crown off Malkam’s head; it weighed sixty-six pounds, with its gold and precious stones; and it was placed on David’s head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the city.

31 In addition, he expelled the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, iron harrows and iron axes, or had them cross over to work in the brick factory. This is what he did to all the cities of the people of ‘Amon. Then David and all the people returned to Yerushalayim.

1 Now Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Some time after the previous events, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.

2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.

3 But Amnon had a friend named Yonadav the son of Shim‘ah David’s brother; and Yonadav was a very shrewd fellow.

4 He asked him, “Why, son of the king, are you growing thinner every day? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon answered him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Avshalom’s sister.”

5 Yonadav said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend you’re sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and have her prepare the food where I can watch. I’ll eat what she serves me.”

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes here where I can watch, and I’ll eat what she serves me.”

7 David sent this instruction home to Tamar: “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare him some food.”

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

9 Then she took the pan and turned them out in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Have everyone leave me”; and everyone left him.

10 Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the room, so that I can have you serve me. Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

11 But when she brought them near, so that he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”

12 “No, my brother,” she answered him, “don’t force me! Things like this aren’t done in Isra’el; don’t behave so disgracefully!

13 Where could I go with such shame? And as for you, you will be regarded as one of Isra’el’s vulgar brutes. Now therefore, please! Speak to the king, because he won’t keep me from you.”

14 However, he wouldn’t listen to her; and since he was stronger than she, he overpowered her and raped her.

15 But then he was filled with utter revulsion for her — his hatred of her was even greater than the love he had had for her before. Amnon said to her, “Get up, and get out of here!”

16 “No,” she objected, “because throwing me out like this is an even worse thing than what you’ve already done to me!” But he wouldn’t listen to her;

17 he called his personal servant and said, “Get rid of this woman for me! Throw her out, and lock the door after her!”

18 She was wearing a long-sleeved robe (this was how they used to dress the king’s daughters who were virgins). His servant took her out and locked the door after her.

19 Tamar put ashes on her head, tore her long-sleeved robe that she was wearing, laid her hand on her head and went off, crying aloud as she went.

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

21 When King David heard about all these things, he became very angry.

22 As for Avshalom, he refused to say a word to Amnon, either good or bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

23 Two years later, when Avshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba‘al-Hatzor, near Efrayim, Avshalom invited all the king’s sons.

24 Avshalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has sheep-shearers; please let the king and his servants come along with your servant.”

25 The king replied to Avshalom, “No, my son, let’s not all go — we don’t want to be a burden to you.” Avshalom pressed him, but he wouldn’t go; however he gave him his blessing.

26 Then Avshalom said, “If you won’t go, then please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

27 But Avshalom kept pressing him, so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28 Avshalom ordered his servants, “Pay close attention: when Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine, and I say to you, ‘Kill Amnon,’ then strike him down. Don’t be afraid — I’m the one ordering you to do it — but take courage, and be bold.”

29 Avshalom’s servants did to Amnon as Avshalom had ordered. At this, all the king’s sons jumped up, mounted their mules and fled.

30 While they were on their way, the news came to David that Avshalom had killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them was left alive.

31 The king got up, tore his clothes and lay on the ground, while all his servants stood by with their clothes torn too.

32 But then Yonadav, the son of Shim‘ah, David’s brother, spoke up; he said, “My lord shouldn’t think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons. Only Amnon is dead; for Avshalom has meant to do this ever since the day he raped his sister Tamar.

33 So my lord the king shouldn’t take it as seriously as if all the king’s sons are dead; only Amnon is dead.”

34 However, Avshalom took flight. The young man keeping watch looked up and saw many people coming along the road behind him on the hillside.

35 Yonadav said to the king, “Here, the king’s sons have come; it’s just as your servant said.”

36 The moment he finished speaking, the king’s sons came, cried out and wept; and the king too, with all his servants, cried out in great pain.

37 Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of ‘Ammihud, king of G’shur. David mourned for his son every day.

38 So Avshalom fled, went to G’shur and stayed there three years.

39 But as King David became reconciled to the death of his son Amnon, he was increasingly filled with longing to see Avshalom.

1 Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah perceived that the king missed Avshalom;

2 so Yo’av sent to T’koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, “Please, pretend you’re a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Go in to the king and speak to him in this fashion — ” and then Yo’av told her just what to say.

4 When the woman of T’koa spoke to the king, she fell down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself, and said, “King, help!”

5 The king said to her, “What’s the trouble?” She answered, “I’m a widow. After my husband died,

6 my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.

7 Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they’re saying, ‘Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.’ They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth.”

8 The king said to the woman, “Go back home; I myself will decide what to do about you.”

9 The woman of T’koa said to the king, “My lord, king, let the guilt be on me and my father’s family; the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 The king answered, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me; and he won’t bother you any more.”

11 “Please,” she said, “let the king swear byAdonaiyour God that the blood avengers won’t do any more destroying, so they won’t destroy my son.” He said, “AsAdonailives, not one of your son’s hairs will fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king.” “Go on,” he replied.

13 The woman said, “Why is it, then, that you have produced a situation exactly like this against God’s people? By saying what you have said, the king has virtually incriminated himself — in that the king does not bring home again the son he banished.

14 For we will all die someday; we’ll be like water spilled on the ground that can’t be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast.

15 Now the reason I came to speak about this matter to my lord the king is that the people were intimidating me; so your servant said, ‘I will speak now to the king; maybe the king will do what his servant is asking.

16 For the king will listen and rescue his servant from the hands of those who would destroy me and my son together from our share of God’s inheritance.’

17 Then your servant said, ‘Please let my lord the king say something that will give me relief; for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good from bad — and mayAdonaiyour God be with you.’”

18 The king then answered the woman: “I’m going to ask you a question, and please don’t hide anything from me.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”

19 The king asked, “Did Yo’av put you up to this?” The woman answered, “As you live, my lord the king, when my lord the king speaks, no one can avoid the issue by turning either right or left. Yes, it was your servant Yo’av who had me do this, and he put in my mouth every word you have heard your servant say.

20 Your servant Yo’av did this in order to bring about some change in the situation. But my lord is wise, he has the wisdom of an angel of God when it comes to understanding anything going on in the land.”

21 The king said to Yo’av, “All right, I am granting this request. Go, and bring back young Avshalom.”

22 Yo’av fell to the ground on his face, prostrating himself, and blessed the king; Yo’av said, “Today your servant knows that I have won your favor, my lord, king, because the king has done what your servant requested.”

23 Then Yo’av got up, went to G’shur and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim.

24 However, the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence.” So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.

25 Now in all Isra’el there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom — there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

26 He would cut his hair only once a year, at the end of the year; and the only reason he cut it then was because it weighed him down. He weighed the hair from his head at 200shekels (using the royal weight) [about five pounds].

27 To Avshalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

28 Avshalom lived two years in Yerushalayim without appearing before the king.

29 Then Avshalom summoned Yo’av, planning to send him to the king; but he refused to come to him. He summoned him a second time, but he still wouldn’t come.

30 So he said to his servants, “See, Yo’av’s field is close to mine, and he has barley there; go, and set it on fire.” Avshalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Yo’av got up, went to Avshalom at his house and asked him, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 Avshalom answered Yo’av, “Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, ‘Why did I come from G’shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I’m guilty of anything, he can kill me.’”

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

1 Some time later, Avshalom prepared himself a chariot and horses, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

2 He would get up early and stand by the road leading to the city gate; and if someone had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Avshalom would call to him and ask, “What city are you from?” and he would answer, “Your servant is from the such-and-such tribe in Isra’el.”

3 Avshalom would say to him, “Look, your cause is good and just; but the king hasn’t deputized anyone to hear your case.”

4 Then Avshalom would continue, “Now if I were made judge in the land, anyone with a suit or other cause could come to me, and I would see that he gets justice!”

5 Moreover, whenever any man came close to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

6 This is how Avshalom behaved toward anyone in Isra’el who came to the king for judgment, and in this way Avshalom stole the hearts of the people of Isra’el.

7 At the end of forty years, Avshalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hevron and fulfill the vow I made toAdonai.

8 Your servant made a vow while I was staying at G’shur in Aram to the effect that ifAdonaiwould bring me back to Yerushalayim, then I would serveAdonai.”

9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he set out and went to Hevron.

10 But Avshalom sent spies through all the tribes of Isra’el to say, “The moment you hear the sound of theshofar, then start proclaiming, ‘Avshalom is king in Hevron.’”

11 With Avshalom went 200 men from Yerushalayim who had been invited; they went innocently, knowing nothing about the scheme.

12 Avshalom sent for Achitofel the Giloni, David’s counselor, to come from his town Giloh and be with him while offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew strong, because the number of people favoring Avshalom kept increasing.

13 A messenger came to David saying, “The men of Isra’el have aligned themselves with Avshalom.”

14 David said to all his servants with him in Yerushalayim, “Get up! We must flee! Otherwise none of us will escape from Avshalom. Hurry, and leave; or he will soon overtake us, attack us and put the city to the sword.”

15 The king’s servants said to the king, “Here, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.”

16 So the king set out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women who were concubines to care for the palace.

17 The king set out with all the people after him, but they waited at the last house

18 for all his servants to pass by him in review; all the K’reti and P’leti and all the Gittim (600 men who had accompanied him from Gat) passed in review before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gitti, “You too? Why are you going with us? Go back, and stay with your king, since you are both a foreigner and in exile from your own place.

20 You arrived only yesterday; should I ask you to wander around with us? There’s no telling where I may go. Return, and take your kinsmen back with you. Grace and truth be with you.”

21 But Ittai answered the king, “AsAdonailives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there too.”

22 “Go, move along,” said David to Ittai; and Ittai the Gitti moved on, accompanied by all his men and the little ones with him.

23 The whole country wept and wailed as all the people left. When the king crossedVadiKidron, all the people crossed, too, heading toward the desert road.

24 Tzadok also came, accompanied by all theL’vi’imbearing the ark for the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, but Evyatar went up until all the people had finished leaving the city.

25 The king said to Tzadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor inAdonai’s sight, he will bring me back and show me both it and the place where it is kept.

26 But if he says, ‘I am displeased with you,’ then — here I am; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”

27 The king then said to Tzadok thecohen, “Do you see? Return to the city in peace, your two sons with you — Achima‘atz your own son and Y’honatan the son of Evyatar.

28 I will wait on the desert plains until a message with new information comes from you.”

29 So Tzadok and Evyatar carried the ark of God back to Yerushalayim and stayed there.

30 David continued up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up, head covered and barefoot; and all the people with him had their heads covered and wept as they went up.

31 One of them told David, “Achitofel is among the conspirators with Avshalom.” David said, “Adonai, please! Turn Achitofel’s advice into foolishness!”

32 When David reached the top of the ascent, where it was customary to worship God, Hushai the Arki came to meet him with his tunic torn and earth on his head.

33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will become a burden to me.

34 But if you go back to the city and tell Avshalom, ‘King, I will be your servant; just as I was your father’s servant in the past, so I will now be your servant’ — then you will be able to frustrate Achitofel’s advice for me.

35 You have Tzadok and Evyatar thecohanimthere with you. So whatever you hear from the king’s house, you tell to Tzadok and Evyatar thecohanim.

36 Their two sons, Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok and Y’honatan the son of Evyatar, are there with them; through them send me everything you hear.”

37 So Hushai David’s friend came into the city when Avshalom was about to enter Yerushalayim.

1 When David had gone a little past the summit, there was Tziva, the servant of M’fivoshet, who met him with a pair of donkeys saddled and on them 200 loaves of bread, 100 bunches of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit and a skin of wine.

2 The king said to Tziva, “What do you mean by these?” Tziva replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat; and the wine is for those who collapse in the desert to drink.”

3 The king asked, “Where is your master’s [grand]son?” Tziva answered the king, “He’s staying in Yerushalayim, because he said, ‘Today the house of Isra’el will restore my father’s kingship to me.’”

4 The king said to Tziva, “Everything that belongs to M’fivoshet is now yours.” Tziva answered, “I bow down before you; may I find favor in your sight, my lord, king.”

5 When King David arrived at Bachurim, there came out from there a man from Sha’ul’s family named Shim‘i the son of Gera; and he came out pronouncing curses

6 and throwing stones at David and all King David’s servants; even though all the people, including his bodyguard, surrounded him right and left.

7 When Shim‘i cursed, he said, “Get out of here! Get out of here, you killer, you good-for-nothing!

8 Adonaihas brought back on you all the blood of the house of Sha’ul. You usurped his kingship, butAdonaihas handed over the kingdom to Avshalom your son. Now your own evil has overtaken you, because you are a man of blood!”

9 Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah said to the king, “Why allow this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Just let me go over and remove his head!”

10 The king said, “Do you sons of Tz’ruyah and I have anything in common? Let him curse. IfAdonaitells him, ‘Curse David,’ who has the right to ask, ‘Why are you doing it?’”

11 David then said to Avishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, who came from my own body, seeks my life. So how much more now this Binyamini! Let him alone; and let him curse, ifAdonaitold him to.

12 MaybeAdonaiwill notice how I’m treating him, andAdonaiwill reward me with good instead of his curses.”

13 So David and his men went on their way, while on the opposite hillside Shim‘i kept pace with him, cursing, throwing stones and flinging dust as he went.

14 The king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, so he rested there.

15 Meanwhile Avshalom and all the people, the men of Isra’el, came to Yerushalayim; Achitofel was with him.

16 Hushai the Arki, David’s friend, came to Avshalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

17 Avshalom asked Hushai, “Is this how you show kindness to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

18 Hushai replied, “No, but whomeverAdonaiand this people and all the men of Isra’el choose, his I will be; and with him I will stay.

19 Moreover, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? Just as I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”

20 Avshalom said to Achitofel, “Give your advice as to what we should do.”

21 Achitofel answered Avshalom, “Go in, and sleep with your father’s concubines, the ones he left to take care of the palace. All Isra’el will hear that your father utterly despises you, and this will strengthen the position of all those who are on your side.”

22 So they set up a tent for Avshalom on the roof of the palace; and Avshalom went in to sleep with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Isra’el.

23 In those days Achitofel’s advice was regarded as highly as if someone had sought out the word of God; it was this way with Achitofel’s advice both to David and to Avshalom.

1 Achitofel said to Avshalom, “Let me now choose 12,000 men, and I will pursue David tonight.

2 I’ll fall on him unexpectedly when he’s tired and powerless. I’ll frighten him, all the people with him will flee, and I’ll attack only the king.

3 Then I will bring back to you all the people; and when they have all returned, except the one you are seeking, all the people will be at peace.”

4 What he said pleased Avshalom and all the leaders of Isra’el.

5 Then Avshalom said, “Now call also Hushai the Arki, and let’s give equal hearing to what he has to say.”

6 When Hushai appeared before Avshalom, Avshalom said to him, “Achitofel has said such-and-such. Should we do what he says? If not, you tell us.”

7 Hushai said to Avshalom, “The advice Achitofel has given this time is not good.

8 You know,” continued Hushai, “that your father and his men are powerful men, and that they are as bitter as a bear deprived of her cubs in the wild. Moreover, your father is a military man, and he won’t camp with the rest of the people —

9 right now he’s hidden in a pit or somewhere. So what will happen is this: when they begin their attack, and whoever hears about it says, ‘A slaughter is taking place among Avshalom’s followers,’

10 then even the strongest among them, someone whose courage is that of a lion, will completely collapse! For all Isra’el knows that your father is a powerful man, and those with him are powerful men.

11 Rather, I advise that you summon all Isra’el to come to you, from Dan to Be’er-Sheva, numbering as many as sand grains on the seashore; and then you go to battle, yourself.

12 In this way we’ll come upon him wherever he is, and we’ll fall on him as the dew falls on the ground; of him and all the men with him we won’t leave even one alive.

13 If he withdraws into a city, then all Isra’el will bring up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed until not even a pebble is left.”

14 Avshalom and all the men of Isra’el said, “The advice of Hushai the Arki is better than the advice of Achitofel” — forAdonaihad determined to frustrate the good advice of Achitofel, so thatAdonaicould bring disaster on Avshalom.

15 Then Hushai said to Tzadok and Evyatar thecohanim, “Achitofel gave such-and-such advice to Avshalom and the leaders of Isra’el, but I advised so and so.

16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David, “Don’t stay tonight in the desert plains; but, whatever it takes, move on from there! Otherwise, the king and all the people with him will be engulfed.”

17 Y’honatan and Achima‘atz were staying at ‘Ein-Rogel; a female servant was to go and tell them, and they in turn were to go and tell King David — for it would not do to have them seen entering the city.

18 But a boy saw them and told Avshalom; so both of them took off quickly and came to the house of a man in Bachurim who had a cistern in his courtyard; and they went down into it.

19 His wife spread a covering over the cistern’s opening and scattered drying grain on it, so that nothing showed.

20 Avshalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked, “Where are Achima‘atz and Y’honatan?” The woman answered them, “They’ve crossed the stream.” After searching and not finding them, they returned to Yerushalayim.

21 After they had left, the two climbed out of the cistern and went and told King David, “Get up and cross the river, because Achitofel has given such-and-such advice against you.”

22 David and all the people with him got up and crossed the Yarden; by dawn every one of them had crossed the Yarden.

23 When Achitofel saw that his advice was not being followed, he saddled his donkey, set out, and went home to his own city. After setting his house in order, he hanged himself; he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

24 David had reached Machanayim by the time Avshalom and all the men of Isra’el crossed the Yarden.

25 Avshalom had put ‘Amasa in charge of the army in place of Yo’av. ‘Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Yitra the Isra’eli, who had had sexual relations with Avigal the daughter of Nachash, Tz’ruyah’s sister and Yo’av’s mother.

26 Isra’el and Avshalom pitched camp in the land of Gil‘ad.

27 After David had arrived in Machanayim, Shovi the son of Nachash, from Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon; Machir the son of ‘Ammi’el from Lo-D’var and Barzillai the Gil‘adi from Roglim

28 brought beds, basins, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, roasted millet,

29 honey, curdled milk, sheep and cheese made of cow’s milk for David and the people with him to eat; because they said, “These people are hungry, tired and thirsty from the desert.”

1 David took a census of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

2 Then David dispatched the people, a third of them under the command of Yo’av, a third under Avishai the son of Tz’ruyah, Yo’av’s brother, and a third under Ittai the Gitti; and the king said to the people, “I will also go out with you, myself.”

3 But the people replied, “Don’t go out; because if we flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; so it is better now that you stay in the city and be ready if we need help.”

4 The king answered them, “I will do whatever you think best.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 The king gave orders to Yo’av, Avishai and Ittai, “For my sake, deal gently with young Avshalom.” All the people were listening when the king gave all the commanders this order concerning Avshalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Isra’el; the battle took place in the forest of Efrayim.

7 The people of Isra’el were defeated there by David’s servants; there was a terrible slaughter that day of 20,000 men.

8 For the battle there was spread all over the countryside; the forest devoured more people that day than did the sword.

9 Avshalom happened to meet some of David’s servants. Avshalom was riding his mule, and as the mule walked under the thick branches of a big terebinth tree, his head got caught in the terebinth, so that he was left hanging between earth and sky, as the mule went on from under him.

10 Someone saw it and told Yo’av, “I saw Avshalom hanging in a terebinth.”

11 Yo’av asked the man who told him, “Here now, you saw it; so why didn’t you strike him to the ground then and there? I would have had to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt besides.”

12 The man replied to Yo’av, “Even if I were to get a thousand pieces of silver, I still wouldn’t raise my hand against the son of the king! After all, while we were listening, the king ordered you, Avishai and Ittai, ‘Be careful that no one touches young Avshalom.’

13 Or, if I had pretended that I didn’t know, the king would have known otherwise anyway; and you wouldn’t have interceded for me either.”

14 Yo’av said, “I can’t waste time arguing with you!” He took three darts in his hand and rammed them through Avshalom’s heart while he was still alive, hanging from the terebinth.

15 Then Yo’av’s ten young armor-bearers surrounded Avshalom, struck him and killed him.

16 Yo’av sounded theshofar, and the people returned from pursuing Isra’el, because Yo’av held back the troops.

17 They took Avshalom and threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled a big heap of stones over him. All Isra’el fled, each one to his tent.

18 In his own lifetime Avshalom had taken and raised for himself the pillar which stands in the King’s Valley; because he said, “I don’t have a son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he named the pillar after himself, and it’s called Avshalom’s Monument to this day.

19 Then Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok said, “Let me run now and bring news to the king thatAdonaihas judged in his favor by releasing him from his enemies.”

20 Yo’av said to him, “You are not to be the one to bring the news today; you can convey news another day; but today you will not bring news, because the king’s son is dead.”

21 Then Yo’av said to the Ethiopian, “Go, tell the king what you saw.” The Ethiopian bowed to Yo’av, then ran off.

22 But Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok said again to Yo’av, “Come what may, please let me also run after the Ethiopian.” Yo’av answered, “Why do you want to run, my son? You won’t receive any reward for bringing the news.”

23 “I don’t care — whatever happens, I want to run.” So he said to him, “Run.” Then Achima‘atz ran by the road through the desert flats and outran the Ethiopian.

24 David was sitting between the two gates. A watchman went up to the roof of the gate and out onto the wall, raised his eyes, looked, and saw there a man running by himself.

25 The watchman cried out and told the king. The king said, “If he’s alone, he has good news to tell.” As he ran along and came close,

26 the watchman saw another man running and called to the gatekeeper, “There’s another man running by himself.” The king said, “He too must have good news.”

27 The watchman said, “The first one runs like Achima‘atz the son of Tzadok.” The king said, “He’s a good man, he comes with good news.”

28 Achima‘atz called to the king, “Shalom,” prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed beAdonaiyour God, who has handed over the men who rebelled against my lord the king.”

29 The king asked, “Is everything all right with young Avshalom?” Achima‘atz answered, “When Yo’av sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a big commotion; but I didn’t know what it was.”

30 The king said, “Go, and stand over there.” So he went and stood there.

31 Then up came the Ethiopian, and the Ethiopian said, “There’s good news for my lord the king, forAdonaihas judged in your favor and rid you of all those who rebelled against you.”

32 The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is everything all right with young Avshalom?” The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you in order to harm you be as that young man is.”