against the king's son: for in our run after Cushi. And Joab said, hearing the king charged thee and Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, Abishai and Ittai, saying, beware seeing that thou hast no tidings that none touch the young man Ab-ready? salom.

13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

f 14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed him about and smote Absalom and slew him. f 16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him and all Israel fled every

one to his tent.

23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.

f 24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

26 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 bringeth tidings.

27 And the watchman said, Methinketh 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.

D 18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remem- 28 And Ahimaaz called, and said brance and he called the pillar unto the king, All is well. And he after his own name and it is called fell down to the earth upon his face unto this day, Absalom's Place. before the king, and said, Blessed f19 Then said Ahimaaz the be the LORD thy God, which hath son of Zadok, Let me now run, and delivered up the men that lifted up bear the king tidings, how that the their hand against my lord the king. LORD hath avenged him of his ene-k 29 And the king said, Is the young mies.

man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. f 31 And behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

32 And the king said unto Cushi,

f 14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this 6 In that thou lovest thine ene-cord unto the king, Return thou, mies, and hatest thy friends: for and all thy servants. thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

c7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, iff 17 And there were a thousand thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befel thee from thy youth until now.

boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;

19 And 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 heart.

28 For all of 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 to cry any more unto the king?

29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land.

30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.

31 ¶ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned therefore behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. c 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because heg 32 Now Barzillai was a very cursed the LORD's anointed? aged man, even fourscore years old: c 22 And David said, What have I and he had provided the king of susto do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, tenance while he lay at Mahanaim : that ye should this day be adversa- for he was a very great man. ries unto me? shall there any man g 33 And the king said unto Barbe put to death this day in Israel?zillai, Come thou over with me, and for do I not know that I am this day I will feed thee with me in Jerusaking over Israel? lem.

D 23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die: and the king sware unto him.

f2 And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore wentest thou not with me, Mephibosheth?

26 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 to the king; because thy servant is lame.

34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

35 I am this day fourscore years old and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singingmen and singing-women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mo ther: but behold thy servant Chim27 And he hath slandered thy ser-ham; let him go over with my lord vant unto my lord the king; but my the king; and do to him what shall lord the king is an angel of God: seem good unto thee. do therefore what is good in thine

eyes.

f 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and 1

will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee.

ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their

o 39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was death, living in widowhood. come over, the king kissed Barzil-ƒ 4 ¶ Then said the king to Amasa, lai, and blessed him and he return-Assemble me the men of Judah ed unto his own place. within three days, and be thou here

g 40 Then the king went on to Gil-present.

gal, and Chimham went on with 5 So Amasa went to assemble the him and all the people of Judah men of Judah: but he tarried longer conducted the king, and also half than the set time which he had apthe people of Israel. pointed him. f41 ¶ And behold, all the men off 6 And David said to Abiashi, Israel came to the king, and said Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do unto the king, Why have our bre-us more harm than did Absalom: thren the men of Judah stolen thee take thou thy lord's servants and away, and have brought the king, pursue after him, lest he get him and his household, and all David's fenced cities, and escape us. men with him, over Jordan?

7 And there went out after him 42 And all the men of Judah an- Joab's men, and the Cherethites, swered the men of Israel, Because and the Pelethites, and all the mighty the king is near of kin to us: where-men: and they went out of Jerusa fore then be ye angry for this mat-lem, to pursue after Sheba the son ter? have we eaten at all of the of Bichri. king's cost? or hath he given us any gift?

43 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.

CHAP. XX.

8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

f 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa took no heed to

AND there happened to be the sword that was in Joab's hand:

there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

g 2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king,f 12 And Amasa wallowed in blood from Jordan even to Jerusalem. in the midst of the highway. And f3¶ And David came to his house when the man saw that all the peoat Jerusalem; and the king took the ple stood still, he removed Amasa

out of the highway into the field, and | And he blew a trumpet, and they cast a cloth upon him, when he saw retired from the city, every man to that every one that came by him his tent. And Joab returned to Je stood still. rusalem unto the king. 13 When he was removed out off 23 ¶ Now Joab was over all the the highway, all the people went on host of Israel: and Benaiah the son after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the of Jehoiada was over the Chereson of Bichri. thites and over the Pelethites:

g 14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench and all

the people that were with Joab bat-
tered the wall, to throw it down.
f 16 Then cried a wise woman
out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I
pray you, unto Joab, Come near
hither, that I may speak with thee.
17 And when he was come near
unto her, the woman said, Art thou
Joab? And he answered, I an he.
Then she said unto him, Hear the
words of thy handmaid. And he
answered, I do hear.

24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.

CHAP. XXI.

the days of David three

HEN there was a famine in

years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

2 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' 18 Then she spake, saying, They of Israel had sworn unto them: and were wont to speak in old time, say-Saul sought to slay them, in his ing, They shall surely ask counsel at zeal to the children of Israel and Abel and so they ended the matter. Judah.) c 19 I am one of them that are peace- 3 Wherefore David said unto the able and faithful in Israel thou Gibeonites, What shall I do for seekest to destroy a city and a mo-you? and wherewith shall I make ther in Israel: why wilt thou swal- the atonement, that ye may bless the low up the inheritance of the LORD? inheritance of the LORD? f 20 And Joab answered and said,f 4 And the Gibeonites said unto Far be it, far be it from me, that I him, We will have no silver nor should swallow up or destroy. gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount 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 the wall.

f22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the sen of Bichri and cast it out to Joab.

5 And they answered the king, The man that consuined us, and that devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, D6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.