II Samuel 10-14

II Samuel 10

¹After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

²David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

³But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

⁴So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

⁶When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

⁷When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

⁸The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

⁹Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.

¹⁰The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.

¹¹He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

¹²Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”

¹³So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

¹⁴When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.

¹⁶Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head.

¹⁷David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.

¹⁸The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there.

¹⁹When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

II Samuel 11

¹At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

²At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.

³David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?”

⁴David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.

⁵The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

⁶David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.

⁷When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

⁸David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

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

¹⁰When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”

¹¹Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”

¹²David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.

¹³When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.

¹⁴In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

¹⁵He wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck and die.”

¹⁶When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.

¹⁷The men of the city went out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

¹⁸Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

¹⁹and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

²⁰it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?

²¹Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”

²²So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

²³The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.

²⁴The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

²⁵Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”

²⁶When Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

²⁷When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

II Samuel 12

¹The LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city: the one rich, and the other poor.

²The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

³but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.

⁴A traveler came to the rich man, and he didn’t want to take of his own flock and of his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

⁵David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!

⁶He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”

⁷Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

⁸I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things.

⁹Why have you despised the LORD’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

¹⁰Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’

¹¹“This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

¹²For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”

¹³David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin. You will not die.

¹⁴However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the LORD’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.”

¹⁵Then Nathan departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.

¹⁶David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.

¹⁷The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread with them.

¹⁸On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he didn’t listen to our voice. How will he then harm himself if we tell him that the child is dead?”

¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

²⁰Then David arose from the earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the LORD’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him and he ate.

²¹Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”

²²He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

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

²⁴David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. The LORD loved him;

²⁵and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for the LORD’s sake.

²⁶Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

²⁷Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.

²⁸Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”

²⁹David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.

³⁰He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.

³¹He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them go to the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

II Samuel 13

¹After this, Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

²Amnon was so troubled that he became sick because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.

³But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

⁴He said to him, “Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

⁵Jonadab said to him, “Lay down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’”

⁶So Amnon lay down and faked being 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 in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”

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

⁹She took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Have all men leave me.” Then every man went out from him.

¹⁰Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

¹¹When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister!”

¹²She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do this folly!

¹³As for me, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.”

¹⁴However, he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!”

¹⁶She said to him, “Not so, because this great wrong in sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me!” But he would not listen to her.

¹⁷Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, “Now put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.”

¹⁸She had a garment of various colors on her, for the king’s daughters who were virgins dressed in such robes. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her.

¹⁹Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

²⁰Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

²¹But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.

²²Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

²³After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

²⁴Absalom came to the king and said, “See now, your servant has sheep shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

²⁵The king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let’s not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him; however he would not go, but blessed him.

²⁶Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

²⁷But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

²⁸Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!”

²⁹The servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man got up on his mule and fled.

³⁰While they were on the way, the news came to David, saying, “Absalom has slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left!”

³¹Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

³²Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered, “Don’t let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

³³Now therefore don’t let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead; for only Amnon is dead.”

³⁴But Absalom fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming by way of the hillside behind him.

³⁵Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons are coming! It is as your servant said.”

³⁶As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly.

³⁷But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day.

³⁸So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

³⁹King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.

II Samuel 14

¹Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

²Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

³Go in to the king and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”

⁵The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

⁶Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.

⁷Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”

⁸The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”

⁹The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

¹⁰The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”

¹¹Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”

¹²Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”

¹³The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.

¹⁴For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.

¹⁵Now therefore, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’

¹⁶For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

¹⁷Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.’”

¹⁸Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”

¹⁹The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

²⁰Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are on the earth.”

²¹The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”

²²Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

²³So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face.

²⁵Now in all Israel there was no one to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.

²⁶When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

²⁷Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.

²⁸Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face.

²⁹Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

³⁰Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹Then Joab arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

³²Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”

³³So Joab came to the king and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.