THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL

OTHERWISE CALLED THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS

Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, it came even to pass on the third day that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And so it was, when he came to David, that he...

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying, Except you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here — thinking, David cannot come in here. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, Whoever gets up to the gutter and smites the Jebusites,...

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? And there was of the house of Saul a servant, whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Are you Ziba? And he said, Your servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto...

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass, in an evening, that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof, he saw a...

And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah and have taken the city of waters. Now 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 after my name.

And David gathered all the people together and went to...

And it came to pass, after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray you, let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron; for your servant vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose and went to Hebron.

But Absalom sent...

And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, had come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend? And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay, but whom the...

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how the Lord has avenged him of his enemies. And Joab said unto him, You shall not bear tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings another day. But this day you shall bear no tidings because the king’s son is dead. Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran....

Then there was a famine in the days of David, three 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. 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 David spoke unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. And he said:

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. The God of my rock, in him will I trust. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence.

I will call on...

Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said — and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

The spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of...

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, to say, Go number Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab, the captain of the host who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people. And Joab said unto the king, Now the Lord your God add unto the...