Mar 9 - 2 Samuel 14-18
2 Samuel
1Now Joab, the son of Zeruiah, understood that the heart of the king had been turned toward Absalom2so he sent to Tekoa, and he brought from there a wise woman. And he said to her: "Feign that you are in mourning, and put on the clothing of one who mourns. And do not anoint yourself with oil, so that you may be like a woman who is still grieving for someone who died some time ago3And you shall enter to the king, and you shall speak words to him in this manner." Then Joab put the words in her mouth4And so, when the woman of Tekoa had entered to the king, she fell before him on the ground, and she reverenced, and she said, "Save me, O king.5And the king said to her, "What problem do you have?" And she responded: "Alas, I am a woman who is a widow. For my husband has died6And your handmaid had two sons. And they quarreled against one another in the field. And there was no one there who would be able to stop them. And one struck the other, and killed him7And behold, the whole family, rising up against your handmaid, said: ‘Deliver him who struck down his brother, so that we may kill him for the life of his brother, whom he killed, and so that we may do away with the heir.’ And they are seeking to extinguish my spark that is left, so that there may not survive a name for my husband, nor a remnant upon the earth.8And the king said to the woman, "Go to your own house, and I will make a decree on your behalf.9And the woman of Tekoa said to the king: "May the iniquity be upon me, my lord, and upon the house of my father. But may the king and his throne be innocent.10And the king said, "Whoever will contradict you, bring him to me, and he will never touch you again.11And she said, "Let the king remember the Lord his God, so that close blood relatives may not be multiplied in order to take revenge, and so that they may by no means kill my son." And he said, "As the Lord lives, not one hair from your son shall fall to the ground.12Then the woman said, "Let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak.13And the woman said: "Why have you thought such a thing against the people of God, and why has the king spoken this word, so that he sins and does not lead back the one whom he rejected14We are all dying, and we are all like waters that flow into the ground and do not return. God does not will to lose a soul. Instead, he renews his efforts, thinking that what has been rejected might not perish altogether15Therefore, now I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, in the presence of the people. And your handmaid said: I will speak to the king, for perhaps there may be some way for the king to accomplish the word of his handmaid16And the king listened, and he freed his handmaid from the hand of all who were willing to take away me and my son together, from the inheritance of God17Therefore, let your handmaid speak, so that the word of my lord the king may be like a sacrifice. For even like an Angel of God, so is my lord the king, so that he is moved by neither a blessing, nor a curse. Then too, the Lord your God is with you.18And in response, the king said to the woman, "You shall not conceal from me a word of what I ask you." And the woman said to him, "Speak, my lord the king.19And the king said, "Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman answered and said: "By the welfare of your soul, my lord the king, it is neither to the left, nor to the right, in all these things that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab himself instructed me, and he himself placed all these words in the mouth of your handmaid20Thus did I turn to this figure of speech, because your servant Joab instructed it. But you, my lord the king, are wise, just as an Angel of God has wisdom, so that you understand all that is upon the earth.21And the king said to Joab: "Behold, your word has succeeded in appeasing me. Therefore, go and call back the boy Absalom.22And falling to the ground upon his face, Joab reverenced, and he blessed the king. And Joab said: "Today your servant has understood that I have found grace in your sight, my lord the king. For you have accomplished the word of your servant.23Then Joab rose up, and he went away to Geshur. And he brought Absalom into Jerusalem24But the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face." And so, Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king25Now in all of Israel, there was no man so handsome, and so very stately as Absalom. From the sole of the foot to the top of the head, there was no blemish in him26And when he shaved off his hair, for he shaved it off once a year, because his long hair was burdensome to him, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, by the public weights27Then three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, of elegant form, whose name was Tamar28And Absalom remained for two years in Jerusalem, and he did not see the face of the king29And so, he sent to Joab, so that he might send him to the king. But he refused to come to him. And when he had sent a second time, and he had refused to come to him30he said to his servants: "You know that the field of Joab, the one that is near my field, has a harvest of barley. Therefore, go and set it on fire." And so, the servants of Absalom set fire to the grain field. And the servants of Joab, arriving with their garments torn, said, "The servants of Absalom have set fire to part of the field!31And Joab rose up, and he went to Absalom at his house, and he said, "Why have your servants set fire to my grain field?32And Absalom responded to Joab: "I sent to you, begging that you might come to me, and that I might send you to the king, and that you might say to him: ‘Why was I brought from Geshur? It would have been better for me to be there.’ I beg you, therefore, that I may see the face of the king. And if he is mindful of my iniquity, let him put me to death.33And so, Joab, entering to the king, reported everything to him. And Absalom was summoned. And he entered to the king, and he reverenced on the face of the earth. And the king kissed Absalom
1Then, after these things, Absalom obtained for himself chariots, and horsemen, and fifty men who went before him2And rising up in the morning, Absalom was standing beside the entrance of the gate. And when there was any man who had a dispute that might go before the king’s judgment, Absalom would call him to him, and would say, "Which city are you from?" And responding, he would say, "I am your servant, from a certain tribe of Israel.3And Absalom would answer him: "Your words seem good and just to me. But there is no one appointed by the king to hear you." And Absalom would say4"Who may appoint me judge over the land, so that all those who have a dispute might come to me, and I might judge justly.5Then too, when a man would draw near to him, so that he might greet him, he would extend his hand, and taking hold of him, he would kiss him6And he was doing this to all those of Israel arriving for judgment to be heard by the king. And he solicited the hearts of the men of Israel7Then, after forty years, Absalom said to king David: "I should go and pay my vows, which I have vowed to the Lord at Hebron8For your servant made a vow, when he was in Geshur of Syria, saying: If the Lord will lead me back to Jerusalem, I will sacrifice to the Lord.9And king David said to him, "Go in peace." And he rose up and went away to Hebron10Then Absalom sent scouts into all the tribes of Israel, saying: "As soon as you hear the blare of the trumpet, say: ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’ 11Now having been called, two hundred men from Jerusalem went forth with Absalom, going in simplicity of heart and being entirely ignorant of the plan12Absalom also summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counselor of David, from his city, Giloh. And when he was immolating victims, a very strong oath was sworn, and the people, hurrying together, joined with Absalom13Then a messenger went to David, saying, "With their whole heart, all of Israel is following Absalom.14And David said to his servants, who were with him in Jerusalem: "Rise up, let us flee! For otherwise there will be no escape for us from the face of Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest perhaps, upon arriving, he may seize us, and force ruin upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.15And the servants of the king said to him, "Everything whatsoever that our lord the king will command, we your servants shall carry out willingly.16Therefore, the king departed, with his entire household on foot. And the king left behind ten women of the concubines to care for the house17And having gone forth on foot, the king and all of Israel stood at a distance from the house18And all his servants were walking beside him. And the legions of the Cerethites and Phelethites, and all the Gittites, powerful fighters, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath on foot, were preceding the king19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite: "Why do you come with us? Return and live with the king. For you are a stranger, and you departed from your own place20You arrived yesterday. And today should you be compelled to go away with us? For I should go to the place where I am going. But you should return, and lead your own brothers back with you. And the Lord will show mercy and truth to you, because you have shown grace and faith.21And Ittai responded to the king, by saying, "As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, in whatever place you will be, my lord the king, whether in death or in life, your servant will be there.22And David said to Ittai, "Come, and pass over." And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all the men who were with him, and the rest of the multitude23And they all wept with a great voice, and all the people passed over. The king also passed over the torrent Kidron. And all the people advanced opposite the way which looks out toward the desert24Now Zadok the priest also went, and all the Levites went with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God. And Abiathar went up, until all the people who had departed from the city had gone by25And the king said to Zadok: "Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will lead me back. And he will show it to me in his tabernacle26But if he will say to me, ‘You are not pleasing,’ I am ready. Let him do whatever is good in his own sight.27And the king said to Zadok the priest: "O seer, return into the city in peace. And let your son Ahimaaz, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, your two sons, be with you28Behold, I will hide in the plains of the desert, until word from you may arrive to inform me.29Therefore, Zadok and Abiathar carried back the ark of God into Jerusalem, and they remained there30But David ascended to the Mount of Olives, climbing and weeping, advancing with bare feet and with his head covered. Moreover, all the people who were with him ascended, weeping with their heads covered31Then it was reported to David that Ahithophel also had joined in swearing with Absalom. And David said, " O Lord, I beg you, to uncover the foolishness of the counsel of Ahithophel.32And when David had ascended to the summit of the mountain, where he was going to adore the Lord, behold Hushai the Archite met him, with his garment torn and his head covered with soil33And David said to him: "If you come with me, you will be a burden to me34But if you return to the city, and you say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king; just as I have been the servant of your father, so too will I be your servant,’ you will destroy the counsel of Ahithophe35And you have with you the priests Zadok and Abiathar. And any word whatsoever that you will hear from the house of the king, you shall reveal it to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests36Now with them are their two sons Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar. And you shall send to me by them every word that you will have heard.37Therefore, Hushai, the friend of David, went into the city. And Absalom also entered into Jerusalem
1And when David had passed a little beyond the top of the mountain, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, appeared to meet him, with two donkeys, which were burdened with two hundred loaves, and one hundred bunches of dried grapes, and one hundred masses of dried figs, and a skin of wine2And the king said to Ziba, "What do you intend to do with these things?" And Ziba responded: "The donkeys are for the household of the king, so that they may sit. And the loaves and dried figs are for your servants to eat. But the wine is for anyone to drink who may be faint in the desert.3And the king said, "Where is the son of your lord?" And Ziba answered the king: "He remained in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ 4And the king said to Ziba, "All the things which were for Mephibosheth are now yours." And Ziba said, "I beg you that I may find grace before you, my lord the king.5Then king David went as far as Bahurim. And behold, a man from the kindred of the house of Saul, named Shimei, the son of Gera, went out from there. And going out, he continued on, and he was cursing6and throwing stones against David and against all the servants of king David. And all the people and all the warriors were traveling to the right and to the left sides of the king7And so, as he was cursing the king, Shimei said: "Go away, go away, you man of blood, and you man of Belial8The Lord has repaid you for all the blood of the house of Saul. For you have usurped the kingdom in place of him. And so, the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom, your son. And behold, your evils press close upon you, because you are a man of blood.9Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king: "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and cut off his head.10And the king said: "What is it to me and to all of you, O sons of Zeruiah? Permit him, so that he may curse. For the Lord has commanded him to curse David. And who is the one who would dare to say, ‘Why has he done so?’ 11And the king said to Abishai and to all his servants: "Behold, my son, who went forth from my loins, is seeking my life. How much more does a son of Benjamin do so now? Permit him, so that he may curse, in accord with the command of the Lord12Perhaps the Lord may look with favor upon my affliction, and the Lord may repay me good, in place of the cursing of this day.13And so, David continued walking along the way, and his associates with him. But Shimei was advancing along the ridge of the mountain on the side opposite him, cursing and throwing stones at him, and scattering dirt14And the king and the entire people with him, being weary, went and refreshed themselves there15But Absalom and all his people entered into Jerusalem. Moreover, Ahithophel was with him16And when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, had gone to Absalom, he said to him: "May you be well, O king! May you be well, O king!17And Absalom said to him: "Is this your kindness to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?18And Hushai responded to Absalom: "By no means! For I will be his, whom the Lord has chosen. And I, and all this people, and all of Israel, will remain with him19But then too, I declare this: whom should I serve? Is it not the son of the king? Just as I have been subject to your father, so will I be subject to you also.20Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Present a counsel as to what we ought to do.21And Ahithophel said to Absalom: "Enter to the concubines of your father, whom he left behind in order to care for the house. Thus, when all of Israel will hear that you disgraced your father, their hands may be strengthened with you.22Therefore, they spread a tent for Absalom on the rooftop. And he entered to the concubines of his father in the sight of all Israel23Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was treated as if one were consulting God. So was every counsel of Ahithophel, both when he was with David, and when he was with Absalom
1Then Ahithophel said to Absalom: "I will choose for myself twelve thousand men, and rising up, I will pursue David this night2And rushing against him, for he is weary and has weakened hands, I will strike him. And when all the people who are with him will have fled, I will strike down the king in isolation3And I will lead back the entire people, returning in the manner of one man. For you are seeking only one man. And all the people shall be in peace.4And this word pleased Absalom and all those greater by birth of Israel5But Absalom said, "Summon Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what he also may say.6And when Hushai had gone to Absalom, Absalom said to him: "Ahithophel has spoken a word in this manner. Should we do it or not? What counsel do you give?7And Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given at this time is not good.8And again Hushai declared, "You know your father, and the men who are with him, to be very strong and bitter in soul, comparable to a bear raging in the forest when her young have been taken away. Moreover, your father is a man of war, and so he will not live among the people9Perhaps now he hides in pits, or in another place, wherever he wills. And if by chance, in the beginning, anyone may fall, whoever hears about it, no matter what he has heard, will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who were following Absalom.10And even the very strong, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will be weakened out of fear. For all the people of Israel know your father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are robust11But this seems to me to be the right counsel: Let all of Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand of the sea which is innumerable. And you will be in their midst12And we shall rush against him in whatever place he will have been found. And we shall cover him, as the dew usually falls upon the ground. And we shall not leave behind even one of the men who are with him13And if he will enter into any city, all of Israel shall encircle that city with ropes. And we will pull it into the torrent, so that there may not be found even one small stone from it.14And Absalom, with all the men of Israel, said: "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." So, by an act of the Lord, the useful counsel of Ahithophel was defeated, in order that the Lord might lead evil over Absalom15And Hushai said to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar: "Ahithophel gave counsel to Absalom and to the elders of Israel in this and that manner. And I gave counsel in such and such a manner16Now therefore, send quickly, and report to David, saying: ‘You shall not stay this night in the plains of the desert. Instead, without delay, go across. Otherwise the king may be engulfed, and all the people who are with him.’ 17But Jonathan and Ahimaaz remained beside the Fountain of Rogel. And a handmaid went away and reported it to them. And they set out, so that they might carry the report to king David. For they could not be seen, nor enter into the city18But a certain young man saw them, and he revealed it to Absalom. Yet truly, they traveled quickly and entered into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they descended into it19Then a woman took and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as if drying hulled barley. And so the matter was hidden20And when the servants of Absalom had entered into the house, they said to the woman, "Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman responded to them, "They passed through hurriedly, after they had taken a little water." But those who were seeking them, when they had not found them, returned to Jerusalem21And when they had gone, they ascended from the well. And traveling, they reported to king David, and they said: "Rise up, and go across the river quickly. For Ahithophel has given a counsel of this kind against you.22Therefore, David rose up, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed over the Jordan, until first light. And not even one of them was left behind who had not crossed over the river23Then Ahithophel, seeing that his counsel had not been done, saddled his donkey, and he rose up and went away to his own house and to his own city. And putting his house in order, he killed himself by hanging. And he was buried in the sepulcher of his father24Then David went to the encampment, and Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him25Truly, Absalom appointed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. Now Amasa was the son of a man who was called Ithra of Jezrael, who entered to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah, who was the mother of Joab26And Israel made camp with Absalom in the land of Gilead27And when David had arrived at the encampment, Shobi, the son of Nahash, from Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and Machir, the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai, the Gileadite of Rogelim28brought to him bedding, and tapestries, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and cooked grain, and beans, and lentils, and fried chick peas29and honey, and butter, sheep and fattened calves. And they gave these to David and to the people who were with him to eat. For they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the desert
1And so David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them tribunes and centurions2And he placed a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Ittai, who was from Gath. And the king said to the people, "I, too, will go forth with you.3And the people responded: "You shall not go out. For if we flee, there will not be great concern in them for us. Or if one half part of us will fall, they will not care much. For you are considered as one for ten thousand. Therefore, it is better that you should be in the city to strengthen us.4And the king said to them, "I will do whatever seems good to you." Therefore, the king stood beside the gate. And the people went out by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands5And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Preserve for me the boy Absalom." And all the people heard the king commanding all the leaders on behalf of Absalom6And so, the people departed into the field against Israel. And the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim7And the people of Israel were cut down in that place by the army of David. And a great slaughter occurred on that day: twenty thousand men8Now the battle in that place was dispersed over the face of all the land. And there were many more of the people whom the forest had consumed, than the sword had devoured, on that day9Then it happened that Absalom, riding on a mule, met the servants of David. And when the mule had entered under a thick and large oak tree, his head became trapped in the oak. And while he was suspended between heaven and earth, the mule on which he had been sitting continued on10Then a certain one saw this and reported it to Joab, saying, "I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.11And Joab said to the man who had reported it to him, "If you saw him, why did you not stab him to the ground, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt?12And he said to Joab: "Even if you weighed out to my hands one thousand silver coins, I would never lay my hands on the son of the king. For in our hearing the king ordered you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the boy Absalom.13Then too, if I had acted with such audacity, against my own life, this would never have been able to be hidden from the king. And would you then have stood by my side?14And Joab said, "It will not be as you wish. Instead, I will be assailing him in your sight." Then he took three lances in his hand, and he fixed them in the heart of Absalom. And while he was still clinging to life upon the oak15ten young men, armor bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, they killed him16Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and he held back the people, lest they pursue Israel in their flight, for he was willing to spare the multitude17And they took Absalom, and they threw him into a great pit in the forest. And they piled an exceedingly great heap of stones over him. But all of Israel fled to their own tents18Now Absalom had raised up for himself, when he was still alive, a monument, which is in the Valley of the King. For he said, "I have no son, and so this shall be the memorial to my name." And he called the monument by his own name. And it is called the Hand of Absalom, even to this day19Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, "I will run and report to the king that the Lord has accomplished judgment for him, from the hand of his enemies.20And Joab said to him: "You shall not be the messenger on this day. Instead, you shall report on another day. I am not willing for you to give the report today, because the son of the king is dead.21Then Joab said to Hushai, "Go, and report to the king what you have seen." Hushai reverenced Joab, and he ran22And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, "What prevents me from running after Hushai also?" And Joab said to him: "Why do you want to run, my son? You would not be the bearer of good news.23And he responded, "But what if I do run?" And he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz, running along a shorter way, passed Hushai24Now David was sitting between the two gates. Truly, the watchman, who was at the summit of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone25And crying out, he told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth." But as he was advancing and drawing nearer26the watchman saw another man running. And so, crying out from the height, he said: "Another man has appeared, running alone." And the king said, "This one also is a good messenger.27Then the watchman said, "The running of the closest one seems like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and he arrives bearing good news.28Then, Ahimaaz, crying out, said to the king, "Be well, O king." And reverencing the king prone on the ground before him, he said, "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has enclosed the men who had lifted up their hands against my lord the king.29And the king said, "Is there peace for the boy Absalom?" And Ahimaaz said: "I saw a great tumult, O king, when your servant Joab sent me, your servant. I know nothing else.30And the king said to him, "Pass, and stand here." And when he had passed and stood still31Hushai appeared. And approaching, he said: "I bear good news, my lord the king. For today the Lord has judged for you, from the hand of all who had risen up against you.32But the king said to Hushai, "Is there peace for the boy Absalom?" And responding, Hushai said to him, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against him for evil, be as the boy is.33And so the king, being greatly saddened, ascended to the upper room of the gate, and he wept. And as he went, he was speaking in this manner: "My son Absalom! Absalom my son! Who can grant to me that I may die on your behalf? Absalom, my son! My son, Absalom!