2 Samuel

And he said to me, ‘Stand, please, over me and kill me, for the anguish has seized me, but all my life [is] in me still.’

And I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the diadem that [was] on his head and the bracelet that [was] on his arm, and have brought them to my lord here.”

And David called one of the young men and said, “Go near [and] fall upon him.” And he struck him, and he died.

And David said to him, “Your blood [is] on your own head. For your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the anointed of YHWH.’”

And Abner added again in saying to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? And how could I lift up my face unto Joab your brother?”

And he refused to turn aside. And Abner struck him with the back of the spear in the stomach, and the spear came out of his back, and he fell down there and died under him. And it came to pass [that] all who came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, they stood still.

And David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, and he blessed the people in the name of YHWH of hosts.

And David returned to bless his house. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How honored today was the king of Israel, who has uncovered himself today in the eyes of the maidservants of his servants, as one of the vain ones is openly uncovered.”

When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you who will come from your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom even to forever.

I will be his Father, and he will be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will churry him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of man,

And My loving devotion shall not depart from him as I took [it] from Saul, whom I turned aside from before you.

And your house and your kingdom will endure even to forever before My face. Your throne will be established even to forever.”

And now begin and bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord YHWH, have spoken [it], and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

And the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent to you comforters? Is [it] not for the purpose of searching out the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”

And her mourning was over, and David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore to him a son. And the thing that David had done was evil in the eyes of YHWH.

And Nathan said to David, “You [are] the man. Thus says YHWH, God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I snatched you up from the hand of Saul.

And I gave to you the house of your master and the wives of your master into your bosom, and I gave to you the house of Israel and Judah. And if [that was] too little, I would have given to you like them and like them.

Why have you despised the commandment of YHWH to do evil in His sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and his wife you have taken [to be] your wife, and him have killed with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against YHWH.” And Nathan said to David, “Even YHWH has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for [the word] of YHWH by this deed, also the son born to you will surely die.”

And his servants said to him, “What [is] this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; and when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

And he said, “While the child was alive I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows that YHWH may be gracious, and the child may live?’

And he is dead. Why [is] this [that] I should fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, and he shall not return to me.”

And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for such should not be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing.

And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. And now speak, please, to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”

And he would not listen to her voice, and he was stronger than she, and he forced her and lay with her.

And Absalom had commanded his young men, saying, “Watch now, when the heart of Amnon is merry with wine, and I say to you⁺, strike Amnon and kill him. Do not be afraid. Is [it] not that I have commanded you⁺? Be courageous and be sons of valor.”

And Your maidservant said, ‘Now the word of my lord the king will be comforting, for like the angel of God, so [is] my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may YHWH your God be with you.’”

And the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I am asking you.” And the woman said, “Please let my lord the king speak.”

And Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you⁺ hear the voice of the shofar, you⁺ shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron.’”

And the king said to Zadok, “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of YHWH, He will bring me back and show me it and His dwelling place.

But if thus He says, ‘I have not delighted in you,’ behold, [it is] I. Let Him do to me as [is] good in His eyes.”

And the king said, “And where [is] the son of your master?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore to me the kingdom of my father.’”

And King David came to Bahurim, and behold, a man from there was going out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name [was] Shimei son of Gera. And he came out, coming out cursing continuously.

And the king said, “What have I with you⁺, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because YHWH has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’”

And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, is seeking my life. And how much more that now [this] Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse, for so YHWH has ordered him.

Perhaps YHWH will look on my affliction and YHWH and will return me with good for his cursing this day.”

And they pitched for Absalom a tent on the roof, and Absalom went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel.

And the people answered, “You shall not go out, for if we surely flee, they will not set the heart on us. If half of us die, they will not set the heart on us, but now [you are] like ten thousand of us, for now you are more to us in the city for a helper.”

And there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David inquired of YHWH. And YHWH answered, “Because of Saul and [his] house [is] the blood, on account that he killed the Gibeonites.”

The God of Israel spoke the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men [is] righteous, ruling in the fear of God,

For not so [is] my house with God; yet an everlasting covenant He has made with me, ordered in all things and secure; for [this is] all my salvation, and all [my] desire, for will He not make it sprout?

And the anger of YHWH added to be hot against Israel, and He moved David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

And David built there an altar to YHWH, and he offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. And YHWH heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.