Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer. ‘’Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ‘’So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘’Shall there come on you three years of famine in the land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue ...  Read More

Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, ‘’Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.’’So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, ‘’Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’’But Joab replied to the king, ‘’May the LORD your God multiply the troops ...  Read More

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. Next to him was Eleazer . . .  As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines . . . the Israelites retreated, but Eleazer stood his ground and struck down the Philistines ti...  Read More

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: ‘’The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior -- from violent people you saved me.‘’I called to the LORD, who is worthy of pr...  Read More

. . . When Shimei, son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him, ‘’May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem.  May the king put it out of his mind. For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first from the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet my lord...  Read More

The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept.  As he went, he said: ‘’O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!’’Joab was told, ‘’The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.’’ And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, ‘’The king is gri...  Read More

So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.The king saId to Ittai the Gittite, ‘’Why should you come along with us?  Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an ex...  Read More

Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.  . . . Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘’Give us your advice. What should we do?’’ Ahithophel answered, ‘’Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more ...  Read More

As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei . . . and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, ‘’Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the b...  Read More

A messenger came and told David, ‘’The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.’’ Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘’Come!We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.’’. . . The king set out, with his entire household following h...  Read More

In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, ‘’What town are you from?’’ . . . Then Absalom would say to him, ‘’Look, your claims are v...  Read More

  21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep shearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.Absalom went to the king and said . . .  ‘‘Will the king and his attendants please join me?...  Read More