CHAP. XVI. XVII. Before 37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into tch. 16. 16. Jerusalem. 1 Chron. 27. 33. uch. 16. 15 a ch. 15, 30, 32. b ch. 9. 2. CHAP. XVI. 1 Ziba, by presents and false suggestions, ob- others, from revenge. 15 Hushai insinuat- a ND when David was a little past Ahithophel's counsel. CHRIST 1023. 11 And David said to Abishai, and to Before all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my pch. 12. 11. life: how much more now may this Ben-Gen. 15. 4. jamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine + affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the A the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the hill's side over against him, and cursed as servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a 2 And the king said unto Ziba, What & 17.29. 14 And the king, and all the people with dust. that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there. 15¶ And Absalom, and all the people s ch. 15.37. the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come t ch. 15. 37. unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, † God save the king, God save + Heb. Let the king. the king lire. 3 And the king said, And where is thy é ch. 19. 27. master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this peo thine are all that pertained unto Mephi-ple, and all the men of Israel, choose, his +Heb. I do bosheth. And Ziba said, † I humbly be- will I be, and with him will I abide. seech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? "why wentest ch. 19. 25. thou not with thy friend? 6 And he cast stones at David, and at 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absaand cursed. all the servants of king David: and all lom, Go in unto thy father's 'concubines, y the people and all the mighty men were which he hath left to keep the house; and on his right hand and on his left. all Israel shall hear that thou art abhor7 And thus said Shimei when he curs-red of thy father: then shall the hands ed, Come out, come out, thou †bloody | of all that are with thee be strong. * Deut. 13. man, and thou man of Belial: ch. 15. 16. & 20.3 Gen. 34.30, ch. 2.7 1 Sam. 13. 4. Zech. 8. 13 10 And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because "the LORD hath La said unto him, Curse David. Who M% shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? OREOVER Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will c ch. 15. 12. arise and pursue after David this night: 2 And I will come upon him while he a See Deut. is weary and weak handed, and will 25. 18. ch. 16 make him afraid: and all the people that b Zech. 13.7. are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: 14. + Heb. was right in the eyes of, c. 1 Sam. 18. 20. + Heb. what Is in his mouth. + Heb. word. + Heb. counselled. + Heb. bitter of soul. 3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. 4 And the saying +pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 5 Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise +what he saith. And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. 7 And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. 8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be † chafed in their minds, Judg. 18. 25. as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. ellos. 13, 8. + Heb. fallen. C 9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be † overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. 10 And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterJosh. 2. 11. ly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. + Heb. that thy face, or, 1 11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel e Judg. 20. 1. be generally gathered unto thee, from Gen. 22.17. Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that presence go, thou go to battle in thine own person. 12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. 34. 13 Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahich. 15-31, thophel. For the LORD had + appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. ↑ Heb. commanded. h ch. 15. 35 15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and | Secret intelligence sent to David. CHRIST 1023. thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom Before and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled. 16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but ich. 15. 28. speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him. 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz kch. 15. 27, stayed by "En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they 7. & 18.16. went and told king David. &c. m Josh. 15. 18 Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house "in Bahurim, which had a well in ach. 16. 5. his court; whither they went down. 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. o See Josh. 20 And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And 'the woman said unto them, They be p See Exod. gone over the brook of water. And 245 when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. Before 28 Brought beds, and || basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, Or, cups and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, 29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and ch. 16. 2. weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness. CHAP. XVIII. is slain by Joab. Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom 11 And Joab said unto the man that Before CHRIST 1023. upon mine e ver. 5. 12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand Heb.weigh shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would hand. 1 David viewing the armies in their march I not put forth mine hand against the giveth them charge of Absalom. 6 The king's son: for in our hearing the king Israelites are sore smitten in the wood of charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, sayEphraim. 9 Absalom, hanging in an oaking, Beware that none touch the young is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit. 18 Absalom's place. 19 Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David. 33 David mourneth for Absalom. ND David numbered the people that man Absalom. 13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou A Dere with him, and set captains of thyself wouldest have set thyself against thousands and captains of hundreds over 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai ach. 15. 19. the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. b ch. 21. 17. 4 Heb. art their heart on us. 3"But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now +Heb. as ten thou art worth ten thousand of us: thousand of therefore now it is better that thou +succour us out of the city. + Heb. be to EXCCONT. c ver. 12. d Josh. 171518. 4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. 6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the + Hebd wood +devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. me. 14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three Heb. before darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. 16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. + Heb.heart. 17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid f Josh. 7. 26. a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. h See ch. 14. 18 ¶ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, & Gen. 14. 17. I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. 19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. 27. + Heb.judg the hand, &c. man of tid 20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not + bear tidings this day, but thou + Heb. be a shalt bear tidings another day: but this ings. day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead. 21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. what may. 22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, the let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? 23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. 24 And David sat between the two Or, conve nient. + Heb. I see the running. 25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. : 26 And the watchman saw another man running and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings, 27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. 28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto Or, Peace the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD Heb. shut thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. be to thee. + Heb. Peace. up. + Heb. Is there peace> + Heb. Tidings is brought. 29 And the king said, †Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. 30 And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said, k ch. 19.4 O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! + Heb. sal- CHAP. XIX. 1 Joab causeth the king to cease his mourning. AND it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. 2 And the victory that day was turned deliverance. into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. 3 And the people gat them by stealth He returneth to Jerusalem. Before that day into the city, as people being CHRIST 1093a ver. 32. c ch. 18. 33. 4 But the king covered his face, and b ch.15.30. 5 And Joab came into the house to loving, &c. princes or servants are not to thee. 6 +In that thou lovest thine enemies, † Heb. By and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest + Heb. that neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. + Heb. to the Gen. 34-3 7 Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: heart of thy for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. 8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man 10 And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bring + Heb are ing the king back? 11 T And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house. 12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 17 And there were a thousand men of 1 ch. 9. 2, 10. Benjamin with him, and 1 Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king. 18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's houshold, and +Heb. the to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan; good in hu eyes. m1 Sam. 22. 15 19 And said unto the king, "Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither ch. 16. 5,6, do thou remember" that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king ch. 13.33 should take it to his heart. 20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am p See ch. 16. come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. 13. 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be Exod. 22. put to death for this, because he 'cursed the LORD's anointed? ch. 16. 10. 22 And David said, 'What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? 1 Sam. 11. shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? t 1 Kings 2. 8, 9, Jr, 46. u ch. g. 6. 23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him. 24 ¶ And "Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace. 25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that | xeb. 16. 17. the king said unto him, * Wherefore went est not thou with me, Mephibosheth? y cb. 16.3. 20. 26 And he answered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king; because thy servant is lame. 27 And he hath slandered thy servant ze 14 17 unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. of death. 28 For all of my father's house were Heb. men but dead men before my lord the king: 1 Sam. 26. 16. yet didst thou set thy servant among ach. 97,19 them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king? 13 29 And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? 30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house. 7 CHRIST 1023. 31 ¶ And Barzillai the Gileadite came b1 Kings 2, down from Rogelim, and went over Jordan with the king, to conduct him over Jordan. 32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had ch. 17. 27. provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. 33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Barzillai said unto the king, +How long have I to live, that I should + Heb. How go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old: a Ps. 90. 10. and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? 36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward? 37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over 1 Kings 2. with my lord the king; and do to him 17. what shall seem good unto thee. e 7. Jer. 41. 38 And the king answered, Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee: and whatsoever thou shalt + require +Heb.choose, of me, that will I do for thee. 39 And all the people went over Jordan. And when the king was come over, the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; f Gen. 31.55. and he returned unto his own place. han. 40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and +Chimham went on with him: and Heb. Chim. all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel. 41 ¶ And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the 8 ver. 15. king, and his houshold, and all David's men with him, over Jordan? 42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's cost? or hath he given us any gift? 43 And the men of Israel answered hver. 12. |