Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />

David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.<n id="1" />

David and all Israel<n id="1" /> were bringing up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>, shouting and blowing trumpets.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River.

<t /><p class="bodytext">After the death of Saul,<n id="1" /> when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites,<n id="2" /> he stayed at Ziklag<n id="3" /> for two days.

However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.)

while David and all Israel<n id="1" /> were energetically celebrating before the <sc>Lordsc>, singing<n id="2" /> and playing various stringed instruments,<n id="3" /> tambourines, rattles,<n id="4" /> and cymbals.p>

Now David<n id="1" /> had been told, &#8220;Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the spring of the year, at the time when kings<n id="1" /> normally conduct wars,<n id="2" /> David sent out Joab with his officers<n id="3" /> and the entire Israelite army.<n id="4" /> They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">As David was going up the Mount of Olives, he was weeping as he went; his head was covered and his feet were bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered and were weeping as they went up.

<t /><p class="bodytext">When David had gone a short way beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a couple of donkeys that were saddled, and on them were two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of summer fruit,<n id="1" /> and a container of wine.p>

<p class="bodytext">Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates,<n id="1" /> and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate at the wall. When he looked, he saw a man running by himself.