David sent some messengers to get her. ¹  She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. ²  (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) ³  Then she returned to her home.

Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! ¹ 

“When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, ¹  he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed ²  the traveler who had come to visit him. ³  Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked ⁴  it for the man who had come to visit him.”

Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent a message to you saying, ‘Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: ¹  “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.”’ Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!”

Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have ¹  the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely ²  to his house!”

I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan! You were very dear to me. Your love was more special to me than the love of women.

Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!” ¹  So he returned home.

Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. ¹ 

The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.

So Hushai came to Absalom. Absalom said to him, “Here is what Ahithophel has advised. Should we follow his advice? If not, what would you recommend?”

for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident foreigners until the present time.) ¹ 

Some time later Absalom managed to acquire ¹  a chariot and horses, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ² 

So the king and all the members of his royal court ¹  set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines ²  to attend to the palace.

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons ¹  were all born to David in Hebron.

So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years.

he stood his ground ¹  and fought the Philistines until his hand grew so tired that it ²  seemed stuck to his sword. The Lord gave a great victory on that day. When the army returned to him, the only thing left to do was to plunder the corpses.

But my servant ¹  has slandered me ²  to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.

When Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants approaching him, he ¹  went out and bowed to the king with his face ²  to the ground.