Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went.

Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man ¹  who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha.

He mounted ¹  a winged angel ²  and flew; he glided ³  on the wings of the wind. ⁴ 

The beauty ¹  of Israel lies slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

The Lord’s spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

He threw stones at David and all of King David’s servants, as well as all the people and the soldiers who were on his right and on his left.

On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. ¹  When he approached David, the man ²  threw himself to the ground. ³ 

Then they went on to Gilead and to the region of Tahtim Hodshi, coming to Dan Jaan and on around to Sidon. ¹ 

The young man who was telling him this ¹  said, “I just happened to be on Mount Gilboa and came across Saul leaning on his spear for support. The chariots and leaders of the horsemen were in hot pursuit of him.

The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”

They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart.

Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on them, ¹  she did not allow the birds of the air to feed ²  on them by day, nor the wild animals ³  by night.

How the warriors have fallen in the midst of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places!

Then David prayed to ¹  God for the child and fasted. ²  He would even ³  go and spend the night lying on the ground.

Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well.

Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?”

They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at ¹  the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.

So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.” ¹  So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s ²  portion of the field on fire.

The king settled into his palace, ¹  for the Lord gave him relief ²  from all his enemies on all sides. ³ 

So Gad went to David that day and told him, “Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”