Antiquities of the Jews - Book 7

BOOK VII

Containing the Forty-Year Period from Saul's Death to David's Death

CHAPTER 1

How David Ruled One Tribe from Hebron While Saul's Son Ruled the Rest; and How Asahel and Abner Were Killed in the Civil War That Followed

The battle had taken place on the same day David returned to Ziklag after defeating the Amalekites. David had been there for two days when, on the third day after the battle, a man who claimed to have killed Saul came to him. He had escaped from the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. His clothes were torn, and ashes covered his head. He bowed before David, who asked him where he had come from. The man answered that he had come from the battle of the Israelites. He told David that the battle had ended in disaster: tens of thousands of Israelites had been killed, and Saul and his sons had fallen.

The man said he could give David this report because he had been present at the Philistine victory and had been with the king when Saul fled. He admitted that he himself had killed Saul when the king was about to be captured by the enemy. Saul had urged him to do it, the man said, because his wounds were so severe that after falling on his sword, he could no longer kill himself. As proof, he showed David the golden bracelets and crown he had taken from Saul's body.

David could no longer doubt that Saul was dead. When he saw these clear signs, he tore his clothes and spent the rest of the day weeping and mourning with his companions. His grief was made greater by the thought of Jonathan, Saul's son, who had been his most faithful friend and had helped save his life. David also showed great virtue and kindness toward Saul. Though Saul had often put David's life in danger, David mourned his death. And he punished the man who claimed to have killed him. David told the man that he had condemned himself by admitting that he had killed the king. When he learned that the man was the son of an Amalekite, he ordered him to be put to death. David also wrote laments and funeral praises for Saul and Jonathan, which have survived to my own time.

After paying these honors to Saul, David ended his mourning and asked God, through the prophet, which city in the tribe of Judah he should make his home. God chose Hebron for him. David left Ziklag and went to Hebron with his two wives and his armed men. All the people of the tribe of Judah came to him and made him their king.

When David heard that the people of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul and his sons with honor, he sent them a message praising what they had done. He thanked them for caring for the dead and promised to repay them for their kindness. He also told them that the tribe of Judah had chosen him as its king.

Abner, the son of Ner, was the general of Saul's army, a capable man of good character. When he learned that Saul, Jonathan, and Saul's two other sons had fallen in battle, he hurried to the camp. He took Saul's remaining son, Ishbosheth, with him across the Jordan and made him king over all the people except the tribe of Judah. He established the royal court at Mahanaim, a name that means "the Camps" in Greek.

Abner then set out with a chosen force to fight the men of Judah, angry that the tribe had made David king. Joab, the general of David's army, met him as David had ordered. Joab was the son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and he brought his brothers Abishai and Asahel, along with David's armed men.

The two forces met by a spring at Gibeon and prepared to fight. Abner suggested that they test the courage of their soldiers. They agreed that twelve men from each side would fight. The chosen men stepped into the space between the armies, threw their spears at one another, then drew their swords and seized one another by the head. Each drove his sword into his opponent's side, and all of them died together.

After these men fell, the two armies fought a fierce battle. Abner's men were defeated. Joab did not stop when they began to flee. He urged his soldiers to pursue them closely and not tire of killing them. His brothers joined the pursuit, especially the youngest, Asahel, who was famous for running swiftly. He could outrun men and, it was said, had once beaten a horse in a race.

Asahel pursued Abner without turning from his path. Abner looked back and tried to make him stop. At times he urged Asahel to turn aside and take the armor of one of Abner's soldiers. When Asahel refused, Abner warned him to stop pursuing him, or he would be forced to kill him and would never be able to face Asahel's brother afterward. But Asahel would not listen. Abner struck him with the butt of his spear as he ran, piercing him with a fatal wound. Asahel died at once. The men chasing Abner stopped when they reached the place where Asahel's body lay and gathered around it.

Joab and Abishai ran past their brother's body. Angered by Asahel's death, they pursued Abner with even greater force and speed, following him as far as a place called Ammah. It was near sunset. Joab climbed a hill there with the tribe of Benjamin, and from the hill he watched them, along with Abner.

Abner called out that men of the same nation should not be driven to fight one another so bitterly. He said that Asahel had brought his death on himself by refusing to heed his warning. Joab accepted this explanation and sounded the trumpet to call his men back, stopping the pursuit. Joab camped there for the night, while Abner marched through the night, crossed the Jordan, and reached Ishbosheth at Mahanaim.

The next day, Joab counted the dead and arranged their burials. About three hundred and sixty of Abner's men had been killed. David's side had lost nineteen men, along with Asahel. Joab and Abishai carried Asahel's body to Bethlehem, buried him in the tomb of their ancestors, and then returned to David at Hebron.

From then on, civil war broke out and continued for a long time. David's followers grew stronger through the dangers they faced, while the servants and subjects of Saul's sons grew weaker almost every day.

Around this time, David had six sons by six different mothers. His eldest son, born to Ahinoam, was named Amnon. The second, Daniel, was born to his wife Abigail. His third son, Absalom, was born to Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. His fourth son, Adonijah, was born to Haggith. The fifth, Shephatiah, was born to Abital. His sixth son, Ithream, was born to Eglah.

While the civil war continued, the people of the two kings often met in battle. Abner's judgment and influence kept the people loyal to Ishbosheth for a considerable time. But later, Ishbosheth accused Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. Abner was deeply angered by the accusation, because he had served Ishbosheth with great loyalty and believed the king had treated him unjustly. He threatened to transfer the kingdom to David and show that Ishbosheth ruled the people east of the Jordan not by his own skill or judgment, but through Abner's military leadership and faithful service.

Abner sent messengers to Hebron to ask David for a sworn promise that David would regard him as a companion and friend. In return, Abner would persuade the people to abandon Saul's son and make David king over the whole country. David welcomed the proposal and made an agreement with Abner. He then asked Abner to give him one first proof of his good faith: that Michal, his wife, should be returned to him. David said he had won her at great risk, after bringing Saul her father six hundred heads of Philistines.

Abner took Michal from Phaltiel, who was then her husband, and sent her to David. Ishbosheth himself helped Abner do this, since David had written to him that Michal was rightfully his wife. Abner then called together the elders, commanders, and captains of thousands. He told them that he had once talked them out of leaving Ishbosheth and joining David, but that they were now free to do so if they wished. They knew, he said, that God had appointed David king over all the Hebrews through the prophet Samuel. Samuel had foretold that David would punish the Philistines, defeat them, and bring them under his rule.

When the elders and leaders heard Abner's words and saw that he now shared their earlier view of the public affairs, they changed their course and joined David. Abner also gathered the tribe of Benjamin, whose men guarded Ishbosheth's person, and spoke to them in the same way. When he saw that they did not oppose him and accepted his judgment, he took about twenty of his friends and went to David. He wanted to receive David's sworn promise in person, since people can trust more firmly what they arrange for themselves than what is arranged through another.

Abner also told David what he had said to the leaders and to the tribe of Benjamin. David received him kindly and treated him with great hospitality for several days. When Abner was ready to leave, he asked David to gather the people and come with him, so Abner could hand over the government in David's presence.

After David sent Abner away, Joab, the commander of his army, came to Hebron. He had heard that Abner had been with David and had just left after making an agreement to hand over the government. Joab feared that David would give Abner the highest position because he had helped him gain the kingdom. Abner was a shrewd man, skilled in understanding affairs and managing them at the right time. Joab worried that he himself would be demoted and lose command of the army, so he chose a treacherous and wicked course.

First, Joab tried to turn David against Abner. He warned the king to be on his guard and not to trust Abner's promise to help him. Abner's purpose, Joab said, was to strengthen Saul's son's rule. He had come with deceit and left in the hope of achieving his aim through trickery. But Joab could not persuade David, and he saw that the king was not angry with Abner. So he turned to a bolder plan and decided to kill him.

Joab sent messengers after Abner and ordered them to call him back in David's name. They were to tell him that David had something to discuss with him about his affairs, something he had forgotten to mention during their meeting. The messengers caught up with Abner at a place called Besira, about twenty furlongs from Hebron. Abner suspected no danger and returned with them.

Joab met him at the city gate and welcomed him warmly, as if he were Abner's close friend and well-wisher. Those who plan the worst deeds often make the greatest show of kindness to keep anyone from suspecting their purpose. Joab drew Abner away from his followers, pretending that he wanted to speak with him in private. He led him into an empty part of the gate, where Abishai was with him and no one else. Then Joab drew his sword and struck Abner in the groin. Abner died through Joab's treachery.

Joab said he had killed Abner to avenge his brother Asahel, whom Abner had struck down while Asahel pursued him in the battle near Hebron. But the real reason was Joab's fear of losing command of the army and his standing with the king. He feared that Abner would take the highest place in David's court and deprive him of his own advantages.

This example shows how far people will go to gain wealth and authority, or to keep from losing either one. When they want these things, they may win them through countless evil deeds. When they fear losing them, they may hold on through even worse actions. Once people gain power and grow used to its rewards, the thought of losing it becomes a great affliction. So they undertake the hardest and most dangerous deeds rather than give it up. These brief reflections are enough on that subject.

When David heard that Abner had been killed, he was grieved. He called on all the people to witness, raised his hands to God, and declared that he had no part in the murder and had neither ordered nor approved it. He called down the harshest curses on the man who had killed Abner and on his whole household. He also placed the same penalties on all who had helped with the murder. David took care to show that he had no part in the killing, since he had made promises to Abner and sworn an oath to him.

David ordered everyone to weep and mourn for Abner and to honor his body with the customary rites. They tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and wore it as they walked before the bier. David himself followed with the elders and leaders, lamenting Abner. His tears showed his goodwill toward him in life and his sorrow at his death, and made clear that Abner had not been killed with his consent.

David buried Abner with great honor at Hebron and composed funeral laments for him. He stood first beside the tomb and wept, and he urged the others to do the same. Abner's death affected him so greatly that his companions could not persuade him to eat. He swore that he would taste no food until sunset.

This conduct won the people's goodwill. Those who had loved Abner were greatly pleased by the respect David showed him after death and by the faith he had kept with him. David gave Abner all the customary funeral honors, as though he had been his relative and friend, and did not allow him to be neglected or buried dishonorably as an enemy. The whole nation rejoiced at the king's gentleness and mild nature. Each person believed that David would show the same care for them in similar circumstances, as they had seen him show at Abner's burial.

David also wanted to gain a good reputation, so he made sure to do what was right in this matter. As a result, no one suspected him of arranging Abner's death. He told the people that he was troubled by the death of so good a man and that the Hebrews had suffered a great loss. Abner had been able to protect them through his sound counsel and his strength in war. David added, "God, who sees all that people do, will not let this man go unpunished. But I cannot act against Joab and Abishai, the sons of Zeruiah, for they are stronger than I am. God will repay them for their violent deeds."

Such was the end of Abner's life.

CHAPTER 2

How David Received the Whole Kingdom After Ishbosheth Was Murdered by His Own Men

When Ishbosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died, he grieved over the loss of a kinsman who had secured the kingdom for him. Abner's death troubled him greatly. Ishbosheth himself did not live much longer. Two sons of Rimmon, Baanah and Rechab, treacherously attacked and killed him. They were Benjamites of high standing, and they thought that if they killed Ishbosheth, David would reward them with rich gifts and make them commanders, or give them some other position of trust.

One day, they found Ishbosheth alone and asleep at noon in an upper room. His guards were gone, and the woman who watched the door had fallen asleep, worn out by her work and the day's heat. The two men entered the room where Saul's son was sleeping and killed him. They cut off his head and traveled through the night and into the next day. They believed they were escaping from the man they had wronged and making their way to someone who would welcome their deed and protect them.

When they reached Hebron, they showed David Ishbosheth's head and presented themselves as his loyal supporters. They claimed to have killed his enemy and rival. But David was not pleased by what they had done. He said to them, "You wicked men, you will receive the punishment you deserve. Did you not know what I did to the man who killed Saul and brought me his gold crown? That man claimed he had done it as a favor, so Saul's enemies would not capture him. Do you think I have changed? Do you imagine I now approve of wicked men and welcome your vile deed? You murdered your master, a righteous man who had never harmed anyone and had treated you with kindness and respect. You killed him in his own bed, then expected me to be pleased. You will suffer the punishment he deserves and the penalty for killing Ishbosheth. You thought I would welcome his death, but you could not have brought greater shame on my honor."

After saying this, David had them tortured in every way and then put to death. He gave Ishbosheth's head the proper burial rites and laid it in Abner's grave.

After these events, all the leading men of the Hebrew people came to David at Hebron. They included commanders over thousands and other officials. They pledged their loyalty to him and reminded him that they had remained devoted to him during Saul's lifetime, even when David had been captain over a thousand men. They also said that the prophet Samuel had chosen David and his sons, at God's command. They declared that God had given David the power to save the Hebrew land and defeat the Philistines.

David welcomed their loyalty and urged them to remain faithful. He promised they would have no cause to regret their decision. After feasting them and treating them kindly, he sent them to gather the rest of the people.

About six thousand eight hundred armed men from the tribe of Judah came to him, carrying shields and spears. Until then, they had remained with Saul's son, while the rest of Judah had already made David their king. Seven thousand one hundred men also came from Simeon. The tribe of Levi sent four thousand seven hundred, led by Jehoiada. Zadok the high priest came with twenty-two commanders from his family.

Four thousand armed men came from Benjamin, though the rest of the tribe still hoped that someone from Saul's family would rule them. From Ephraim came twenty thousand eight hundred men, brave fighters known for their strength. Manasseh sent eighteen thousand of its strongest men.

Issachar sent two hundred men who understood what was likely to happen in the future, along with twenty thousand armed men. Zebulun sent fifty thousand chosen men. This was the only tribe that came in full support of David, and its men were equipped like those of Gad.

From Naphtali came one thousand leading men and officials, armed with shields and spears. The rest of the tribe followed, numbering nearly thirty-seven thousand. Dan sent twenty-seven thousand six hundred chosen men, and Asher sent forty thousand. From the two tribes east of the Jordan, along with the rest of Manasseh, came one hundred twenty thousand men armed with shields, spears, helmets, and swords. The other tribes also carried swords.

This great crowd came to David at Hebron, bringing plenty of grain, wine, and other food. Together, they made David king. The people celebrated in Hebron for three days. Then David and all the people moved to Jerusalem.

CHAPTER 3

How David Laid Siege to Jerusalem, Took the City, Drove Out the Canaanites, and Brought the Jews to Live There

The Jebusites, who lived in Jerusalem and were Canaanites by descent, shut the city gates. They placed blind, lame, and maimed people on the wall to mock the king, saying that even these lame people could keep him from entering the city. They did this because they despised David's power and trusted in the strength of their walls.

David was angered by their insult and began the siege of Jerusalem. He pressed the attack with all his strength and speed, intending to show his power by taking the city and to frighten anyone else who might oppose him in the same way. He captured the lower city by force, but the citadel continued to resist. Knowing that the promise of rank and rewards would spur his soldiers to greater deeds, the king declared that whoever first crossed the ditches beneath the citadel, climbed up to it, and captured it would be given command over all the people. Each man was eager to make the climb, and none thought the effort too great, since each hoped to gain the highest command. But Joab, the son of Zeruiah, outstripped the others. As soon as he reached the citadel, he called out to the king and claimed the command.

After David drove the Jebusites out of the citadel, he rebuilt Jerusalem, named it the City of David, and lived there for the rest of his reign. Before that, while he ruled only over the tribe of Judah from Hebron, he had reigned for seven years and six months.

Once David chose Jerusalem as his royal city, his affairs prospered more and more by God's providence. Hiram, king of Tyre, sent ambassadors to him and made a treaty of friendship and mutual aid. He also sent gifts of cedar trees, along with builders and skilled craftsmen, to build David a royal palace in Jerusalem.

David built around the lower city and joined it to the citadel, making the two one city. After enclosing the whole place with walls, he appointed Joab to oversee them. David was the first to drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem and name the city after himself. In the time of our forefather Abraham, it was called Salem, or Solyma. Some say Homer later called it Solyma, for he used that name for the temple, which in Hebrew means "security." From the war in which Joshua, our commander, defeated the Canaanites and divided their land among the Hebrews until David took Jerusalem by siege, the Canaanites could not be driven out of the city. That whole period lasted five hundred and fifteen years.

I will now speak of Araunah, a wealthy man among the Jebusites. David did not kill him during the siege of Jerusalem, because Araunah was well-disposed toward the Hebrews and especially kind and devoted to the king. I will have a better opportunity to tell of this a little later.

David also married other wives in addition to those he already had, and he took concubines. He had eleven sons: Amnon, Emnos, Eban, Nathan, Solomon, Jeban, Elien, Phalna, Ennaphen, Jenae, and Eliphale. He also had a daughter named Tamar. Nine of the sons were born to his wives, while the two named last were born to concubines. Tamar had the same mother as Absalom.

CHAPTER 4

After David Defeated the Philistines at Jerusalem, He Brought the Ark to the City and Planned to Build a Temple

When the Philistines learned that David had become king of the Hebrews, they went to war against him at Jerusalem. They took possession of the valley called the Valley of the Giants, a place not far from the city, and set up their camp there.

The king of the Jews never acted without prophecy, without seeking God's command, or without trusting in God to protect him in the future. So he asked the high priest to learn God's will and tell him what would happen in the battle. The priest foretold that David would win and gain control of the land. David then led his army against the Philistines. When the fighting began, he stayed behind his men, then suddenly attacked the enemy. He killed some and drove the rest into flight.

No one should think the Philistine army was small just because David defeated it so quickly, or suppose that its soldiers were slow or lacked courage because they accomplished nothing worth recording. All Syria and Phoenicia, along with many other nations, had come to help the Philistines, and those nations were skilled in war. This was the only reason the Philistines kept returning with larger armies, even after they had been defeated many times and had lost tens of thousands of men. After failing so often, they came against David with an army three times larger than before and camped in the same place.

The king of Israel again asked God what would happen in the battle. The high priest told him to keep his army in the groves called the Groves of Weeping, near the enemy camp. David was not to move or begin fighting until the trees began to stir without any wind. Once they moved, and the time God had foretold had come, he was to attack at once and claim the victory already prepared for him.

The enemy ranks could not withstand David's first attack. They retreated, and he pursued them, killing them as he went, all the way to the city of Gaza, which stood at the edge of their territory. David then plundered their camp and found great wealth there. He also destroyed their gods.

After this battle, David consulted with the elders, the rulers, and the commanders of thousands. He decided to summon the men in the prime of their lives from throughout his land, along with the priests and Levites, and send them to Kirjathjearim. They were to bring God's ark from that city to Jerusalem, keep it there, and offer the sacrifices and honors that pleased God. Had they done this during Saul's reign, they would not have suffered such great misfortunes.

When the people had gathered as planned, the king went to the ark. The priests brought it out of the house of Aminadab and placed it on a new cart. Their kinsmen and children were allowed to guide it, along with the oxen. David went before the ark, followed by the whole crowd. They sang hymns to God and songs of every kind, played musical instruments, danced, sang psalms, and sounded trumpets and cymbals. In this way, they brought the ark toward Jerusalem.

When they reached the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah was struck dead by God's anger. The oxen shook the ark, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady it. But he was not a priest, and he had touched the ark, so God struck him down. David and the people were upset by Uzzah's death. The place where he died was still called the Breach of Uzzah in the author's day.

David was afraid. He thought that if he brought the ark into the city, he might suffer the same fate as Uzzah, who had died simply for reaching out his hand to it. So he did not take the ark into Jerusalem. Instead, he brought it to the house of a righteous man named Obededom, a Levite by birth, and left it there for three full months.

The ark brought great blessings to Obededom's household. When the king heard that Obededom, once poor and of low status, had become prosperous and was the envy of all who saw or asked about his house, David took courage. He hoped no harm would come to him, so he brought the ark to his own house. The priests carried it, and seven companies of singers, arranged by the king, went before it. David played the harp and joined in the music. When his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, Israel's first king, saw him, she laughed at him.

After the ark was brought inside, the people placed it beneath the tabernacle David had prepared for it. He offered costly sacrifices and peace offerings, then gave food to the whole crowd. He gave each woman, man, and child a loaf of bread, a cake, and another cake baked in a pan, along with a portion of the sacrifice. When the people had eaten, he sent them home and returned to his own house.

Michal, David's wife and Saul's daughter, came to him and wished him every happiness. She prayed that God would grant him anything else he might desire and show him favor. Yet she criticized him for dancing in a way she considered unbecoming to a king, exposing himself among the servants and maids.

David answered that he was not ashamed to do what pleased God, who had chosen him over her father and everyone else. He said he would keep playing and dancing, no matter what Michal or the maids thought of him.

Michal had no children while she was David's wife. Later, however, she was married to the man Saul her father had given her to, for David had taken her away from him and made her his own wife. She bore five children. I will speak about these matters in the proper place.

When David saw that his affairs prospered more with each passing day by God's will, he thought it would offend God if he lived in tall cedar houses, decorated with fine workmanship, while the ark remained in a tabernacle. He wanted to build a temple for God, as Moses had foretold that one would be built.

David discussed his plan with Nathan the prophet. Nathan encouraged him to do whatever he wished, since God was with him and helped him in all things. This made David even more eager to begin the work. But that very night, God appeared to Nathan and told him to speak to David.

God said that he accepted David's purpose and desire, since no one before him had thought to build a temple. Yet David himself would not be allowed to build it. He had fought many wars and was stained by the blood of his enemies. After David's death, when he had grown old and lived a long life, one of his sons would take the throne and build the temple. His name would be Solomon. God promised to care for Solomon as a father cares for his son, preserve the kingdom for his descendants, and pass it on to them. But if Solomon sinned, God would punish him with disease and barren land.

When David heard the prophet's message, he rejoiced. He had learned that his descendants would keep the kingdom and that his house would become great and famous. He went to the ark, fell on his face, and worshiped God. He thanked him for all the blessings he had already received, for raising him from a humble life as a shepherd to great power and honor, and for what he had promised his descendants. He also thanked God for the care he had shown the Hebrews by giving them their freedom. After speaking these words and singing a hymn of praise, David went away.

CHAPTER 5

How David Defeated the Philistines, Moabites, the Kings of Sophene and Damascus, the Syrians, and the Idumeans; How He Made a League with the King of Hamath; and How He Remembered the Friendship of Jonathan, Saul's Son

A short time later, David decided to wage war against the Philistines. He would allow no idleness or neglect in governing, for God had foretold that once David defeated his enemies, his descendants would rule in peace. So David called his army together again, ordered the men to prepare for war, and, once he was satisfied that all was ready, left Jerusalem and marched against the Philistines. He defeated them in battle, took a large part of their territory, and added it to the land of the Hebrews.

Then he turned against the Moabites. After defeating two parts of their army, he took the remaining part captive and imposed an annual tribute on them.

Next, he made war on Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Sophene. They met in battle at the Euphrates River. David killed twenty thousand of Hadadezer's foot soldiers and about seven thousand of his horsemen. He also captured a thousand chariots, destroyed most of them, and ordered that only one hundred be kept.

When Hadad, king of Damascus and Syria, heard that David was fighting Hadadezer, his ally, he came to help him with a large army, hoping to rescue him. They met David in battle at the Euphrates, but Hadad failed in his purpose and lost many soldiers. Twenty thousand of his men were killed, and the rest fled.

Nicelens of Damascus also mentions this king in the fourth book of his histories. He writes: "Long after these events, a man named Hadad rose to great power in that country. He ruled Damascus and the other parts of Syria, except Phoenicia. He made war on David, king of Judea, and fought him in many battles. In the last battle, at the Euphrates, he was defeated. He was considered the strongest and bravest of all their kings."

Nicelens also writes of Hadad's descendants: "After Hadad died, his descendants ruled for ten generations. Each successor inherited both his kingdom and his name from his father, as the Ptolemies did in Egypt. The third king was the strongest of them all. He wanted to avenge his ancestor's defeat, so he invaded the Jews and laid waste to the city now called Samaria."

Nicelens was right about this. The Hadad he describes was the one who invaded Samaria during the reign of Ahab, king of Israel. We will speak of him at the proper time.

After David had campaigned against Damascus and the other parts of Syria, bringing the whole region under his rule, he placed garrisons there and required the people to pay tribute. Then he returned home.

He dedicated to God in Jerusalem the golden quivers and all the armor worn by Hadad's guards. Shishak, king of Egypt, later took these things, along with much other wealth, when he fought David's grandson Rehoboam. We will explain this more fully at the proper time.

God gave David success in his wars. David also marched against the chief cities of Hadadezer, Betah and Machen. He captured them by force and laid them waste. There he found a great quantity of gold and silver, as well as a kind of bronze said to be more valuable than gold. Solomon later used this bronze to make the great vessel called the Brazen Sea and the finely made basins for God's temple.

When the king of Hamath heard that Hadadezer had been defeated and his army destroyed, he feared that David might attack him next. So he decided to make a treaty of friendship and loyalty with David. He sent his son Joram to David, thanked him for fighting against Hadadezer, his enemy, and proposed a pact of mutual aid and friendship. He also sent gifts: vessels of ancient workmanship made of gold, silver, and bronze.

The king of Hamath was named Toi. David made a pact of mutual aid with him and accepted the gifts. Then he sent Toi's son home with the respect due to both kings. David dedicated Toi's gifts to God, along with the gold and silver he had taken from the cities he conquered.

God gave David victory when he led his own army into battle, and he also gave victory to Abishai, brother of Joab, the commander of David's forces. David had sent Abishai with an army into Idumea, where he defeated eighteen thousand men. Afterward, David placed garrisons throughout Idumea and collected tribute from the land and from its people.

David was a just man who stood by the truth. Joab commanded his whole army, and Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, served as recorder. David appointed Zadok, of the family of Phinehas, as high priest alongside Abiathar, who was his friend. He made Seisan the scribe and placed Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, in charge of his bodyguards. David's elder sons were also near him and helped protect him.

David remembered the covenant and oaths he had made with Jonathan, son of Saul, and the friendship and affection Jonathan had shown him. Along with all his other fine qualities, David never forgot those who had helped him. He ordered that an inquiry be made to learn whether anyone from Jonathan's family was still alive. He wanted to repay the friendship Jonathan had shown him, a debt he still remembered.

One of Saul's freedmen was brought before him. The man knew which members of Saul's family were still living. David asked whether anyone from Jonathan's family remained who could receive repayment for Jonathan's kindness. The man told him that Jonathan had a living son named Mephibosheth, but that he was lame in both feet. When Mephibosheth's nurse heard that his father and grandfather had died in battle, she had picked him up and fled. He fell from her shoulders, and his feet were injured.

After learning where Mephibosheth lived and who had raised him, David sent messengers to Machir in the city of Lodebar, where Jonathan's son had been brought up, and asked that he be brought to the king.

When Mephibosheth came before David, he fell on his face and bowed. David encouraged him, told him not to be afraid, and promised that his fortunes would improve. He gave him his father's house and all the property that had belonged to his grandfather Saul. He also ordered Mephibosheth to eat at his table every day and never to miss a meal there.

Mephibosheth bowed again in response to David's words and gifts. Then David summoned Ziba and told him that he had given Mephibosheth his father's house and all of Saul's property. David ordered Ziba to farm the land, care for it, and bring its produce to Jerusalem.

From then on, David had Mephibosheth eat at his table every day and assigned Ziba, his fifteen sons, and his twenty servants to care for him. After David had given these orders, Ziba bowed and promised to do everything the king had commanded. Mephibosheth then lived in Jerusalem and ate at the king's table, where David cared for him as a son. Mephibosheth had a son of his own, whom he named Micha.

CHAPTER 6

How the War Against the Ammonites Was Fought and Brought to a Successful End

This was how David honored those who remained of Saul and Jonathan's family. Around this time, Nahash, king of the Ammonites and a friend of David, died. His son took his place on the throne, and David sent messengers to offer his sympathy. He urged the new king to bear his father's death patiently and assured him that he would show him the same kindness he had shown Nahash.

The Ammonite princes took David's message badly. They urged their king to distrust it, claiming that David had sent the messengers to spy on the land and learn its strength under the pretense of offering comfort. They warned him not to believe David's words, lest he be deceived and brought to ruin.

Nahash's son believed his princes, though their suspicions went beyond the truth. He treated David's messengers with great cruelty. He shaved off half of each man's beard, cut away half of their garments, and sent his reply through these acts rather than with words. When David heard what had happened, he was angered. He made it clear that he would not overlook this insult and would go to war against the Ammonites to avenge the shameful treatment of his messengers.

The Ammonite king's advisers and commanders understood that they had broken their agreement with David and could be punished for it. They prepared for war and sent a thousand talents to the Syrian king of Mesopotamia, seeking his help in return for payment, along with Shobach. These kings had twenty thousand foot soldiers. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maacah and another king, named Ishtob, who brought twelve thousand armed men.

David was not alarmed by this alliance or by the size of the Ammonite forces. Trusting in God, and knowing that he was fighting for a just cause after the insult to his messengers, he sent Joab, commander of his army, against them with the best of his soldiers. Joab camped near Rabbah, the Ammonite capital.

The enemy came out to meet him, but they formed two separate groups. Their allies took up positions in the open country, while the Ammonites stood before the city gates, facing the Israelites. When Joab saw their arrangement, he formed his own plan. He chose his strongest soldiers and placed them against the Syrian king and the kings allied with him. He gave the rest of his troops to his brother Abishai and ordered him to face the Ammonites.

Joab told Abishai that if the Syrians proved too strong and began to overpower him, Abishai should turn his troops to help. Joab promised to do the same if the Ammonites threatened Abishai. He sent his brother ahead, urging him to fight bravely and with courage, so their enemies would fear the shame of defeat and stand firm in battle.

Abishai went to fight the Ammonites, while Joab attacked the Syrians. The enemy resisted fiercely for a time, but Joab killed many of them and drove the rest to flight. When the Ammonites saw this, and feared Abishai and his army, they also fled into the city. After defeating the enemy, Joab returned joyfully to Jerusalem and reported to the king.

The defeat did not persuade the Ammonites to make peace or accept that their enemies had overcome them. Instead, they sent for Chalaman, king of the Syrians beyond the Euphrates, and hired him to fight for them. His army was led by Shobach and included eighty thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand horsemen.

When the king of Israel learned that the Ammonites had gathered another great army, he decided to lead the campaign himself rather than leave the fighting to his generals. He crossed the Jordan with his whole army, met the enemy in battle, and defeated them. He killed forty thousand of their foot soldiers and seven thousand horsemen. He also wounded Shobach, commander of Chalaman's forces, and Shobach later died of his wound.

After the battle, the people of Mesopotamia surrendered to David and sent him gifts. At the start of winter, David returned to Jerusalem. When spring came, he sent Joab, commander of his army, against the Ammonites. Joab swept through their country, laid it waste, drove them into their capital, Rabbah, and besieged them there.

CHAPTER 7

How David Fell in Love with Bathsheba and Had Her Husband Uriah Killed, and How Nathan Rebuked Him

David now fell into a grievous sin, although by nature he was a righteous and religious man who faithfully observed the laws of his ancestors. Late one evening, as he walked along the roof of his royal palace, as he often did at that hour, he saw a woman bathing in her house. She was extraordinarily beautiful, more beautiful than any other woman. Her name was Bathsheba. Overcome by her beauty, David could not restrain his desire. He sent for her and lay with her.

Bathsheba conceived and sent word to the king, asking him to find a way to hide her sin. According to the laws of their ancestors, a woman guilty of adultery was to be put to death. So the king sent for Uriah, one of Joab's soldiers and Bathsheba's husband, who had been serving in the siege. When Uriah arrived, the king asked him about the army and the siege. Uriah replied that all was going well. David then took some food from his own supper, gave it to him, and told him to go home and rest with his wife.

Uriah did not do so. Instead, he slept near the king with the other soldiers. When David heard this, he asked why Uriah had not gone home to his wife after such a long absence, as men usually did after returning from a journey. Uriah answered that it would be wrong for him to rest and enjoy his wife while his fellow soldiers and their commander slept on the ground in a camp in enemy territory.

After hearing this, the king told Uriah to stay another night, saying he would send him back to the commander the next day. David invited him to supper and cleverly gave him so much wine that he became drunk. Even then, Uriah showed no desire to go to his wife. He slept at the king's gates.

David was angry with him. He wrote a letter to Joab, ordering him to punish Uriah for offending the king. David also explained how he wanted the punishment carried out, so no one would discover that he was responsible for it. Joab was to place Uriah where the enemy's forces were strongest and the danger greatest, then order the other soldiers to withdraw and leave Uriah exposed. David sealed the letter and gave it to Uriah to deliver to Joab.

When Joab received the letter and understood the king's plan, he placed Uriah where he knew the enemy would be most dangerous. He assigned some of the army's best soldiers to fight beside him and said that he would bring the full force of the army to help them, hoping they might break through the wall and enter the city. Joab urged Uriah to accept the difficult task without complaint. He reminded him that he was a brave soldier, respected for his courage by both the king and his countrymen.

Uriah eagerly accepted the assignment. But Joab secretly told the soldiers who were to accompany him to withdraw when they saw the enemy charge. When the Hebrews attacked the city, the Ammonites feared that their enemy might reach the walls and climb into the city, especially at the place where Uriah had been stationed. They sent their best soldiers to the front, suddenly opened the gates, and charged with great force.

When Uriah's companions saw the enemy advance, they retreated as Joab had ordered. Uriah was ashamed to abandon his post. He stood his ground, met the attack, and killed many of the enemy. But they surrounded him, and he was killed, along with several of his companions.

After this, Joab sent messengers to the king. He told them to report that he had done all he could to take the city quickly, but that the army had been forced to retreat with heavy losses when it attacked the wall. He also instructed them to tell David, if they saw that he was angry, that Uriah had been killed.

When David heard the report, he was displeased. He said they had acted foolishly by attacking the wall directly. They should have tried to take the city by digging beneath it or using other military plans. He reminded them of Abimelech, Gideon's son, who had tried to capture the tower at Thebez by force and was killed when an old woman threw a large stone at him. Though he was a mighty warrior, he had died shamefully because he had chosen a dangerous way to attack. The soldiers should remember what had happened in earlier wars, David said, and learn from both success and failure. That was the best way to avoid the same dangers and win future battles.

While David was still speaking in anger, the messenger told him that Uriah had also been killed. David's anger then subsided. He told the messenger to return to Joab and say that such misfortune was common in war. Sometimes one side prevailed, and sometimes the other. Joab was to continue the siege and take care that no further disaster befell him. The army should build siege ramps and use machines against the city. Once they had taken it, they were to tear down its foundations and destroy all who lived there.

The messenger delivered the king's words to Joab and hurried back to him. Bathsheba, meanwhile, learned that her husband was dead and mourned him for many days. When the time of mourning had passed and her tears for Uriah had ended, David took her as his wife. She bore him a son.

God was displeased with this marriage and angry with David. He appeared to the prophet Nathan in a dream and spoke against the king. Nathan was a wise and gentle man. Knowing that kings in anger often follow their passions instead of justice, he chose not to begin by telling David of God's threats. Instead, he spoke to him in a calm and friendly way.

Nathan asked the king to judge a case. "There were two men living in the same city," he said. "One was rich, and the other was poor. The rich man had many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, but the poor man owned only one ewe lamb. He raised her with his children, fed her from his own table, and loved her as if she were his daughter.

"One day a traveler came to the rich man's house. The rich man would not take a sheep or an ox from his own flocks to prepare a meal for his guest. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb, killed it, and served it to the traveler."

The story greatly angered David. He told Nathan, "The man who did this is wicked. He must repay the lamb four times over, and he deserves to die."

Nathan immediately answered that David himself was the man who deserved that punishment. David, he said, had committed a terrible crime. Nathan told him of God's anger: God had made him king over the army of the Hebrews and ruler over the surrounding nations. God had rescued him from Saul and given him wives whom he had lawfully married. Yet David had shown contempt for God and insulted him by taking another man's wife and exposing her husband to the enemy, where he was killed.

Because of these acts, Nathan said, God would punish David. One of his sons would violate his wives, and that same son would treacherously take the throne from him. Though David had committed his sin in secret, his punishment would be carried out in public. "And the child born to you by Bathsheba," Nathan said, "will soon die."

David was shaken and deeply troubled by Nathan's words. In tears, he confessed that he had sinned. He had been a religious man and, apart from what he had done in Uriah's case, had committed no other sin in his life. God took pity on him and was reconciled with him. Because David had repented, God promised to spare his life and preserve his kingdom. After delivering this prophecy, Nathan returned home.

Still, God sent a dangerous illness upon the child David had fathered with Uriah's wife. David was distraught and refused food for seven days, though his servants urged him to eat. He dressed in black, put on sackcloth, fell to the ground, and prayed to God to heal the child. He loved the child's mother greatly.

On the seventh day, the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him. They thought that, if he had grieved so bitterly while the child was sick, he would be even less willing to eat or care for himself once he knew the child was dead. But David noticed that his servants were distressed and seemed to be hiding something. He understood that the child had died. He called one of them over, and when the servant confirmed it, David rose, washed, put on a clean garment, and went to God's tabernacle. He then ordered a meal to be served.

His family and servants were surprised. When the child had been sick, David had fasted and mourned, but after the child died, he washed, went to the tabernacle, and ate. They first asked his permission to speak, then begged him to explain his conduct.

David told them they had not understood. While the child was alive, he had hoped God might heal him, so he had done what he could to win God's favor. Once the child had died, there was no reason to keep grieving, since nothing could bring him back. His family and servants praised his wisdom and understanding.

Afterward, David went to Bathsheba, his wife. She conceived and bore a son. At the prophet Nathan's command, they named him Solomon.

Joab had greatly weakened the Ammonites during the siege. He cut off their water and other supplies until they suffered from severe hunger and thirst. They had only one small well, and they were afraid to draw too much water for fear it would run dry. Joab wrote to the king and reported their condition. He urged David to come and take the city himself, so he could claim the victory.

When David received Joab's letter, he accepted it as a sign of Joab's loyalty. He gathered his army and marched to Rabbah. After capturing the city by force, David gave it to his soldiers to plunder. He took the crown from the Ammonite king for himself. It weighed a talent of gold and had a precious stone called a sardonyx set in the middle. David wore that crown on his own head from then on. He also found many splendid and costly objects in the city.

As for the people, David tortured them and then put them to death. He captured the other Ammonite cities by force and treated their people in the same way.

CHAPTER 8

How Absalom Killed Amnon After Amnon Forced His Sister, and How Absalom Was Banished and Later Recalled by David

After the king returned to Jerusalem, a great sorrow came upon his household. David had a daughter named Tamar, who was still a virgin and so beautiful that she surpassed all other women. She and Absalom had the same mother. Amnon, David's eldest son, fell in love with her. Since her virginity and the watch kept over her prevented him from getting what he wanted, his desire consumed him. He grew thin, and his face changed.

A kinsman and friend of Amnon named Jonadab saw what was happening. He was a very wise man, with a keen mind. Each morning, when he noticed that Amnon looked unwell, he asked what troubled him. He suspected that love was the cause. Amnon admitted that he loved Tamar, his half sister, who shared his father but not his mother.

Jonadab then advised him how he might get his way. He told Amnon to pretend to be sick. When David came to visit, Amnon should ask him to send Tamar to care for him. If she came, Jonadab said, Amnon would soon recover.

Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, just as Jonadab had advised. When David came and asked how he was, Amnon begged him to send Tamar. David ordered her to go to him. When she arrived, Amnon asked her to make cakes and fry them in a pan with her own hands, saying he would enjoy food from her more than from anyone else.

Tamar mixed the flour in front of her brother, made the cakes, baked them, and brought them to him. But Amnon refused to eat. Instead, he ordered his servants to leave the room, saying he wanted to rest without noise or interruption. Once they had gone, he asked Tamar to bring the meal into the inner room. When she did, he seized her and tried to make her lie with him.

Tamar cried out, "No, brother, don't force me. Don't commit this wicked act or bring shame upon yourself. Put away this impure desire. It will bring nothing but disgrace upon our family." She also urged him to speak to their father, saying David might allow them to marry. She said this only to escape her brother's violence.

But Amnon would not listen. Blinded by his desire, he forced his sister. As soon as he had done so, he turned against her. He spoke harshly to her and ordered her to get up and leave.

Tamar told him that this new cruelty was worse than what he had already done. After forcing her, he would not even let her stay until evening. Instead, he was sending her away in broad daylight, when people could see her and know her shame. Amnon ordered one of his servants to drive her out.

Grieving over the violence done to her, Tamar tore the long robe she wore. In those days, unmarried women wore such robes, with sleeves tied at the hands and hems reaching to the ankles, so that the garments beneath them would not be seen. She put ashes on her head and walked through the middle of the city, crying out and lamenting what had happened.

Her brother Absalom met her and asked what sorrow had come upon her. When she told him how Amnon had wronged her, Absalom comforted her and urged her to be quiet and bear it patiently. He told her not to think of what her brother had done as an injury. Tamar followed his advice. She stopped crying out and telling the people what had happened, and for a long time she lived like a widow in Absalom's house.

When David heard what Amnon had done, he was deeply troubled. But because Amnon was his eldest son and David loved him greatly, he could not bring himself to punish him. Absalom, however, waited for the right chance to avenge the crime, for he hated Amnon with all his heart.

Two years after Amnon had wronged Tamar, Absalom was preparing to shear his sheep at Baal-hazor, in the territory of Ephraim. He invited his father and brothers to come and feast with him. David excused himself, saying he did not wish to burden Absalom. Absalom then asked him to send his brothers instead, and David agreed.

Absalom told his servants that when they saw Amnon drunk and drowsy with wine, they were to wait for his signal and kill him. He ordered them not to be afraid of anyone.

The servants did as Absalom had commanded. His other brothers were shocked and afraid, and they feared for their own lives. They quickly mounted their horses and rode back to their father.

Before they arrived, someone brought David the false report that Absalom had killed all his sons. David was overcome with grief, believing that so many of his children had been slaughtered at once, and by their own brother. The thought that Absalom had killed them made his sorrow even greater. He did not ask how such a terrible thing had happened or wait to hear more, though the report was so grave that it deserved to be questioned. He tore his clothes, threw himself to the ground, and mourned all his sons, both those he believed dead and the one he thought had killed them.

Then Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, urged him not to give himself over to grief. He said he did not believe the other sons had been killed, since there was no reason to think so. But Amnon's death, he said, should be investigated, for Absalom might well have killed him because of the wrong he had done to Tamar.

Just then, the sound of horses and the noise of people approaching drew everyone's attention. They were the king's sons, who had fled from the feast. David met them in their sorrow and grieved with them. He had expected never to see them again after hearing that they had been killed. Now both they and their father wept: they mourned their murdered brother, and David mourned his son.

Absalom fled to Geshur, where his mother's father was king, and remained there for three full years.

David wanted to send for Absalom, not to punish him, but to bring him home. With time, his anger had faded. Joab, the commander of the army, was the one who persuaded him to act. Joab arranged for an elderly woman to come before the king in mourning clothes. She told him this story:

"Your servant had two sons who quarreled. Their dispute grew into an open fight, and one struck the other and killed him. Now my relatives want me to hand over the son who killed his brother so they can put him to death. If they do, I will lose the only child I have left to care for me in my old age. Please protect him from them. They will not give up unless they fear your authority."

The king agreed to help her. Then she replied, "I thank you for showing kindness to an old woman and keeping me from losing my only remaining son. But to prove that your kindness is sincere, first make peace with your own son and stop being angry with him. How can I believe you have granted my request while you still treat your son in the same way? It would be foolish to add another son to the one who is already dead, when the other death came about without your consent."

The king realized that Joab had arranged the story. After questioning the woman, he learned that this was indeed the case. He sent for Joab and told him that he had obtained what he wanted. Then he ordered him to bring Absalom back, for he was no longer angry with him.

Joab bowed before the king, accepted his words, and went at once to Geshur. He brought Absalom back with him to Jerusalem.

Before Absalom arrived, however, the king sent word that he must go to his own house. David was not yet ready to receive him in person. Absalom obeyed his father's command and stayed away from the king, content to be honored by the members of his own household.

His beauty had not faded, despite his grief and the lack of care he might have received while away from the king's house. He was taller and more striking than other men, even those who lived in great comfort and ate well. His hair was so thick that it had to be cut every eight days with difficulty. It weighed two hundred shekels, or five pounds.

Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years. He had three sons and a daughter, who was very beautiful. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, later married her, and she gave birth to a son named Abijah.

Absalom sent for Joab and asked him to win his father's favor completely and to ask David to let him come and speak with him. But Joab ignored the request. Absalom then sent some of his servants to set fire to the field next to Joab's property.

When Joab heard what had happened, he came to Absalom and accused him of burning the field. He asked why he had done it. Absalom answered, "I found a way to make you come to me, since you have ignored the task I gave you. I asked you to make peace between my father and me. Now that you are here, I ask you again to persuade him to receive me. Living here while my father's anger remains is worse than being in exile."

Joab was moved by Absalom's distress and agreed to speak to the king on his behalf. After meeting with David, Joab soon persuaded him to welcome Absalom. David sent for his son. Absalom came before him, fell to the ground, and begged forgiveness for his offenses. The king lifted him up and promised to put the past behind them.

CHAPTER 9

The Rebellion of Absalom Against David; Ahithophel and Hushai; Ziba and Shimei; and Ahithophel's Death

After gaining the king's favor, Absalom quickly gathered many horses and chariots. He also had fifty armed men run before him. Each morning, he went to the king's palace and spoke kindly to those who came seeking justice but lost their cases. He suggested that this happened because the king lacked good counselors or because the judges had made mistakes in their rulings. In this way, he won the people's goodwill. He told them that if he had authority, he would judge their cases fairly.

Once he believed he had secured the people's support, Absalom approached David, four years after his father had made peace with him. He asked permission to go to Hebron and offer a sacrifice to God, saying he had made a vow while living in exile. David granted his request. Absalom went to Hebron, where a large crowd soon gathered. He had sent word to many people to come.

Ahithophel of Gilo, one of David's counselors, came among them. Two hundred men from Jerusalem also arrived, though they knew nothing of Absalom's intentions and had been invited only to attend a sacrifice. There, Absalom was proclaimed king. He had won the throne by this deception.

When word reached David, he was shaken by what his son had done. He had not expected such a treacherous act, especially so soon after forgiving Absalom. Now his son had taken up an even more wicked plan: first, to seize the kingdom God had given David, and then to kill his own father. David decided to flee beyond the Jordan. He called his closest friends together and told them what he had heard about Absalom's rebellion. He placed his cause in God's hands, asking God to judge their actions.

David left the care of the royal palace to his ten concubines and departed from Jerusalem. The people went with him willingly, including the six hundred armed men who had followed him since his first flight from Saul. Abiathar and Zadok, the high priests, had planned to leave with him, along with the Levites who carried the Ark. David persuaded them to stay, trusting that God could save him without the Ark being moved. He asked them to send him secret reports about what was happening. Their sons, Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, would serve as his messengers.

Ittai the Gittite also went with David, despite David's efforts to persuade him to stay. This made Ittai's loyalty all the clearer. As David climbed the Mount of Olives barefoot, followed by his weeping companions, someone told him that Ahithophel had joined Absalom. The news deepened David's grief. He earnestly prayed that God would turn Absalom away from Ahithophel, for David feared that the counselor would persuade his son to follow dangerous advice. Ahithophel was wise and quick to recognize what would work to his advantage.

When David reached the top of the mountain, he looked toward the city and prayed to God with many tears, believing he had already lost his kingdom. There he met Hushai, a loyal friend, whose clothes were torn and whose head was covered with ashes as he mourned the turn of events. David comforted him and urged him to stop grieving. Then he asked Hushai to return to Absalom and pretend to be on his side. Hushai was to learn Absalom's private plans and oppose Ahithophel's counsel. David told him that he could do more good by staying with Absalom than by accompanying him. Hushai agreed and returned to Jerusalem. Absalom arrived there soon afterward.

After David had gone some distance, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, met him. David had sent Ziba to care for the property he had given Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. Ziba brought two donkeys loaded with food and offered David and his followers whatever they needed.

The king asked where Mephibosheth was. Ziba replied that he had stayed in Jerusalem, hoping to be chosen king amid the confusion, in memory of the kindness Saul had shown his family. David was greatly angered by this report. He gave Ziba all the property he had previously granted to Mephibosheth, deciding that Ziba deserved it more. Ziba was delighted.

When David reached Bahurim, a man named Shimei, a relative of Saul, came out and threw stones at him, shouting insults. David's companions gathered around him to protect him, but Shimei continued to curse him. He called David a murderer and the cause of every kind of evil. He told him to leave the land, calling him impure and accursed. Shimei thanked God for taking the kingdom from David and punishing him for the wrongs he had done to Saul, saying that David's own son had brought this punishment upon him.

David's men were furious, especially Abishai, who wanted to kill Shimei. But David held them back.

"Do not add another misfortune to the ones we already face," he said. "I pay no attention to this mad dog who rages at me. I submit to God, who has allowed him to treat me this way. It is no surprise that I must endure such insults from him when even my own wicked son has turned against me. Perhaps God will take pity on us. If it is his will, we will overcome them."

David continued on without stopping to answer Shimei. Shimei ran along the opposite side of the mountain, hurling insults as he went. When David reached the Jordan, he allowed his exhausted followers to rest.

Absalom and his counselor Ahithophel arrived in Jerusalem with the people. Hushai, David's friend, came to meet them. He bowed before Absalom and wished him a long and lasting reign.

Absalom asked him, "Why has the man who was so close to my father and served him faithfully left him now and come over to me?"

Hushai answered with care. "We should follow God and the people. Since they are with you, my lord and king, it is right for me to follow them. God has given you the kingdom. If you consider me your friend, I will show you the same loyalty and kindness I showed your father. You have no reason to be displeased with what has happened. The kingdom has not passed to another family. It remains in the same house, because the son has received it from his father."

Absalom had suspected Hushai, but this answer persuaded him. He then called for Ahithophel and asked what he should do. Ahithophel advised him to lie with his father's concubines. He said the act would convince the people that Absalom's quarrel with his father could never be settled. Then they would fight David with greater courage, because until then they had feared openly opposing him in case father and son made peace.

Absalom accepted the advice. He ordered his servants to set up a tent on the roof of the royal palace, where the people could see, and he went in to his father's concubines. This took place as Nathan had foretold when he prophesied that David's son would rebel against him.

After Absalom had followed Ahithophel's first counsel, he asked him what to do about the war against David. Ahithophel asked for ten thousand chosen men. He promised to kill David and bring the soldiers back safely. He said the kingdom would be secure once David was dead.

Absalom liked this plan. He called Hushai, whom he still described as David's friend, told him Ahithophel's advice, and asked for his opinion. Hushai understood that if Absalom followed Ahithophel's counsel, David could be captured and killed. So he offered a different plan.

"You know your father's courage, O king, and the courage of the men with him. He has fought many wars and always won. He will probably not stay in the camp, for he is skilled at making plans and at seeing through the tricks of his enemies. Instead, he will leave his men at night and hide in a valley or set an ambush near a rocky place. When our army meets his, his men may retreat for a while, then attack again when they see their king nearby. Meanwhile, your father may suddenly appear in the battle and give his men courage when they are in danger, while your own men lose heart.

"Think over my advice. If you agree that it is better, reject Ahithophel's plan. Send word throughout the land of the Hebrews and call everyone to fight your father. Then lead the army yourself. Do not entrust the war to another man. You will easily defeat him when you meet him in the open with only a few followers, while you have tens of thousands eager to show you their loyalty and courage. If your father takes shelter in a city and withstands a siege, we will bring it down with war machines and by digging beneath its walls."

Hushai's plan prevailed over Ahithophel's. Absalom preferred it, but it was God who made Hushai's counsel seem best to him.

Hushai hurried to the high priests, Zadok and Abiathar. He told them both Ahithophel's plan and his own, and said Absalom had decided to follow the latter. He urged them to send word to David, tell him what had been decided, and warn him to cross the Jordan at once. Absalom might change his mind and pursue David before he reached safety.

The high priests had hidden their sons in a place outside the city so they could carry news to David. They sent a trusted servant woman to them with word of Absalom's plans and ordered them to deliver it quickly. The young men obeyed their fathers without delay. They knew that speed was the surest sign of faithful service, so they hurried to find David and report everything to him.

Some horsemen spotted them when they were about two furlongs from the city and told Absalom. He immediately sent men to capture them. When the two young men saw their pursuers, they left the road and went to a village called Bahurim. There, they asked a woman to hide them. She lowered them into a well by a rope and covered the opening with wool.

When the men pursuing them arrived and asked whether she had seen the young men, she did not deny it. She said they had stayed with her for a while but had already gone. She added that if the pursuers followed at once, they might catch them. The men searched for a long time but failed to find them, then returned. Once the woman saw that the danger had passed, she pulled the young men from the well and sent them on their way.

They hurried to David and told him all of Absalom's plans. David ordered his followers to cross the Jordan during the night without delay.

When Ahithophel learned that Absalom had rejected his advice, he mounted his donkey and rode home to Gilo. He gathered his family and plainly told them what he had advised Absalom to do. Since Absalom had refused his counsel, Ahithophel said, he would surely be defeated before long, and David would regain his kingdom. He said it was better to take his own life freely and with courage than to wait for David to punish him, since he had acted against David only to help Absalom.

After speaking to his family, Ahithophel went into the innermost room of his house and hanged himself. So ended the life of Ahithophel, who had judged himself worthy of death. His relatives took him down and buried him.

As mentioned earlier, David crossed the Jordan and came to Mahanaim, a fine and strongly defended city. The leading men of the region welcomed him warmly. They were ashamed that he had been forced to flee Jerusalem, and they still respected him for the greatness he had shown in the past. Among those who came to his aid were Barzillai the Gileadite, Siphar, a leader of the Ammonites, and Machir, a leading man of Gilead.

They brought abundant supplies for David and his followers. They provided beds, blankets, bread, wine, and many animals for food. They also gave them whatever they needed to rest and recover from their journey.

CHAPTER 10

How Absalom Was Defeated, Caught by His Hair in a Tree, and Killed

This was the state of David and his followers. Absalom gathered a great army of Hebrews to fight against his father. He crossed the Jordan with them and camped not far from Mahanaim, in the land of Gilead. He appointed Amasa as commander of his army in place of his kinsman Joab. Amasa's father was Ithra, and his mother was Abigail. Abigail and Zeruiah, Joab's mother, were both sisters of David.

David counted his followers and found that he had about four thousand men. Rather than wait for Absalom to attack, he appointed commanders over thousands and hundreds, then divided his army into three groups. He placed one group under Joab, another under Joab's brother Abishai, and the third under Ittai, his friend and companion from the city of Gath. David wanted to fight alongside them, but his friends would not allow it. They had sound reasons for their decision. "If we are defeated while you are with us," they said, "we will have little hope of recovering. But if one part of our army is beaten, the others can fall back to you and gather a larger force. The enemy will think you have another army with you."

David accepted their advice and stayed at Mahanaim. As he sent his friends and commanders into battle, he urged them to fight with courage and loyalty. He reminded them of the benefits they had received from him, which, though not great, had not been small. He also begged them to spare the young man Absalom, fearing that his own life might be ruined if Absalom were killed. Then he sent his army to battle and wished them victory.

Joab drew up his army on the Great Plain, with a forest behind him. Absalom brought his army into the field to face him. When the battle began, both sides fought bravely and risked their lives. David's men fought with all their strength so that he might regain his kingdom. Absalom's men were just as determined, hoping to keep him from losing the kingdom and suffering punishment from his father for his reckless attack.

Absalom's much larger army was eager not to be defeated by the smaller force under Joab and the other commanders, for such a loss would bring them great shame. David's men, meanwhile, fought hard against the many thousands who stood against them. In the end, David's soldiers prevailed because they were stronger and more skilled in war. They chased the enemy through forests and valleys, taking some prisoner and killing many. More men died as they fled than in the battle itself. About twenty thousand fell that day.

All of David's men rushed toward Absalom, who was easy to recognize because of his handsome face and tall stature. Afraid that his enemies would seize him, he mounted the king's mule and fled. As the mule carried him swiftly through the woods, Absalom's hair caught in the thick branches of a large, twisted tree. He was left hanging there, while the mule continued on as if its master were still riding it.

One of David's soldiers saw Absalom and told Joab. The commander said that if the man had struck Absalom down, he would have given him fifty shekels. The soldier replied, "I wouldn't have killed my master's son, even for a thousand shekels, especially when he asked us all to spare the young man." Joab told him to show where Absalom was hanging. Then Joab struck him through the heart and killed him. Joab's armor-bearers gathered around the tree, took down Absalom's body, and threw it into a deep pit hidden from view. They covered it with a heap of stones until the pit was filled, making it look like a grave. Joab then sounded the retreat and called his soldiers back from pursuing the enemy, so they would not kill their own countrymen.

Absalom had built a marble pillar for himself in the King's Valley, two furlongs from Jerusalem. He called it Absalom's Hand, saying that if his children died, the pillar would keep his name alive. He had three sons and a daughter named Tamar, as we said earlier. Tamar later married David's grandson Rehoboam and bore him a son named Abijah, who succeeded his father as king. We will speak of these events in the proper place in our history. After Absalom died, everyone returned to his own home.

Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok the high priest, went to Joab and asked permission to carry the news of victory to David, telling him that God had given him help and protection. Joab would not allow him to go. "You have always brought good news," he said. "Will you now tell the king that his son is dead?" So he told Ahimaaz to stay back. Joab then called Cushi and ordered him to report what he had seen.

Ahimaaz asked again to go as a messenger. He promised to speak only about the victory and not about Absalom's death. Joab finally gave him permission. Ahimaaz knew a shorter road that no one else knew, so he reached David before Cushi.

David was sitting between the gates, waiting to hear how the battle had gone. A watchman saw Ahimaaz running toward him and, before he could recognize him, told David that someone was coming with good news. A little later, the watchman reported that another messenger was following. David said that he, too, must be bringing good news. When the watchman recognized Ahimaaz as the son of Zadok the high priest and saw that he was already close, he told the king. David was glad and said that the man must have good news from the battle, just as he had hoped.

Ahimaaz arrived and bowed before the king. When David asked about the battle, he reported the victory and said that David's rule had been secured. The king then asked about his son. Ahimaaz said he had left as soon as the enemy was defeated. He had heard a great noise from those pursuing Absalom, but, in his haste to carry Joab's message of victory, he had learned nothing more.

Cushi arrived, bowed before David, and reported the victory. David then asked about Absalom. Cushi replied, "May the same fate that has come upon Absalom come upon your enemies." At those words, neither David nor his soldiers could rejoice in the great victory. David went up to the highest part of the city and wept for his son. He beat his breast, tore at his hair, and grieved in every way, crying, "My son! I wish I had died in your place!"

David was tenderhearted by nature and felt great compassion for this son in particular. When Joab and the army heard that the king was mourning, they were ashamed to enter the city as victors. They came in looking defeated and weeping, as if they had lost the battle.

While David hid himself and mourned bitterly for his son, Joab went in to speak with him. "My lord the king," he said, "you don't realize that your actions bring shame on you. You seem to hate those who love you and risk their lives for you. You appear to hate yourself and your family, while loving your bitter enemies and wishing to be with those who are gone and were rightly killed.

"If Absalom had won and secured the kingdom, not one of us would have survived. You, your children, and all the rest of us would have died miserably. Our enemies would not have wept for us. They would have rejoiced and punished even those who pitied us in our suffering. Yet you mourn for a bitter enemy, a son who acted wickedly toward you.

"Put an end to this unreasonable grief. Come out and let your soldiers see you, and thank them for the courage they showed in battle. If you continue like this, I will persuade the people to leave you and give the kingdom to someone else. Then you will have real cause to grieve."

Joab's words brought David out of his sorrow and turned his thoughts back to the affairs of the kingdom. David changed his clothes and went out to be seen by the people. He sat at the gates, and when the people heard he was there, they gathered around and greeted him. This was the state of David's affairs at that time.

CHAPTER 11

How David Recovered His Kingdom, Made Peace with Shimei and Ziba, and Showed Great Affection for Barzillai; How He Appointed Amasa Commander of His Army to Pursue Sheba, and How Joab Killed Amasa

After Absalom's supporters had returned home from the battle, they sent messengers throughout the cities. The messengers reminded the people of the benefits David had given them and of how he had freed them from many great wars. They also complained that, although they had driven David from his kingdom and placed another ruler in his place, that ruler was now dead, and no one had asked David to forgive them, make peace with them, and take up the care of their affairs and the kingdom once more.

David heard these complaints repeatedly. Even so, he sent Zadok and Abiathar, the high priests, to speak with the leaders of the tribe of Judah. They were to tell them that it would bring shame upon their tribe if the other tribes chose David as king before they did. "You are his relatives," he said, "and share his blood." He also told them to speak to Amasa, the commander of their forces. Since Amasa was his nephew, David said, he should have persuaded the people to restore the kingdom to him. David had already forgiven him, but expected him to receive the high command of the army, the same office Absalom had given him. The high priests spoke with the leaders of Judah as David had instructed, and they persuaded Amasa to support David's cause. Amasa then urged the tribe to send messengers at once, asking David to return and reclaim his kingdom. At Amasa's urging, the rest of the Israelites did the same.

When the messengers reached David, he set out for Jerusalem. The tribe of Judah was the first to meet him at the Jordan River. Shimei, the son of Gera, came with a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin. Ziba, Saul's former servant, came with his fifteen sons and twenty servants. Together with the men of Judah, they built a bridge of boats across the river so that David and his companions could cross with ease.

As soon as David reached the Jordan, the men of Judah greeted him. Shimei came onto the bridge, took hold of David's feet, and begged him to forgive his offense. He asked David not to treat him too harshly or make him the first man punished under the restored rule. He said he regretted his disloyalty and had made a point of coming to David first. While Shimei pleaded with him, Abishai, Joab's brother, said, "Shouldn't this man die for cursing the king whom God appointed to rule over us?"

David turned to Abishai and said, "Will you sons of Zeruiah never stop? Don't stir up new trouble and rebellion now that the old ones have ended. You should understand that today I begin my reign anew. I swear that I will pardon the offenses of all who have sinned and punish no one." Then he said to Shimei, "Take heart. You have nothing to fear. You won't be put to death." Shimei bowed before him and went on his way.

Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, also came to meet David. He wore shabby clothes, and his hair was thick and untrimmed. After David had fled, Mephibosheth had been so overcome with grief that he had not cut his hair or washed his clothes. He had chosen to share in the hardships brought on by the change in the kingdom. Ziba, his steward, had falsely accused him to David.

After Mephibosheth greeted the king and bowed before him, David asked why he had not left Jerusalem and gone with him when he fled. Mephibosheth answered, "My lord, Ziba wronged me. You ordered him to prepare for my journey with you, but he did nothing. He treated me as if I were a slave. If my feet had been sound and strong, I would not have abandoned you. I could have used them to flee with you. But that isn't all Ziba has done against me. He has also slandered me and made up lies. I know you won't accept such accusations. You are fair and love the truth, as God desires.

"When you were in the greatest danger from my grandfather, our whole family could rightly have been destroyed. Yet you showed mercy and set aside those old injuries, even though you had the power to punish us. You treated me as a friend and let me eat at your table every day. I have wanted for nothing that one of your most honored relatives might expect."

After hearing him, David decided neither to punish Mephibosheth nor to condemn Ziba for lying about his master. He reminded Mephibosheth that he had given Ziba all his property because Mephibosheth had not gone with him. Now, however, he would forgive him and restore half the property to him. Mephibosheth replied, "Let Ziba keep it all. It is enough for me that you have regained your kingdom."

David asked Barzillai the Gileadite, a great and generous man who had provided generously for him at Mahanaim and escorted him as far as the Jordan, to come with him to Jerusalem. David promised to honor him in his old age, care for him, and provide for him. But Barzillai wanted to remain at home. He asked David to excuse him from joining the court, saying that at eighty years old he was too old to enjoy its pleasures and was preparing for death and burial. He asked David to let him go home. At his age, he could no longer taste his food or drink, and his hearing was too poor to enjoy the sound of pipes or other musical instruments, which delighted those who lived with kings.

When Barzillai continued to plead with him, David said, "I will let you go, but give me your son Chimham. I will treat him well." Barzillai left his son with the king, bowed before David, and wished him success in all his affairs. Then he returned home. David went on to Gilgal with half the people of Israel and the whole tribe of Judah.

The leading men of the country came to David at Gilgal with a great crowd. They complained that the tribe of Judah had gone to meet him privately, when all the tribes should have come together with one purpose. The leaders of Judah told them not to be angry that they had arrived first. "We are David's relatives," they said, "so we naturally cared for him and loved him, and went to him first." They added that David had given them no gifts for coming early, so the others had no reason to resent them.

The leaders of the other tribes were not satisfied. They answered, "Brothers, we are surprised that you call the king your relative alone. God gave him authority over all of us, so he is a relative to us all. The people have eleven shares in him, while you have only one. We are also older than you. You did wrong to go to the king in secret."

While the leaders argued, a wicked man who delighted in rebellion stood up among the people. His name was Sheba, son of Bichri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He shouted, "We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Jesse!" Then he blew a trumpet and declared war against the king. The people left David and followed Sheba. Only the tribe of Judah remained with him and brought him safely to his royal palace in Jerusalem.

As for the concubines with whom Absalom had lain, David moved them to another house. He ordered their caretakers to provide for them, but he no longer slept with them. He appointed Amasa commander of his forces, giving him the same high office Joab had held. David ordered him to gather as many men from Judah as he could and return within three days, so David could put the whole army under his command and send him to fight Sheba, son of Bichri.

Amasa went out to gather the army, but he was delayed and had not returned by the third day. David then said to Joab, "We can't delay in dealing with Sheba. He may gather a great army and cause more harm to our cause than Absalom did. Don't wait any longer. Take the troops you have with you, including that old company of six hundred men, and bring your brother Abishai. Pursue our enemy and fight him wherever you find him. Hurry before he takes control of a fortified city and makes this much harder for us."

Joab set out without delay with his brother and the six hundred men. He ordered the rest of the army in Jerusalem to follow him, then marched quickly against Sheba. When he reached Gibeon, a village forty furlongs from Jerusalem, Amasa arrived with a large army and met him.

Joab wore a sword and breastplate. As Amasa approached to greet him, Joab let his sword fall to the ground as if by accident. He picked it up and stepped toward Amasa as though to kiss him. With one hand, he took hold of Amasa's beard. Then, before Amasa realized what was happening, Joab struck him in the belly and killed him.

Joab committed this wicked and unprovoked act against a good young man who was his relative and had done him no harm. He was jealous that Amasa might gain command of the army and become his equal in the king's favor. The same jealousy had led him to kill Abner. In that earlier crime, Joab could use the death of his brother Asahel as an excuse for revenge, making his act seem more pardonable. But he had no such excuse for murdering Amasa.

After killing the commander, Joab continued his pursuit of Sheba. He left a man beside Amasa's body and ordered him to call out to the army that Amasa had been rightly killed and deserved his punishment. "If you support the king," the man shouted, "follow Joab, the commander, and Abishai, Joab's brother." The body lay in the road, and the crowd gathered around it, as crowds often do, staring at it for a long time. So the guard moved it away from the road to a distant place and covered it with his garment. Then all the people followed Joab.

Joab pursued Sheba through the land of Israel. At last, someone told him that Sheba was in a fortified city called Abel-beth-maacah. Joab went there with his army, surrounded the city, and built a siege ramp against it. He ordered his soldiers to undermine the walls and bring them down. The people of the city would not surrender Sheba, and Joab was angry with them.

A woman of low rank, but wise and intelligent, saw that her city was in great danger. She climbed onto the wall and called for Joab through the armed men. When he came to her, she said, "God appointed kings and army commanders to destroy the enemies of the Hebrews and bring peace among them. Yet you are trying to destroy and empty an Israelite city that has done no wrong."

Joab replied, "May God continue to show me mercy. I don't want to kill any of the people, much less destroy a city like this. If the people hand over Sheba, son of Bichri, who has rebelled against the king, I'll end the siege and withdraw my army."

When the woman heard this, she asked Joab to pause the siege for a short time. She promised that Sheba's head would soon be thrown to him. Then she went down to the people of the city and said, "Will you bring death upon yourselves, your children, and your wives for the sake of a worthless man, someone no one even knows? Will you accept him as king instead of David, who has done so much for you? Will you make your city stand alone against this mighty army?"

She persuaded them. The people cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab's army. Then the king's commander sounded the retreat and lifted the siege. When Joab returned to Jerusalem, David again appointed him commander of all the people.

The king appointed Benaiah captain of the guards and of the six hundred men. He put Adoram in charge of the tribute and appointed Sabathes and Achilaus as keepers of the records. Sheva became the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar remained the high priests.

CHAPTER 12

How the Hebrews Were Freed from Famine After the Gibeonites Were Avenged for Those Saul Had Killed, and the Great Deeds David and His Mighty Men Performed Against the Philistines

After this, a severe famine struck the country. David prayed to God to show mercy to the people and reveal the cause of their suffering and how it might be brought to an end. The prophets answered that God required vengeance for the Gibeonites, whom King Saul had wickedly betrayed and put to death, breaking the oath sworn to them by Joshua, the commander, and the council.

God declared that if the king allowed the Gibeonites to exact the punishment they sought for those who had been killed, He would be reconciled with the people and free them from their misery. When David learned that this was what God required, he summoned the Gibeonites and asked what they wanted. They asked for seven of Saul's sons to be handed over for punishment. David gave them the men, but spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son.

The Gibeonites took the men and punished them as they wished. Afterward, God sent rain, and the land once again produced its usual crops. The drought ended, and the Hebrews' country flourished again.

Not long afterward, David went to war against the Philistines. He joined battle with them and drove them into flight. While pursuing them, he was left alone and grew exhausted. One of the enemy, Achmon, son of Araph, who belonged to the race of giants, saw him. Achmon carried a spear whose shaft weighed three hundred shekels, wore a coat of mail, and carried a sword. Seeing that David was worn out from the fighting, he turned and charged at him, hoping to kill the king.

But Abishai, Joab's brother, suddenly appeared. He shielded David and struck down the enemy. The people were greatly troubled by the danger their king had faced, since he had come close to being killed. Their leaders made David swear that he would no longer go out with them to battle. They feared that his courage and boldness might bring him to disaster, depriving the people of the good they already received through him and of what they might yet receive if he lived among them for many years.

When David heard that the Philistines had gathered at the city of Gazara, he sent an army against them. Sibbechai the Hittite, one of David's bravest men, fought with great distinction. He killed many of those who claimed to be descended from the giants and boasted of their ancestry, helping the Hebrews win the battle.

After this defeat, the Philistines went to war again. David sent an army against them, and his kinsman Nephan fought their strongest man in single combat. Nephan killed him and drove the rest of the Philistines into flight. Many others were killed in the battle.

Some time later, the Philistines camped near the border of the Hebrews' country. One of their men stood six cubits tall and had an extra finger on each hand and an extra toe on each foot. David sent Jonathan, the son of Shimea, to face him. Jonathan fought the man alone and killed him. His victory turned the course of the battle, and he won great renown for his courage. This Philistine also claimed descent from the giants. After this fight, the Philistines no longer made war against the Israelites.

Now that David was free from war and danger and enjoyed lasting peace, he composed many songs and hymns to God in different meters. Some were in trimeter and others in pentameter. He also made musical instruments and taught the Levites to sing hymns to God on the Sabbath and on other festivals.

The instruments were made as follows: The viol had ten strings and was played with a bow. The psaltery had twelve notes and was played with the fingers. The cymbals were broad, large instruments made of brass. This description should be enough to give readers some idea of what these instruments were like.

All the men who served David were brave. Thirty-eight of them became especially famous for their deeds. I will describe the actions of five, which will also show the courage of the others. These men had strength enough to subdue lands and defeat great nations.

The first was Jessai, the son of Achimaas. He often rushed into the enemy's ranks and did not stop fighting until he had killed nine hundred men.

The second was Eleazar, the son of Dodo, who was with the king at Arasam. Once, when the Israelites were terrified by the large number of Philistines and began to flee, Eleazar stood his ground alone and attacked the enemy. He killed so many that the blood made his sword stick to his hand. When the Israelites saw the Philistines retreating because of him, they came down from the mountains and pursued them. They won a remarkable and famous victory. Eleazar killed the enemy, while the rest of the Israelites followed and plundered the bodies of the dead.

The third was Sheba, the son of Ilus. During a war against the Philistines, they camped at a place called Lehi. The Hebrews again feared the enemy's army and would not stand their ground. Sheba remained alone, facing them as though he were an entire army. He struck down some of them and pursued others who could not withstand his strength.

These were the deeds performed by those three men in battle.

Once, when David was in Jerusalem, the Philistine army came to fight him. As I have already said, David went up to the citadel to ask God about the battle. The enemy had camped in the valley that reached toward Bethlehem, about twenty furlongs from Jerusalem.

David said to his companions, "The water in my own city is excellent, especially the water in the well near the gate." He wondered aloud whether anyone would bring him some to drink, saying he would value it more than a great deal of money.

When the three men heard him, they immediately ran out and forced their way through the enemy camp to Bethlehem. They drew water and returned through the camp to the king. The Philistines were so astonished by their courage and quickness that they did nothing to stop them, as if they thought the three men too few to matter.

When the men brought David the water, he refused to drink it. He said it had been bought with the danger and blood of the men, and it would not be right for him to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to God and gave thanks for the men's safe return.

Next in rank was Abishai, Joab's brother, who killed six hundred men in one day.

The fifth was Benaiah, a priest by birth. Two famous men in the land of Moab challenged him, but he defeated them by his courage. An enormous Egyptian also challenged him. Although Benaiah was unarmed, he seized the Egyptian's spear, took his weapons while he was still alive and fighting, and killed him with his own weapons.

Another of Benaiah's deeds showed the same courage. One day, after a snowfall, a lion slipped and fell into a pit. The opening was narrow, and the snow around it made escape impossible. Seeing no way out, the lion roared. Benaiah heard the beast and followed the sound. He went down into the pit and struck the struggling lion with a stake that lay there, killing it at once.

The other thirty-three men were just as brave.

CHAPTER 13

How David's Census Brought Punishment, and How God's Mercy Restrained It

King David wanted to know how many tens of thousands of people lived in the land, but he forgot the command Moses had given them. Moses had said that whenever the people were counted, each person must give God half a shekel. So David ordered Joab, commander of his army, to count the whole population. Joab told him there was no need for a census, but David would not change his mind. Instead, he ordered Joab to begin counting the Israelites at once.

Joab gathered the tribal leaders and scribes, then traveled through the land, counting the people. After nine months and twenty days, he returned to Jerusalem and reported the total to the king. He had not counted the tribes of Benjamin or Levi. David had already regretted his sin against God, and the count of these two tribes was still unfinished. The remaining Israelites numbered nine hundred thousand men fit to bear arms and go to war. The tribe of Judah alone numbered four hundred thousand.

When the prophets told David that God was angry with him, he began to plead for mercy and ask forgiveness for his sin. God sent the prophet Nathan to offer him a choice of three punishments. The land could suffer famine for seven years; David's enemies could defeat him in war for three months; or God could send pestilence and disease upon the Israelites for three days.

Faced with such terrible choices, David was distressed and confused. Nathan told him he had to choose and urged him to answer quickly, so the prophet could report his decision to God. David thought that if he chose famine, he would seem to bring hardship on others while remaining safe himself, since he had plenty of grain stored away. If he chose defeat in war, it might seem he had chosen that punishment because he had brave soldiers and strongholds and feared nothing. So he chose the calamity that would fall on kings and common people alike, with the same fear for all. Before making his choice, he said it was better to fall into God's hands than into the hands of his enemies.

The prophet reported David's choice to God, and God sent pestilence and death among the Israelites. The disease did not strike everyone in the same way, and its cause was hard to understand. Though it was one plague, it killed people through countless different afflictions. One person died just after another. The dreadful sickness seized its victims without warning and brought them to a sudden end. Some died at once in great pain and sorrow. Others wasted away until nothing remained to bury; they fell and were reduced to skin and bones. Some were choked and cried out in agony as darkness suddenly fell upon them. Others died while burying a family member, before they could finish the funeral rites.

The plague began in the morning and lasted until the hour of dinner. By then, seventy thousand people had died. The angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem, ready to send the same terrible judgment upon the city. David put on sackcloth and lay on the ground, pleading with God to end the plague and be satisfied with those who had already died. When he looked up and saw the angel moving through the air toward Jerusalem with his sword drawn, David said that he, their shepherd, deserved punishment, but the sheep should be spared, since they had done no wrong. He begged God to direct his anger against him and his family, and to spare the people.

God heard David's plea, stopped the plague, and sent the prophet Gad to him with a command: go at once to the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, build an altar there, and offer sacrifices to God. David did not delay. He went to the place as commanded.

Araunah was threshing wheat when he saw the king and his servants coming. He hurried out to meet David and bowed before him. Araunah was a Jebusite by birth and a close friend of David. That was why David had spared him when he conquered the city, as we explained earlier. Araunah asked, "Why has my lord come to his servant?" David answered that he had come to buy the threshing floor, so he could build an altar to God and offer a sacrifice.

Araunah offered him the threshing floor, the plows, and the oxen for a burnt offering, and asked God to accept the sacrifice. David thanked him for his generosity and accepted his good intentions, but said he would pay the full price. It would not be right to offer God a sacrifice that had cost him nothing. Araunah agreed to do as David wished, and David bought the threshing floor for fifty shekels.

David built an altar there, worshiped God, and offered a burnt offering and peace offerings. God accepted the offerings and showed mercy to the people again. Abraham had once come to that same place and offered his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Just as Isaac was about to be killed, a ram suddenly appeared beside the altar, and Abraham sacrificed it in his son's place, as we have already related. When David saw that God had heard his prayer and accepted his offering, he decided to call the whole place the Altar of All the People and build a temple to God there. His words proved fitting for what was to happen later, for God sent the prophet to tell him that his son, who would inherit the kingdom, would build an altar there.

CHAPTER 14

David Makes Great Preparations for the House of God, and Appoints Solomon King after Adonijah Attempts to Seize the Throne

After this prophecy was given, the king ordered a census of the foreigners in the land. They numbered 180,000. He assigned 80,000 to cut stone and the rest to carry it. He also placed 3,500 overseers in charge of the workers.

David gathered a great supply of iron and bronze for the work, along with many large cedar trees. The people of Tyre and Sidon sent the trees to him after he asked them for help. He told his friends that he had prepared these materials so his son, who would rule after him, could begin building the Temple without delay. Solomon was still young and inexperienced, and David wanted the supplies ready for him when the time came.

David called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a Temple to God when he became king.

"I wanted to build a Temple for God myself," he said, "but God would not permit it because I have shed blood and fought many wars. He foretold that Solomon, my youngest son, would build the Temple, and that he would be called by that name. God promised to care for him as a father cares for his son, and to make the land of the Hebrews prosperous under his rule. He promised to give the country peace, free it from war and put an end to internal strife, which are the greatest blessings.

"Since God ordained you king before you were born, make yourself worthy of his care. Be religious, just, and courageous. Keep the commands and laws he gave us through Moses, and don't let others break them. Be eager to dedicate to God the Temple he has chosen to be built during your reign. Don't be frightened by the size of the work or begin it timidly. I will prepare everything before I die.

"Know that we have already gathered 10,000 talents of gold and 100,000 talents of silver. I have also collected iron and bronze in great quantities, as well as a vast supply of timber and stone. You have tens of thousands of stonecutters and carpenters at your disposal. If you need anything more, provide it yourself. If you complete this work, you will please God, and he will be your protector."

David also urged the leaders of the people to help Solomon build the Temple and to attend to the service of God once they were free from their troubles. Through their service, he said, they would receive peace and security in place of hardship, blessings God grants to those who are religious and just.

David ordered them to place the Ark and the sacred vessels in the Temple once it was finished. Their ancestors could have built a Temple long before, he said, if they had not neglected God's command to build one after taking possession of the land. This is what David told the leaders and his son.

David was now old. The years had left his body cold and stiff, and even many layers of clothing could not warm him. When the physicians gathered, they advised that a beautiful young woman from the land should sleep beside the king. Her warmth, they said, would ease his chill.

A woman named Abishag was found in the city. She was more beautiful than any other woman. She slept beside the king and kept him warm, but he did not treat her as a husband treats his wife, for he was too old. We will speak more about her later.

David's fourth son was Adonijah, a handsome and tall young man, born to him by his wife Haggith. Like Absalom, Adonijah was ambitious. He hoped to become king and told his friends that he should take charge of the government. He prepared chariots and horses, and appointed fifty men to run before him.

David saw what Adonijah was doing, but didn't rebuke him or stop him. He didn't even ask why he was acting this way.

Adonijah's supporters included Joab, the commander of the army, and Abiathar, the high priest. Those who opposed him were Zadok the high priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, captain of the guards, Shimei, David's friend, and the other leading warriors.

Adonijah held a feast outside the city, near the fountain in the king's garden. He invited all his brothers except Solomon. He also invited Joab, Abiathar, and the leaders of the tribe of Judah. But he didn't invite Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, or anyone else who supported Solomon.

Nathan told Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, that Adonijah had declared himself king, while David knew nothing of it. He advised her to go to David and remind him that he had sworn Solomon would succeed him. She should tell him that Adonijah had already taken the kingdom. Nathan said he would come after her and confirm her words.

Bathsheba followed Nathan's advice. She went to the king, bowed before him, and asked permission to speak. Then she told him what Nathan had instructed her to say. She described Adonijah's feast and named those who had attended, including Abiathar, the commander Joab, and David's sons, except Solomon and his close supporters. She also told David that all the people were watching to see whom he would choose as king. After David's death, she warned, Adonijah might kill her and her son Solomon if he gained the throne.

While Bathsheba was speaking, the keeper of the king's chambers told David that Nathan wanted to see him. David ordered that the prophet be brought in.

Nathan asked the king, "Have you appointed Adonijah king and given him the government? He has held a great feast and invited all your sons except Solomon. He also invited Joab, the commander of your army, and Abiathar the high priest. They are feasting with cheering and music, wishing that his kingdom may last forever. But he didn't invite me, Zadok the high priest, or Benaiah, the captain of the guards. Everyone should know whether this has been done with your approval."

After Nathan spoke, the king ordered Bathsheba to return, for she had left the room when the prophet arrived. When she came in, David said, "I swear by Almighty God that your son Solomon will be king, as I swore before. He will sit on my throne, and it will happen today."

Bathsheba bowed before him and wished him a long life. David then summoned Zadok the high priest and Benaiah, captain of the guards. He ordered them to take Nathan the prophet and the armed men at the palace, set Solomon on the king's mule, and bring him out of the city to the fountain called Gihon. There Zadok and Nathan were to anoint him with holy oil and proclaim him king.

David also ordered them to lead Solomon through the city, sound the trumpets, and call out that Solomon the king should sit on the royal throne forever. In this way, all the people would know that David had chosen him. David charged Solomon to rule the Hebrew nation, especially the tribe of Judah, with reverence for God and with justice.

Benaiah prayed that God would favor Solomon. Then they quickly set Solomon on the mule and brought him to Gihon, where they anointed him with oil. They returned to the city amid cheers and prayers for a long reign. When Solomon entered the royal palace, they seated him on the throne. The people began to celebrate, dancing and playing pipes until the music filled the air and echoed across the land.

When Adonijah and his guests heard the noise, they were alarmed. Joab, the commander of the army, said he didn't like the sound of the trumpets and cheering. When the meal was served, no one touched it. They all wondered what had happened.

Then Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the high priest, ran in. Adonijah greeted him warmly and said he was a good messenger. Jonathan told them everything about Solomon and David's decision. Adonijah and all his guests immediately rose from the feast, and each went home.

Adonijah feared what the king might do because of his actions. He went to God for mercy and grasped the horns that projected from the altar. Solomon was told what Adonijah had done and that he wanted assurance that Solomon would not remember his offense or punish him severely.

Solomon answered calmly and wisely. He forgave Adonijah, but warned him that if he tried to stir up trouble again, he would bring punishment upon himself. Solomon sent for him and lifted him from the altar. When Adonijah came before the king and bowed, Solomon told him to go home without fear. He urged him to prove himself a worthy man, for that would be to his own advantage.

David wanted to establish Solomon as king over all the people, so he called the leaders, priests, and Levites to Jerusalem. He counted the Levites and found 38,000 men between the ages of thirty and fifty. Of these, he appointed 23,000 to oversee the building of the Temple, 6,000 to serve as judges and scribes, 4,000 as gatekeepers of the house of God, and another 4,000 as singers, accompanying the instruments David had prepared, as we have already said.

David also divided them into groups. He counted the priests separately and found twenty-four courses: sixteen from the family of Eleazar and eight from the family of Ithamar. He decreed that each course would serve God for eight days, from one Sabbath to the next.

The courses were assigned by lot in the presence of David, Zadok and Abiathar the high priests, and all the leaders. The first lot drawn was written down as the first course, the next as the second, and so on through the twenty-fourth. This arrangement has continued to this day. David also divided the Levites into twenty-four groups, assigning them their eight-day periods by lot in the same way.

He gave Moses' descendants the duty of guarding God's treasures and the gifts dedicated by the kings. He also ordered all the Levites, as well as the priests, to serve God day and night, as Moses had commanded.

David divided the whole army into twelve divisions, each with its own leaders, captains of hundreds, and commanders. Each division had 24,000 men, who were to serve Solomon in rotation for thirty days, from the first day of the month to the last. Each division had its own captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

David appointed men he considered good and just to lead each division. He also chose others to oversee the treasures, villages, fields, and livestock. I don't think it is necessary to list their names.

After arranging all these duties, David called together the leaders of the Hebrews, the heads of the tribes, the officers of the army divisions, and those appointed over every task and possession. He stood on a high platform and addressed the people:

"My brothers and my people, I want you to know that I intended to build a house for God. I prepared a great quantity of gold and 100,000 talents of silver, but God stopped me through the prophet Nathan because of the wars I fought on your behalf and the bloodshed caused by my right hand. Instead, God commanded my son, who would succeed me as king, to build a Temple for him.

"You know that Judah was chosen to rule, among the twelve sons of our forefather Jacob. I was chosen above my six brothers and received the kingdom from God, and none of them resented it. Now I ask that my sons not rebel against one another because Solomon has received the kingdom. Accept him gladly as your lord, knowing that God chose him. If God wills it, we should gladly obey even a foreign ruler. How much more should we rejoice when our own brother receives that honor, since we all share in it with him?

"I pray that God's promises will be fulfilled, and that the happiness he has promised to give King Solomon and the whole country will last. And you, my son, will see these promises fulfilled if you are religious and just, and obey the laws of our people. If you disobey them, expect hardship."

When David had finished speaking, he showed Solomon and all those present the plan for the Temple. He described its foundations and its rooms, both lower and upper, and explained their number, height, and width. He also specified the weight of the gold and silver vessels.

David urged everyone to work with all their energy. He especially called on the leaders and the tribe of Levi to help Solomon, because he was young and because God had chosen him to oversee the Temple and rule the kingdom. David told them the work would not be too difficult, since he had already prepared great quantities of gold and silver, timber, carpenters, stonecutters, emeralds, and precious stones of every kind.

David also said that he would give 200 talents from his own possessions, as well as 300 additional talents of pure gold, for the most sacred place and for the chariot of God, the cherubim that would stand above the Ark and cover it.

When David finished speaking, the leaders, priests, and Levites were eager to help. They promised large contributions for the work. They pledged 5,000 talents of gold and 10,000 darics, along with 10,000 talents of silver and many tens of thousands of talents of iron. Anyone who owned a precious stone brought it as a gift for the treasury. Jachiel, one of Moses' descendants, was put in charge of these gifts.

All the people rejoiced, and David was especially glad to see the eagerness of the leaders, priests, Levites, and everyone else. He praised God aloud, calling him the Father and Creator of the universe, the maker of all things human and divine. David thanked him for blessing Solomon, the guardian of the Hebrew people and their welfare, and for giving his son the kingdom.

He also prayed for the people's happiness and asked God to give Solomon a sound and just mind, and to make him steadfast in every kind of virtue. Then he told the people to bless God. They fell to the ground and worshiped him. They also thanked David for all the blessings they had received since he became king.

The next day, David offered sacrifices to God: 1,000 bullocks and the same number of lambs as burnt offerings. The people also offered peace offerings and slaughtered tens of thousands of sacrifices. The king feasted with all the people throughout the day. They anointed Solomon with oil a second time and proclaimed him king, and they appointed Zadok high priest over the whole people.

They brought Solomon to the royal palace and seated him on his father's throne. From that day on, the people obeyed him.

CHAPTER 15

David's Charge to Solomon as He Approached Death, and the Supplies He Left for Building the Temple

Not long afterward, David became ill because of his age. When he realized that death was near, he called his son Solomon and spoke to him:

"My son, I am about to go to the grave and join my fathers. This is the way all people living now, and all who come after us, must go. No one returns from it or learns what is happening in this world. So, while I am still alive, though close to death, I urge you, as I have before, to deal justly with your subjects and honor God, who gave you this kingdom. Keep his commands and the laws he gave us through Moses. Do not let favor, flattery, or any desire or passion lead you to ignore them. If you break his laws, you will lose God's favor, and he will no longer watch over you in all things. But if you act as you should, and as I urge you, our family will keep the kingdom, and no other house will rule over the Hebrews for generations.

"Remember also what Joab, the commander of the army, has done. Out of envy, he killed two generals, both good and just men: Abner son of Ner, and Amasa son of Jether. Punish him for their deaths as you think best. Joab has been too strong for me and more powerful than I was, so he has escaped punishment until now.

"I also entrust to you the son of Barzillai the Gileadite. Honor him and care for him to please me. We did not do him a favor first; we are only repaying his father for what he did for me when I was fleeing.

"Then there is Shimei son of Gera, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. When I fled to Mahanaim, he shouted many insults at me. Later, at the Jordan, he met me and received my promise that he would not be punished then. Now find a just reason to punish him."

After giving his son these instructions about the kingdom, his friends, and those he believed deserved punishment, David died. He lived seventy years. He ruled over the tribe of Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, then ruled from Jerusalem over the whole country for thirty-three years.

David was a man of remarkable character and possessed every virtue suited to a king entrusted with the care of so many tribes. He was extraordinarily brave and was always among the first to face danger when fighting for his people. He inspired his soldiers through his own efforts and fought beside them instead of giving orders like a tyrant. He was highly intelligent and understood both present and future circumstances when he had to manage affairs. He was prudent and even-tempered, and kind to those in distress. He was just and humane, qualities well suited to a king. Though he held great authority, he committed no offense in its use, except in the matter of Uriah's wife. He also left behind greater wealth than any other king, whether among the Hebrews or any other nation.

Solomon buried David in Jerusalem with great ceremony and all the funeral honors customarily given to kings. A vast treasure was buried with him. Its size can be understood from what happened next. About 1,300 years later, when Hyrcanus the high priest was besieged by Antiochus, called the Pious, the son of Demetrius, he wanted to pay Antiochus to lift the siege and withdraw his army. With no other way to obtain the money, Hyrcanus opened one chamber of David's tomb, took out 3,000 talents, and gave part of the sum to Antiochus. In this way, as we have told the reader elsewhere, he brought the siege to an end.

Many years later, King Herod opened another chamber and took a great deal of money. Yet neither man reached the coffins of the kings themselves. Their bodies had been buried so skillfully beneath the earth that they could not be seen, even by those who entered the tombs. That is enough to say about these matters.