Second Samuel-Shmuel Bet

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Second Samuel-Shmuel Bet 

To Our Forefathers Yisrael

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Shaul, when Dawid had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and Dawid had stayed two yamim in Ziklag;

2 It came even to pass on the third yom, that, see, a man came out of the camp from Shaul with his clothes torn, with earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to Dawid, that he fell to the earth and prostrated himself.

3 And Dawid said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Yisrael I have escaped.

4 And Dawid said to him, How went the matter? I ask you, tell me. And he answered, The people are fleeing from the battle and many of the people also are fallen and are dead; and Shaul and Yonathan his son are dead also.

5 And Dawid said to the young man that told him, How do you know you that Shaul and Yonathan his son are dead?

6 And the young man that told him said, By chance I was on Har Gilboa and I saw, Shaul leaned upon his spear; and, see, the mirkavot and horsemen overtook him.

7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, Here am I.

8 And he said to me, Who are you? And I answered him; I am an Amalekite.

9 And he said to me again, Stand, I beg you, over me and slay me: for anguish has come upon me, but my chayim is still in me.

10 So I stood beside him and killed him because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen: and I took the keter that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and have brought them here to my master.

11 Then Dawid took hold of his own clothes and tore them and likewise all the men that were with him:

12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening, for Shaul and for Yonathan his son and for the people of YHUH and for kol beit Yisrael; because they had fallen by the sword.

13 And Dawid said to the young man that told him, Where are you from? And he answered, I am the son of a ger, an Amalekite.

14 And Dawid said to him, How were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy YHUH 's anointed?

15 And Dawid called one of the young men and said, Go near and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died.

16 And Dawid said to him, Your dahm be upon your head; for your mouth has testified against yourself, saying, I have slain YHUH 's anointed.

17 And Dawid lamented with this lamentation over Shaul and over Yonathan his son:

18 Also he ordered The Bow to be taught to the children of Yahudah: see, it is written in The Sefer of The Upright-Tzadikim?

19 The beauty of Yisrael is slain upon your high places: how are the mighty fallen!

20 Tell it not in Gat, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Plishtim have gilah, lest the daughters of those not in brit milah triumph.

21 You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty lays rejected, the shield of Shaul, without the anointing oil.

22 From the dahm of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Yonathan did not return and the sword of Shaul did not return empty of dahm.

23 Shaul and Yonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.

24 You daughters of Yisrael, weep over Shaul, who clothed you in scarlet, along with other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your clothes.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Yonathan, you were slain in your high places.

26 I am distressed for you, my brother Yonathan: very pleasant have you been to me: your ahava to me was wonderful, surpassing the ahava of women.

27 How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished!

2 And it came to pass after this, that Dawid inquired of YHUH, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Yahudah? And YHUH said to him, Go up. And Dawid said, Where shall I go up? And He said, Unto Chebron.

2 So Dawid went up there and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Yizreelitess and Avigail the widow of Naval the Carmelite.

3 And his men that were with him did Dawid bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Chebron.

4 And the men of Yahudah came and there they anointed Dawid melech over Beit Yahudah. And they told Dawid, saying, That the men of Yavesh-Gilad were those that buried Shaul.

5 And Dawid sent messengers to the men of Yavesh-Gilad and said to them, Blessed are you of YHUH that you have showed this chesed to your master, even to Shaul and have buried him.

6 And now YHUH show chesed and emet to you: and I also will repay you this tov because you have done this thing.

7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened and be brave: for your master Shaul is dead and also Beit Yahudah has anointed me melech over them.

8 But Avner the son of Ner, captain of Shaul's army, took Ish-Bosheth the son of Shaul and brought him over to Machanayim;

9 And made him melech over Gilad and over the Ashurites, and over Yezreel and over Efrayim and over Benyamin and over kol Yisrael.

10 Ish-Bosheth Shaul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Yisrael and reigned two years. But Beit Yahudah followed Dawid.

11 And the time that Dawid was melech in Chebron over Beit Yahudah was seven years and six chodashem.

12 And Avner the son of Ner and the avadim of Ish-Bosheth the son of Shaul, went out from Machanayim to Giveon.

13 And Yoav the son of Tzuruyah and the avadim of Dawid, went out and met together by the pool of Giveon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.

14 And Avner said to Yoav, Let the young men now arise and compete before us. And Yoav said, Let them arise.

15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benyamin, which pertained to Ish-Bosheth the son of Shaul and twelve of the avadim of Dawid.

16 And each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they fell down together: so that place was called Helkath-Hazzurim, which is in Giveon.

17 And there was a very fierce battle that yom; and Avner was beaten and the men of Yisrael, before the avadim of Dawid.

18 And there were three sons of Tzuruyah there, Yoav and Avishai and Asahel: and Asahel was as fast as a desert gazelle.

19 And Asahel pursued after Avner; and in going he turned not to the right hand, nor to the left from following Avner.

20 Then Avner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? And he answered, I am.

21 And Avner said to him, Turn aside to your right hand, or to your left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him.

22 And Avner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me: why should I smite you to the ground? How then could I face Yoav your brother?

23 However he refused to turn aside: so Avner with the blunt end of the spear smote him under the stomach, so that the spear came out through his back; and he fell down there and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24 Yoav also and Avishai pursued after Avner: and the shemesh went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the derech of the wilderness of Giveon.

25 And the children of Benyamin gathered themselves together behind Avner and became one troop and took their stand on the top of a hill.

26 Then Avner called to Yoav and said, Shall the sword devour le-olam-va-ed? Don’t you know that it will be bitter in the latter end? How long shall it be then? And when are you going to tell the people to return from following their brothers?

27 And Yoav said, As Ahlohim lives, unless you had spoken up, surely not until boker would the people have quit from following their brothers.

28 So Yoav blew a shofar and all the people stood still and pursued after Yisrael no more, neither fought they anymore.

29 And Avner and his men walked all that lyla through the plain and passed over the Yarden River and went through all Bithron and they came to Machanayim.

30 And Yoav returned from following Avner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dawid's avadim nineteen men and Asahel.

31 But the avadim of Dawid had killed from Benyamin, even of Avner's men, so that three hundred sixty men died.

32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his abba, which was in Beth-Lechem. And Yoav and his men went all lyla and they came to Chebron at daybreak.

3 Now there was a long war between Beit Shaul and Beit Dawid: but Dawid grew stronger and stronger and Beit Shaul grew weaker and weaker.

2 And to Dawid were sons born in Chebron: and his bachor was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Yizreelitess;

3 And his second, Chileav, of Avigail the widow of Naval the Carmelite; and the third, Avshalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai melech of Geshur;

4 And the fourth, Adoniyah the son of Haggit; and the fifth, Shephatyah the son of Avital;

5 And the sixth, Yithream, by Eglah Dawid's isha. These were born to Dawid in Chebron.

6 And it came to pass, while there was war between Beit Shaul and Beit Dawid, that Avner made himself strong for Beit Shaul.

7 And Shaul had a concubine, whose name was Ritzpah, the daughter of Ayah: and Ish-Bosheth said to Avner, Why have you gone in to my abba's concubine?

8 Then was Avner very angry at the words of Ish-Bosheth and said, Am I a dog's head, that belongs to Yahudah? This yom I do show chesed to Beit Shaul your abba, to his brothers and to his chaverim and have not allowed you to fall into the hand of Dawid and yet you now charge me today with a sin concerning this woman.

9 So do Ahlohim to Avner and more also, if I do not perform all that YHUH has sworn to Dawid, in his service,

10 To transfer the malchut from Beit Shaul and to set up kesay Dawid over Yisrael and over Yahudah, from Dan even to Be-er-Sheva.

11 And he could not answer Avner a word again because he feared him.

12 And Avner sent messengers to Dawid on his behalf, saying, Whose is this land? Saying also, Make your brit with me and, see, my hand shall be with you, to bring kol Yisrael to you.

13 And he said, Very well; I will make a brit with you: but one thing I require of you and that is, that you shall not see my face, until you first bring Michal Shaul's daughter, when you come to see my face.

14 And Dawid sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth Shaul's son, saying, Deliver to me my isha Michal, whom I engaged in exchange for a hundred foreskins of the Plishtim.

15 And Ish-Bosheth sent and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Layish.

16 And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Avner to him, Go, return. And he returned.

17 And Avner had communication with the zechanim of Yisrael, saying, You sought for Dawid in times past to be melech over you:

18 Now then do it: for YHUH has spoken of Dawid, saying, By the hand of My eved Dawid I will save My people Yisrael out of the hand of the Plishtim and out of the hand of all their enemies.

19 And Avner also spoke in the ears of Benyamin: and Avner went also to speak in the ears of Dawid in Chebron all that seemed tov to Yisrael and that seemed tov to the whole bayit of Benyamin.

20 So Avner came to Dawid to Chebron and twenty men with him. And Dawid made Avner and the men that were with him a feast.

21 And Avner said to Dawid, I will arise and go and will gather kol Yisrael to my master the melech, that they may make a brit with you and that you may reign over all that your lev desires. And Dawid sent Avner away; and he went in shalom.

22 And, See, the avadim of Dawid and Yoav came from a raid and brought in a great spoil with them: but Avner was not with Dawid in Chebron; for he had sent him away and he was gone in shalom.

23 When Yoav and all the army that was with him had come, they told Yoav, saying, Avner the son of Ner came to the melech and he has sent him away and he is gone in shalom.

24 Then Yoav came to the melech and said, What have you done? See, Avner came to you; why is it that you have sent him away and he is gone in shalom?

25 Don’t you know Avner the son of Ner; that he came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in and to know all that you do.

26 And when Yoav had come out from Dawid, he sent messengers after Avner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah: but Dawid did not know it.

27 And when Avner returned to Chebron, Yoav took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and smote him there under the stomach, that he died, for the dahm of Asahel his brother.

28 And afterward when Dawid heard of it, he said, my malchut and I are guiltless before YHUH le-olam-va-ed from the dahm of Avner the son of Ner:

29 Let it rest on the head of Yoav and on all his abba's bayit; and let there not fail from the bayit of Yoav one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls on the sword, or that lacks lechem.

30 So Yoav and Avishai his brother killed Avner because he had slain their brother Asahel at Giveon in the battle.

31 And Dawid said to Yoav and to all the people that were with him, Tear your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth and mourn over Avner. And melech Dawid himself followed the coffin.

32 And they buried Avner in Chebron: and the melech lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Avner; and all the people wept.

33 And the melech lamented over Avner and said, Should Avner have died as a fool dies?

34 Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters: as a man falls before wicked men, so fell you. And all the people wept again over him.

35 And when all the people came to cause Dawid to eat food while it was yet yom, Dawid swore, saying, So do Ahlohim to me and more also, if I taste lechem, or anything else, until the shemesh is down.

36 And all the people took notice of it and it pleased them: and whatever the melech did pleased all the people.

37 For all the people and kol Yisrael understood that yom that it was not the desire of the melech to slay Avner the son of Ner.

38 And the melech said to his avadim, Don’t you know that there is a sar and a great man fallen this yom in Yisrael?

39 And I am weak today, though I am anointed melech; and these men the sons of Tzuruyah are too harsh for me:YHUH shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

4 And when Shaul's son heard that Avner was dead in Chebron, his hands were feeble and all the Yisraelites were troubled.

2 And Shaul's son had two men that were officers of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechav, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benyamin: for Beeroth also was counted with Benyamin:

3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittayim and are sojourners there until this yom.

4 And Yonathan, Shaul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the news came of Shaul and Yonathan out of Yezreel and his nurse took him and fled: and it came to pass, as she hurried to flee, that he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechav and Baanah, went and came about the midday to the bayit of Ish-Bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

6 And they came there into the midst of the bayit, pretending as though they would have gotten wheat; and they smote him under the stomach: and Rechav and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 For when they came into the bayit, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber and they smote him and killed him and beheaded him and took his head and got away through the plain all lyla.

8 And they brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to Dawid in Chebron and said to the melech, See the head of Ish-Bosheth the son of Shaul your enemy, who sought your chayim; and YHUH has avenged my master the melech this yom of Shaul and of his zera.

9 And Dawid answered Rechav and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite and said to them, As YHUH lives, who has redeemed my chayim out of all adversity,

10 When one told me, saying, See, Shaul is dead, thinking to have brought tov news, I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his news:

11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a tzadik person in his own bayit upon his bed? Shall I not therefore now require his dahm at your hand and take you away from the earth?

12 And Dawid commanded his young men and they killed them and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them up over the pool in Chebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Avner in Chebron.

5 Then came all the tribes of Yisrael to Dawid at Chebron and spoke, saying, See, we are your bone and your flesh.

2 Also in times past, when Shaul was melech over us, you were he that led out and brought in Yisrael: and YHUH said to you, you shall feed My people Yisrael and you shall be a ruler over Yisrael.

3 So all the zechanim of Yisrael came to the melech to Chebron; and melech Dawid made a brit with them in Chebron before YHUH: and they anointed Dawid melech over kol Yisrael.

4 Dawid was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5 In Chebron he reigned over Yahudah seven years and six chodashem: and in Yahrushalayim he reigned thirty-three years over kol Yisrael and kol Yahudah.

6 And the melech and his men went to Yahrushalayim to the Yevusites, the inhabitants of the land: who spoke to Dawid, saying, Except you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here: and they said, Dawid cannot come in here.

7 Nevertheless Dawid took the stronghold of Tzion: the same is the city of Dawid.

8 And Dawid said on that yom, Whoever goes up to the gutter and smites the Yevusites and the lame and the blind, that hate Dawid's chayim, he shall become chief and captain. Therefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the bayit.

9 So Dawid dwelt in the fort and called it the city of Dawid. And Dawid built around it from Millo on inward.

10 And Dawid went on and grew great and YHUH Ahlohim Tzevaot was with him.

11 And Chiram melech of Tzor sent messengers to Dawid and cedar eytzim and carpenters and masons: and they built Dawid a bayit.

12 And Dawid perceived that YHUH had established him as melech over kol Yisrael and that he had exalted his malchut for his people Yisrael's sake.

13 And Dawid took more concubines and wives out of Yahrushalayim, after he had come from Chebron: and there were yet more sons and daughters born to Dawid.

14 And these are the names of those that were born to him in Yahrushalayim; Shammua and Shovav and Natan and Shlomo,

15 Ivhar also and Elishua and Nepheg and Yaphia,

16 And Elishama and Eliada and Eliphalet.

17 But when the Plishtim heard that they had anointed Dawid melech over Yisrael, all the Plishtim came up to seek Dawid; and Dawid heard of it and went down to the fort.

18 The Plishtim also came and spread out in the Valley of Refayim.

19 And Dawid inquired of YHUH, saying, Shall I go up to the Plishtim? Will You deliver them into my hand? And YHUH said to Dawid, Go up: for I will no doubt deliver the Plishtim into your hand.

20 And Dawid came to Ba’al-Peratzim and Dawid smote them there and said,YHUH has broken forth upon my enemies before me, as the breach of mayim. Therefore he called the name of that place Ba’al-Peratzim.

21 And there they left their idols and Dawid and his men burned them.

22 And the Plishtim came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Refayim.

23 And when Dawid inquired of YHUH, He said, You shall not go up; but turn around behind them and come upon them in front of the mulberry eytzim.

24 And let it be, when you hear the sound of a movement in the tops of the mulberry eytzim, that then you shall become strong; for then shall YHUH go out before you, to smite the army of the Plishtim.

25 And Dawid did so, as YHUH had commanded him; and smote the Plishtim from Geva until you come to Gazer.

6 Again, Dawid gathered together all the chosen men of Yisrael, thirty thousand.

2 And Dawid arose and went with all the people that were with him from Ba-Ale of Yahudah, to bring up from there the Ark of Ahlohim, whose name is called by the Name of YHUH Tzevaot that dwells between the cheruvim.

3 And they set the Ark of Ahlohim upon a new cart and brought it out of the bayit of Avinadav that was in Givat: and Uzzah and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, drove the new cart.

4 And they brought it out of the bayit of Avinadav that was at Givat, accompanying the Ark of Ahlohim: and Achyo went before the Ark.

5 And Dawid and all Beit Yisrael played and danced before YHUH on all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps and on psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of Ahlohim and took hold of it, for the ox had broken loose from the harness.

7 And the anger of YHUH was lit against Uzzah; and Ahlohim smote him there for his error; and there he died by the Ark of Ahlohim.

8 And Dawid was displeased because YHUH had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Peretz-Uzzah to this yom.

9 And Dawid was afraid of YHUH that yom and said, How shall the Ark of YHUH come to me?

10 So Dawid would not remove the Ark of YHUH to him into the city of Dawid: but Dawid carried it into the bayit of Oved-Edom the Gittite.

11 And the Ark of YHUH continued in the bayit of Oved-Edom the Gittite three chodashem: and YHUH blessed Oved-Edom and his entire household.

12 And it was told melech Dawid, saying,YHUH has blessed the bayit of Oved-Edom and all that pertains to him because of the Ark of Ahlohim. So Dawid went and brought up the Ark of Ahlohim from the bayit of Oved-Edom into the city of Dawid with simcha.

13 And it was so, that when they that bore the Ark of YHUH had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

14 And Dawid danced before YHUH with all his might; and Dawid was girded with a linen shoulder garment.

15 So Dawid and kol Beit Yisrael brought up the Ark of YHUH with shouting and with the sound of the shofar.

16 And as the Ark of YHUH came into the city of Dawid, Michal Shaul's daughter looked through a window and saw melech Dawid leaping and dancing before YHUH; and she despised him in her lev.

17 And they brought in the Ark of YHUH and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that Dawid had pitched for it: and Dawid offered burnt offerings and shalom offerings before YHUH.

18 And as soon as Dawid had made an end of offering burnt offerings and shalom offerings, he blessed the people in the Name of YHUH Tzevaot.

19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Yisrael; to each one, both women and men, he gave a container of wine, a tov piece of meat and a fine loaf of lechem. So all the people departed every one to his bayit.

20 Then Dawid returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Shaul came out to meet Dawid and said, How beautiful was the melech of Yisrael today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the female avadim, as one of the am ha-aretz shamelessly uncovers himself!

21 And Dawid said to Michal, It was before YHUH, who chose me before your abba and before all his bayit, to appoint me ruler over the people of YHUH, over Yisrael: therefore will I play before YHUH.

22 And I will yet be more abased than this and will be base in my own sight: and of the female avadim that you have spoken of, from them shall I have kavod.

23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Shaul had no child to the yom of her death.

7 And it came to pass, when the melech sat in his bayit and YHUH had given him shalom all around from all his enemies;

2 That the melech said to Natan the navi, See now, I dwell in a bayit of cedar, but the Ark of Ahlohim dwells within curtains.

3 And Natan said to the melech, Go, do all that is in your lev; for YHUH is with you.

4 And it came to pass that lyla, that The Word of YHUH came to Natan, saying,

5 Go and tell My eved Dawid, This says YHUH, Shall you build Me a Bayit for Me to dwell in?

6 For I have not dwelt in any bayit since the time that I brought up the children of Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, even to this yom, but have moved about in tents.

7 In all the places where I have moved with all the children of Yisrael did I ever speak a Word to any of the tribes of Yisrael, whom I commanded to feed My people Yisrael, saying, Why did you not build Me a bayit of cedar?

8 Now therefore so shall you say to My eved Dawid, This says YHUH Tzevaot, I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Yisrael:

9 And I was with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies out of your sight and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Yisrael and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore, as before;

11 Even from the time that I commanded shophtim to rule over My people Yisrael and have now caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also YHUH declared to you that He will make you a bayit.

12 And when your yamim are fulfilled and you shall rest with your ahvot, I will set up your zera after you, which shall proceed out of your loins and I will establish his malchut.

13 He shall build a bayit for My Name and I will establish the kesay of his malchut le-olam-va-ed.

14 I will be his Abba and he shall be My Son. If he could commit Torah violations, I would chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men:

15 But My rachamim shall not depart away from Him, as I took it from Shaul, whom I put away before you.

16 And your bayit and your malchut shall be established le-olam-va-ed before you; your kesay shall be established le-olam-va-ed.

17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Natan speak to Dawid.

18 Then went melech Dawid in and sat before YHUH and he said, Who am I, O Master YHUH ? And what is my bayit, that You have brought me this far?

19 And this was yet a small thing in Your sight, O Master YHUH; but You have spoken also of Your eved's bayit for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Master YHUH ?

20 And what can Dawid say more to You? For You, Master YHUH, know Your eved.

21 For Your Word's sake and according to Your own lev, have You done all these great things, to make Your eved know them.

22 Therefore You are great, O YHUH Ahlohim: for there is none like You, neither is there any ahlahim beside You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 And what one nation on the earth is like Your people, like Yisrael, whom Ahlohim went to redeem as a people to Himself and to make for Himself a Name, and to do for Yourself great and awesome things, for Your land, before Your people, whom You redeemed from Mitzrayim, from the goyim and their ahlahim ?

24 For You have confirmed for Yourself Your people Yisrael to be a people to You le-olam-va-ed: and You, YHUH, have become their Ahlohim.

25 And now, O YHUH Ahlohim, the Word that You have spoken concerning Your eved and concerning his bayit, to establish it le-olam-va-ed and now do as You have said.

26 And let Your Name be magnified le-olam-va-ed, saying, YHUH Tzevaot is the Ahlohim over Yisrael: and let the bayit of Your eved Dawid be established before You.

27 For You, O YHUH Tzevaot, Ahlohim of Yisrael, have revealed to Your eved, saying, I will build You a bayit: therefore has Your eved found it in his lev to make this tefillah to You.

28 And now, O Master YHUH, You are The Ahlohim and Your Words are emet and You have promised this tov to Your eved:

29 Therefore now let it please You to bless the bayit of Your eved, that it may continue le-olam-va-ed before You: for You, O Master YHUH, have spoken it: and with Your bracha let the bayit of Your eved be blessed le-olam-va-ed.

8 And after this it came to pass, that Dawid smote the Plishtim and subdued them: and Dawid took Metheg-Ammah out of the hand of the Plishtim.

2 And he smote Moav and measured them with a line, causing them to lie down on the ground; with two lines he measured those to be put to death and with one complete line those to be kept alive. And so the Moavites became Dawid's avadim and brought gifts.

3 Dawid smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehov, melech of Tzovah, as he went to recover his border at the River Euphrates.

4 And Dawid took from him a thousand mirkavot and seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen: and Dawid destroyed all the mirkavah horses, but reserved from them one hundred mirkavot.

5 And when the Arameans of Dameshek came to help Hadadezer melech of Tzovah, Dawid killed twenty two thousand Aramean men.

6 Then Dawid put governors in Aram of Dameshek: and the Arameans became avadim to Dawid and brought gifts. And YHUH preserved Dawid wherever he went.

7 And Dawid took the shields of gold that were on the avadim of Hadadezer and brought them to Yahrushalayim.

8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, melech Dawid took much bronze.

9 When Toi melech of Hamath heard that Dawid had killed the entire army of Hadadezer,

10 Then Toi sent Yoram his son to melech Dawid, to greet him and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and killed him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Yoram brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass:

11 That melech Dawid did dedicate to YHUH, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all goyim that he subdued;

12 Of Aram and of Moav and of the children of Ammon and of the Plishtim and of Amalek and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehov, melech of Tzovah.

13 And Dawid made a name for himself when he returned from smiting the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, being eighteen thousand men.

14 And he put governors in Edom; throughout all Edom he put governors and all those of Edom became Dawid's avadim. And YHUH preserved Dawid wherever he went.

15 And Dawid reigned over kol Yisrael; and Dawid executed mishpat and tzedakah to all his people.

16 And Yoav the son of Tzuruyah was over the army; and Yahushaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

17 And Tzadok the son of Achituv and Achimelech the son of Aviathar, were the kohanim; and Serayahu was the Sopher;

18 And Benyahu the son of Yahoyada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and Dawid's sons were princes.

9 And Dawid said, Is there yet any that is left of Beit Shaul, that I may show him chesed for Yonathan's sake?

2 And there was of Beit Shaul an eved whose name was Tziva. And when they had called him to Dawid, the melech said to him, Are you Tziva? And he said, your eved is he.

3 And the melech said, Is there not yet any left of Beit Shaul, that I may show the chesed of Ahlohim to him? And Tziva said to the melech, Yonathan has yet a son, who is lame on his feet.

4 And the melech said to him, Where is he? And Tziva said to the melech, See, he is in the bayit of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-Devar.

5 Then melech Dawid sent and fetched him out of the bayit of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-Devar.

6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Yonathan, the son of Shaul, had come to Dawid, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. And Dawid said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, See your eved!

7 And Dawid said to him, Fear not: for I will surely show you chesed for Yonathan your abba's sake and will restore to you all the land of Shaul your abba; and you shall eat lechem at my shulchan continually.

8 And he bowed himself and said, What is your eved, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the melech called to Tziva, Shaul's eved and said to him, I have given to your master's son all that pertains to Shaul and to all his bayit.

10 You therefore and your sons and your avadim, shall work the land for him and you shall bring in the fruits, that your master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat lechem always at my shulchan. Now Tziva had fifteen sons and twenty avadim.

11 Then said Tziva to the melech, According to all that my master the melech has commanded his eved, so shall your eved do. As for Mephibosheth, said the melech, he shall eat at my shulchan, as one of the melech's sons.

12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the bayit of Tziva were avadim to Mephibosheth.

13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Yahrushalayim: for he did eat continually at the melech's shulchan; and was lame on both his feet.

10 And it came to pass after this, that the melech of the children of Ammon died and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

2 Then said Dawid, I will show chesed to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his abba showed chesed to me. And Dawid sent to comfort him by the hand of his avadim concerning his abba. And Dawid's avadim came into the land of the children of Ammon.

3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their master, Do you think that Dawid does esteem your abba, in that he has sent comforters to you? Has not Dawid rather sent his avadim to you, to search the city and to spy it out, to overthrow it?

4 So Hanun took Dawid's avadim and shaved off one half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks and sent them away.

5 When they told it to Dawid, he sent to meet them because the men were greatly ashamed: and the melech said, Stay at Yericho until your beards be grown and then return.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become a stench before Dawid, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-Rehov and the Arameans of Zova, twenty thousand footmen and of melech Maacah a thousand men and of Ish-Tov twelve thousand men.

7 And when Dawid heard of it, he sent Yoav and all the army of the mighty men.

8 And the children of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Arameans of Zova and of Rehov and Ish-Tov and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

9 When Yoav saw that the battle was against him in front and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Yisrael and put them in array against the Arameans:

10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Avishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

11 And he said, If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

12 Be of great courage and let us show strength for our people and for the cities of our Ahlohim: and YHUH do that which seems tov to Him.

13 And Yoav drew near and the people that were with him, to the battle against the Arameans: and they fled before him.

14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, then they fled also before Avishai and entered into the city. So Yoav returned from the children of Ammon and came to Yahrushalayim.

15 And when the Arameans saw that they were killed before Yisrael, they gathered themselves together.

16 And Hadarezer sent and brought out the Arameans that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shovach the captain of the army of Hadarezer went before them.

17 And when it was told to Dawid, he gathered kol Yisrael together and passed over the Yarden River and came to Helam. And the Arameans set themselves in array against Dawid and fought with him.

18 And the Arameans fled before Yisrael; and Dawid killed the men of the seven hundred mirkavot of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen and smote Shovach the captain of their army, who died there.

19 And when all the melechim that were avadim to Hadarezer saw that they were killed before Yisrael, they made shalom with Yisrael and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the children of Ammon anymore.

11 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when melechim go forth to battle, that Dawid sent Yoav and his avadim with him and kol Yisrael; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Ravah. But Dawid stayed still at Yahrushalayim.

2 And it came to pass one evening, that Dawid arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the melech's bayit: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And Dawid sent and asked about the woman. And one said, Is not this Bat-Sheva, the daughter of Eliam, the isha of Uriyah the Hittite?

4 And Dawid sent messengers and took her; and she came in to him and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned to her bayit.

5 And the woman conceived and sent and told Dawid and said, I am with child.

6 And Dawid sent to Yoav, saying, Send me Uriyah the Hittite. And Yoav sent Uriyah to Dawid.

7 And when Uriyah came to him, Dawid demanded of him how Yoav did and how the people did and how the war was going.

8 And Dawid said to Uriyah, Go down to your bayit and wash your feet. And Uriyah departed out of the melech's bayit and there followed him a gift of food from the melech.

9 But Uriyah slept at the door of the melech's bayit with all the avadim of his master and went not down to his bayit.

10 And when they had told Dawid, saying, Uriyah went not down to his bayit, Dawid said to Uriyah, Didn’t you come from your journey? Why then did you not go down to your bayit?

11 And Uriyah said to Dawid, The Ark and Yisrael and Yahudah, still stay in tents; and my master Yoav and the avadim of my master, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into my bayit, to eat and to drink and to lie with my isha? As you live and as your chayim lives, I will not do this thing.

12 And Dawid said to Uriyah, Stay here today also and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriyah stayed in Yahrushalayim that yom and the next.

13 And when Dawid had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the avadim of his master, but did not go down to his bayit.

14 And it came to pass in the boker, that Dawid wrote a letter to Yoav and sent it by the hand of Uriyah.

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Put Uriyah in the front of the hottest battle and then abandon him, that he may be killed and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Yoav observed the city that he assigned Uriyah to a place where he knew that brave men were.

17 And the men of the city went out and fought with Yoav: and there fell some of the people of the avadim of Dawid; and Uriyah the Hittite died also.

18 Then Yoav sent and told Dawid all the things concerning the war;

19 And commanded the messenger, saying, When you have made an end of telling the matters of the war to the melech,

20 And if it so be that the melech's anger arise and he says to you, Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know they would shoot from the wall?

21 The same people who smote Avimelech the son of Yeruvesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then you shall say, Your eved Uriyah the Hittite is dead also.

22 So the messenger went and came and showed Dawid all that Yoav had sent him for.

23 And the messenger said to Dawid, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us into the field and we were upon them even to the entering of the gate.

24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon your avadim; and some of the melech's avadim are dead and your eved Uriyah the Hittite is dead also.

25 Then Dawid said to the messenger, This shall you say to Yoav, Let not this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another: make your battle stronger against the city and overthrow it: and encourage him.

26 And when the isha of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27 And when the mourning was past, Dawid sent and fetched her to his bayit and she became his isha and bore him a son. But the thing that Dawid had done displeased YHUH.

12 And YHUH sent Natan to Dawid. And he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished: and it grew up together with him and with his children; it did eat of his own food and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was to him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveler to the rich man and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the traveling man that had come to him; but took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man that had come to him.

5 And Dawid's anger was greatly lit against the man; and he said to Natan, As YHUH lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no rachamim.

7 And Natan said to Dawid, You are the man. This says YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael, I anointed you melech over Yisrael and I delivered you out of the hand of Shaul;

8 And I gave you your master's bayit and your master's wives into your bosom and gave you Beit Yisrael and Beit Yahudah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to you much more.

9 Why have you despised the commandment of YHUH, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriyah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his isha to be your isha and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your bayit; because you have despised Me and have taken the isha of Uriyah the Hittite to be your isha.

11 This says YHUH, See, I will raise up evil against you out of your own bayit and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor and he shall lie with your wives publicly in the sight of the shemesh.

12 For you did it secretly: but I will do this thing before kol Yisrael and before the shemesh.

13 And Dawid said to Natan, I have sinned against YHUH.And Natan said to Dawid,YHUH has put away your sin; you shall not die.

14 However because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of YHUH to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.

15 And Natan departed to his bayit. And YHUH struck the child that Uriyah's isha bore to Dawid and it was very sick.

16 Dawid therefore sought Ahlohim for the child; and Dawid fasted and went in and lay all lyla upon the earth.

17 And the zechanim of his bayit arose and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat lechem with them.

18 And it came to pass on the seventh yom, that the child died. And the avadim of Dawid feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, See, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voice: how will he then react, if we tell him that the child is dead?

19 But when Dawid saw that his avadim whispered, Dawid perceived that the child was dead: therefore Dawid said to his avadim, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20 Then Dawid arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes and came into the Bayit of YHUH and worshipped: then he came to his own bayit; and when he asked, they set food before him and he did eat.

21 Then said his avadim to him, What thing is this that you have done? You did fast and weep for the child, while he was alive; but when the child was dead, you did rise and eat food.

22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether Ahlohim will grant me unmerited chen that the child may live?

23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

24 And Dawid comforted Bat-Sheva his isha and went in to her and lay with her: and she bore a son and he called his name Shlomo: and YHUH loved him.

25 And he sent by the hand of Natan the navi; and he called his name Yedidyah because of YHUH.

26 And Yoav fought against Ravah of the children of Ammon and took the royal city.

27 And Yoav sent messengers to Dawid and said, I have fought against Ravah and have taken the city of Mayim.

28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it: lest I take the city and it be called after my name.

29 And Dawid gathered all the people together and went to Ravah and fought against it and took it.

30 And he took their melech's keter from off his head, the weight of it was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on Dawid's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31 And he brought forth the people that were there and put them under saws and under instruments of iron and under axes of iron and made them pass through the brickworks: and so he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. So Dawid and all the people returned to Yahrushalayim.

13 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom the son of Dawid had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of Dawid loved her.

2 And Amnon was so troubled, that he became sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it improper for him to do anything to her.

3 But Amnon had a chaver, whose name was Yonadah, the son of Shimeah Dawid's brother: and Yonadah was a very wise man.

4 And he said to him, Why are you, being the melech's son, becoming thinner from yom to yom? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Avshalom's sister.

5 And Yonadah said to him, Lay down on your bed and make yourself sick: and when your abba comes to see you, say to him, I ask you, let my sister Tamar come and give me food and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.

6 So Amnon lay down and made himself sick: and when the melech had come to see him, Amnon said to the melech, I ask you, let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.

7 Then Dawid sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's bayit and make him food.

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's bayit; and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and did bake the cakes.

9 And she took a pan and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have all men leave me. And every man went out from him.

10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the bedroom, that I might eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon her brother.

11 And when she had brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister.

12 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing is to be done in Yisrael: do not do this wickedness.

13 And I, how then shall I ever cause my shame to depart? And as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Yisrael. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the melech; for he will not withhold me from you.

14 But he would not listen to her voice: but, being stronger than her, forced her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred with which he hated her was even greater than the ahava with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Arise and get out of here.

16 And she said to him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other evil that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.

17 Then he called his eved that served him and said, Put now this woman out of my room and bolt the door after her.

18 And she had a garment of diverse colors upon her: for with such robes were the melech's daughters that were virgins dressed. Then his eved brought her out and bolted the door after her.

19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her garment of diverse colors that was on her and laid her hand on her head and went away crying.

20 And Avshalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? But hold now your silence, my sister: he is your brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate and horrified in her brother Avshalom's bayit.

21 But when melech Dawid heard of all these things, he was very angry. But he would not inflict pain on his son Amnon’s ruach because he loved him, since he was his bachor.

22 And Avshalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither tov nor bad: for Avshalom hated Amnon because he had forced his sister Tamar to lie with him.

23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Avshalom had sheepshearers in Ba’al-Hatzor, which is next to Efrayim: and Avshalom invited all the melech's sons.

24 And Avshalom came to the melech and said, See now, your eved has sheepshearers; let the melech, I ask you and his avadim go with your eved.

25 And the melech said to Avshalom, No, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be a burden to you. And he pressured him: however he would not go, but blessed him.

26 Then said Avshalom, If not, I beg you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the melech said to him, Why should he go with you?

27 But Avshalom pressured him so that he let Amnon and all the melech's sons go with him.

28 Now Avshalom had commanded his avadim, saying, Take note now when you see Amnon's lev drunk with wine and when I say to you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? Be courageous and be brave.

29 And the avadim of Avshalom did to Amnon as Avshalom had commanded. Then all the melech's sons arose and every man got up upon his mule and fled.

30 And it came to pass, while they were on the derech, that news came to Dawid, saying, Avshalom has slain all the melech's sons and there is not one of them left.

31 Then the melech arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth; and all his avadim stood by with their clothes torn.

32 And Yonadav, the son of Shimeah Dawid's brother, answered and said, Let not my master suppose that they have slain all the young men the melech's sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the order of Avshalom this has been determined from the yom that he forced his sister Tamar.

33 Now therefore let not my master the melech take the thing to his lev, to think that all the melech's sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.

34 But Avshalom fled. And the young man that kept the guard lifted up his eyes and looked and, see, there came many people by the derech of the hillside behind him.

35 And Yonadav said to the melech, See, the melech's sons come: as your eved said, so it is.

36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, see, the melech's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept: and the melech also and all his avadim wept very hard.

37 But Avshalom fled and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, melech of Geshur. And Dawid mourned for his son every yom.

38 So Avshalom fled and went to Geshur and was there three years.

39 And the chayim of melech Dawid longed to go forth to Avshalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon because he was dead.

14 Now Yoav the son of Tzuruyah perceived that the melech's lev was longing for Avshalom.

2 And Yoav sent to Tekoah and fetched there a wise woman and said to her, I ask you, feign yourself to be a mourner and put on now mourning clothes and anoint not yourself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 And come to the melech and speak in this manner to him. So Yoav put the words in her mouth.

4 And when the woman of Tekoah spoke to the melech, she fell on her face to the ground and did prostrate herself and said, Help, O melech.

5 And the melech said to her, What bothers you? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman and my husband is dead.

6 And your female eved had two sons and they two strove together in the field and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and killed him.

7 And, see, the whole mishpacha has risen against your female eved and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the chayim of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my spark of chayim which is left and shall not leave to my husband a name nor a remnant upon the earth.

8 And the melech said to the woman, Go to your bayit and I will give orders concerning you.

9 And the woman of Tekoah said to the melech, My master, O melech, the Torah violations be on me and on my abba's bayit: and the melech and his kesay be guiltless.

10 And the melech said, Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me and he shall not touch you anymore.

11 Then said she, I beg you, let the melech remember YHUH your Ahlohim, that you would not allow the revengers of dahm to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As YHUH lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.

12 Then the woman said, Let your female eved, I ask you, speak one more word to my master the melech. And he said, Go ahead.

13 And the woman said, Why then have you thought such a thing against the people of Ahlohim ? For the melech does speak this thing as one who is at fault, in that the melech does not bring home again his banished.

14 For we will surely die and are as mayim spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does Ahlohim respect any person: yet he devises means, that his banished be not cast out from Him.

15 Now therefore that I have come to speak of this thing to my master the melech, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your female eved said, I will now speak to the melech; it may be that the melech will perform the request of his female eved.

16 For the melech will listen, to deliver his female eved out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of Ahlohim

17 Then your female eved said, The word of my master the melech shall now be comfortable: for as a heavenly malach of Ahlohim, so is my master the melech to discern tov and bad: therefore YHUH your Ahlohim will be with you.

18 Then the melech answered and said to the woman, Hide it not from me, I ask you, the thing that I shall ask you. And the woman said, Let my master the melech now speak.

19 And the melech said, Is not the hand of Yoav with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, As your chayim lives, my master the melech, none can turn to the right hand, or to the left from anything that my master the melech has spoken: for your eved Yoav, he ordered me and he put all these words in the mouth of your female eved:

20 To change the appearance of the matter has your eved Yoav done this thing: and my master is wise, according to the chochmah of a heavenly malach of Ahlohim, to know all things that are in the earth.

21 And the melech said to Yoav, See now, I have done this thing: go therefore and bring the young man Avshalom again.

22 And Yoav fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself and thanked the melech: and Yoav said, Today your eved knows that I have found chen in your sight, my master, O melech, in that the melech has fulfilled the request of his eved.

23 So Yoav arose and went to Geshur and brought Avshalom back to Yahrushalayim.

24 And the melech said, Let him turn to his own bayit and let him not see my face. So Avshalom returned to his own bayit and saw not the melech's face.

25 But in kol Yisrael there was none to be so much esteemed as Avshalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the keter of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 And when he cut his hair, for it was at every year's end that he cut it: because the hair was long on him, therefore he cut it: he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the melech's weight.

27 And to Avshalom there were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.

28 So Avshalom dwelt two full years in Yahrushalayim and saw not the melech's face.

29 Therefore Avshalom sent for Yoav, to have sent him to the melech; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

30 Therefore he said to his avadim, See, Yoav's field is near me and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. And Avshalom's avadim set the field on fire.

31 Then Yoav arose and came to Avshalom to his bayit and said to him, Why have your avadim set my field on fire?

32 And Avshalom answered Yoav, See, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the melech, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? It would have been tov for me to be there still: now therefore let me see the melech's face; and if there be any Torah violations in me, let him kill me.

33 So Yoav came to the melech and told him: and when he had called for Avshalom, he came to the melech and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the melech: and the melech kissed Avshalom.

15 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom prepared mirkavot and horses and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Avshalom rose up early and stood beside the derech of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy and came to the melech for mishpat, then Avshalom called to him and said, Of what city are you? And he said, Your eved is of one of the tribes of Yisrael.

3 And Avshalom said to him, See, your matters are tov and right; but there is no man authorized of the melech to hear you.

4 Avshalom said moreover, If I were made shophet in the land, every man who had any suit, or cause might come to me and I would bring him mishpat!

5 And it was so, that when any man came near to him to do him kavod, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

6 And in this manner did Avshalom to kol Yisrael that came to the melech for mishpat: so Avshalom stole the levavot of the men of Yisrael.

7 And it came to pass after four years, that Avshalom said to the melech, I ask you, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to YHUH, in Chebron.

8 For your eved vowed a vow while I stayed at Geshur in Aram, saying, If YHUH shall bring me again indeed to Yahrushalayim, then I will serve YHUH.

9 And the melech said to him, Go in shalom. So he arose and went to Chebron.

10 But Avshalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Yisrael, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the shofar, then you shall say, Avshalom reigns in Chebron.

11 And with Avshalom went two hundred men out of Yahrushalayim, that were called; and they went unsuspecting and they knew not any thing.

12 And Avshalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, Dawid's counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually who were with Avshalom.

13 And there came a messenger to Dawid, saying, The levavot of the men of Yisrael are with Avshalom.

14 And Dawid said to all his avadim that were with him at Yahrushalayim, Arise and let us flee; for otherwise we shall not escape from Avshalom: let’s hurry to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us and destroy the city with the edge of the sword.

15 And the melech's avadim said to the melech, See; your avadim are ready to do whatever my master the melech shall appoint.

16 And the melech went forth and his entire household after him. And the melech left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the bayit.

17 And the melech went forth and all the people after him and stayed in a place that was far off.

18 And all his avadim passed on with him; and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gat, passed on before the melech.

19 Then said the melech to Ittai the Gittite, Why do you also go with us? Return to your place and stay with the melech: for you are a ger and also an exile from your own place.

20 Whereas you came just yesterday, should I this yom make you go up and down with us? Seeing I go where I have to, return and go back with your brothers: rachamim and emet be with you.

21 And Ittai answered the melech and said, As YHUH lives and as my master the melech lives, surely in whatever place my master the melech shall be, whether in death, or chayim, even there also will your eved be.

22 And Dawid said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all the little ones that were with him.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice and all the people passed over: the melech also himself passed over the brook Kidron and all the people passed over, toward the derech of the wilderness.

24 And see Tzadok also and all the Lewiym were with him, bearing the Ark of the Testimony of Ahlohim: and they put down the Ark of Ahlohim; and Aviathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

25 And the melech said to Tzadok, Carry back the Ark of Ahlohim into the city: if I shall find chen in the eyes of YHUH, He will bring me again and show me both it and His dwelling:

26 But if He says, I have no delight in you; see, hinayne, let Him do to me as seems tov to Him.

27 The melech said also to Tzadok the kohen, Are not you a seer? Return into the city in shalom with your two sons with you; Achimaatz your son and Yonathan the son of Aviathar.

28 See, I will stay in the plain of the wilderness, until there comes word from you to inform me.

29 Tzadok therefore and Aviathar carried the Ark of Ahlohim again to Yahrushalayim: and they stayed there.

30 And Dawid went up by the ascent of Har of Olives and wept as he went up and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

31 And one told Dawid, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Avshalom. And Dawid said, O YHUH, I make tefillah to You; turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

32 And it came to pass, that when Dawid was come to the top-The Skull of the har, where he worshipped Ahlohim, see, Chushi the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth upon his head:

33 To whom Dawid said, If you pass on with me, then you shall be a burden to me:

34 But if you return to the city and say to Avshalom, I will be your eved, O melech; as I have been your abba's eved now will I be your eved: then I may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 And have you not there with you Tzadok and Aviathar the kohanim? Therefore it shall be, that whatever thing you shall hear out of Avshalom’s bayit, you shall tell it to Tzadok and Aviathar the kohanim.

36 See, they have there with them their two sons, Achimaatz Tzadok's son and Yonathan Aviathar's son; and by them you shall send to me everything that you can hear.

37 So Chushi Dawid's chaver came into the city and Avshalom came into Yahrushalayim.

16 And when Dawid was a little past the top of the hill, see, Tziva the eved of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled and upon them two hundred loaves of lechem and one hundred bunches of raisins and one hundred summer fruits and a bottle of wine.

2 And the melech said to Tziva, What is the purpose for all these? And Tziva said, The donkeys are for the melech's household to ride on; and the lechem and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.

3 And the melech said: And where is your master's son? And Tziva said to the melech, See, he stays at Yahrushalayim: for he said, Today shall Beit Yisrael restore to me the malchut of my abba.

4 Then said the melech to Tziva, See; all that pertains to Mephibosheth is now yours. And Tziva said, I humbly beseech you that I may find chen in your sight, my master, O melech.

5 And when melech Dawid came to Bachurim, see, there came out a man of the mishpacha of Beit Shaul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth and cursed still as he came.

6 And he cast stones at Dawid and at all the avadim of melech Dawid: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

7 And Shimei said when he cursed, Come out, come out, you bloody man; you man of Beliyaal:

8 YHUH has returned upon you all the dahm of Beit Shaul, in whose place you have reigned; and YHUH has delivered the malchut into the hand of Avshalom your son: and, see, you are taken in your mischief because you are a bloody man.

9 Then said Avishai the son of Tzuruyah to the melech, Why should this dead dog curse my master the melech? Let me go over, I beg you and take off his head.

10 And the melech said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Tzuruyah? So let him curse because YHUH has said to him, Curse Dawid. Who shall then say, Why did this happen?

11 And Dawid said to Avishai and to all his avadim, See, my son, who came out of my loins, seeks my chayim: so how much more than that can this Benyamite do? Leave him alone and let him curse; for YHUH has ordered him.

12 It may be that YHUH will look on my affliction and that YHUH will repay me tov for his cursing this yom.

13 And as Dawid and his men went by the derech, Shimei went along on the hill's side opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and cast dust.

14 And the melech and all the people that were with him, became weary and refreshed themselves there.

15 And Avshalom and all the people, the men of Yisrael, came to Yahrushalayim and Ahithophel with him.

16 And it came to pass, when Chushi the Archite, Dawid's chaver, was come to Avshalom that Chushi said to Avshalom, Le-chayim to the melech, Le-chayim to the melech.

17 And Avshalom said to Chushi, Is this your chesed to your chaver? Why didn’t you go with your chaver?

18 And Chushi said to Avshalom, No; but whom YHUH and this people and all the men of Yisrael, choose, his will I be and with him will I stay.

19 And again, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your abba's presence, so will I be in your presence.

20 Then said Avshalom to Ahithophel, Give your counsel; what we shall do?

21 And Ahithophel said to Avshalom, Go in to your abba's concubines, which he has left to keep the bayit; and kol Yisrael shall hear that you are abhorred by your abba: then shall the hands of all that are with you be strong.

22 So they spread Avshalom a tent upon the top of the bayit; and Avshalom went in to his abba's concubines in the sight of kol Yisrael.

23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he advised in those yamim, was as if a man had inquired of the Words of Ahlohim: so was all the advice of Ahithophel both with Dawid and with Avshalom.

17 Moreover Ahithophel said to Avshalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men and I will arise and pursue after Dawid this lyla:

2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the melech only:

3 And I will bring back all the people to you: when all the people return except the man whom you seek; then all the people shall be in shalom.

4 And the saying pleased Avshalom well and all the zechanim of Yisrael.

5 Then said Avshalom, Call now Chushi the Archite also and let us hear likewise what he says.

6 And when Chushi had come to Avshalom, Avshalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we do what he advises? If not, tell me.

7 And Chushi said to Avshalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given is not tov at this time.

8 For, said Chushi, you know your abba and his men, that they are mighty men and they are bitter, as a bear robbed of her cubs in the field: and your abba is a man of war and will not be staying with the people.

9 See, he is hidden now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are overthrown at the start, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Avshalom.

10 And he also that is brave, whose lev is as the lev of a lion, shall utterly melt: for kol Yisrael knows that your abba is a mighty man and those who are with him are brave men.

11 Therefore I advise that kol Yisrael be gathered to you, from Dan even to Be-er-Sheva, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle yourself in their midst.

12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found and we will fall upon him as the dew falls on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left even one.

13 Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then shall kol Yisrael bring ropes to that city and we will draw it into the river, until there is not one small stone found there.

14 And Avshalom and all the men of Yisrael said, The counsel of Chushi the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For YHUH had appointed to defeat the tov counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that YHUH might bring evil upon Avshalom.

15 Then said Chushi to Tzadok and to Aviathar the kohanim, This and this did Ahithophel counsel Avshalom and the zechanim of Yisrael; and this and this have I advised.

16 Now therefore send quickly and tell Dawid, saying, Stay not this lyla in the plains of the wilderness, but quickly pass over; lest the melech be swallowed up and all the people that are with him.

17 Now Yonathan and Achimaatz stayed by En-Rogel; so they might not be seen coming into the city: and a female eved went and told them; and they went and told melech Dawid.

18 Nevertheless a youth saw them and told Avshalom: but they went both of them away quickly and came to a man's bayit in Bachurim, which had a well in its court; where they went down into it.

19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.

20 And when Avshalom's avadim came to the woman to the bayit, they said, Where are Achimaatz and Yonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of mayim. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Yahrushalayim.

21 And it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told melech Dawid and said to Dawid, Arise and pass quickly over the mayim: for this is what Ahithophel advised against you.

22 Then Dawid arose and all the people that were with him and they passed over the Yarden River: by the boker ohr not even one of them had not gone over the Yarden River.

23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and came home to his bayit, to his city and put his household in order and hanged himself and died and was buried in the tomb of his abba.

24 Then Dawid came to Machanayim. And Avshalom passed over the Yarden River, he and all the men of Yisrael with him.

25 And Avshalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Yoav: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra a Yisraelite, that went in to Avigail the daughter of Nachash, sister to Tzuruyah Yoav's eema.

26 So Yisrael and Avshalom camped in the land of Gilad.

27 And it came to pass, when Dawid was come to Machanayim, that Shovi the son of Nachash of Ravah of the children of Ammon and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-Devar and Barzillai the Giladi of Rogelim,

28 Brought beds and basins and earthen vessels and wheat and barley and flour and parched grain and beans and lentils and parched pulse,

29 And honey and butter and sheep and cheese of cows, for Dawid and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people are hungry and weary and thirsty, in the wilderness.

18 And Dawid numbered the people that were with him and set officers of thousands and officers of hundreds over them.

2 And Dawid sent out a third part of the people under the hand of Yoav and a third part under the hand of Avishai the son of Tzuruyah, Yoav's brother and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the melech said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

3 But the people answered, You shall not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care about us; neither if half of us die, will they care about us: but now you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that you support us out of the city.

4 And the melech said to them, What seems to you best I will do. And the melech stood beside the gate and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 And the melech commanded Yoav and Avishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Avshalom. So all the people heard when the melech gave all the officers orders concerning Avshalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Yisrael: and the battle was in the forest of Efrayim;

7 There the people of Yisrael were slain before the avadim of Dawid and there was there a great slaughter that yom of twenty thousand men.

8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the forest devoured more people that yom than the sword devoured.

9 And Avshalom met the avadim of Dawid. And Avshalom rode upon a mule and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak and his head caught hold of the oak and he was hung up between the shamayim and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw it and told Yoav and said, See, I saw Avshalom hung in an oak.

11 And Yoav said to the man that told him: And, you saw him, why then did you not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.

12 And the man said to Yoav, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the melech's son: for in our hearing the melech charged you and Avishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Avshalom.

13 Otherwise I would have brought falsehood into my own chayim: for there is no matter hidden from the melech and you yourself would have set yourself against me.

14 Then said Yoav, I won’t waste time here with you. And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the lev of Avshalom, while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.

15 And ten young men that bore Yoav's armor also surrounded and smote Avshalom and killed him.

16 And Yoav blew the shofar and the people returned from pursuing after Yisrael: for Yoav held back the people.

17 And they took Avshalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and kol Yisrael fled every one to his tent.

18 Now Avshalom in his lifetime had taken and built up for himself a pillar, which is in the melech's valley: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called to this yom, Avshalom's Monument.

19 Then said Achimaatz the son of Tzadok, Let me now run and bear the melech news, how that YHUH has avenged him of his enemies.

20 And Yoav said to him, You shall not bear news this yom, but you shall bear news another yom: but this yom you shall bear no news because the melech's son is dead.

21 Then said Yoav to the Kushi, Go tell the melech what you have seen. And the Kushi bowed himself to Yoav and ran.

22 Then said Achimaatz the son of Tzadok yet again to Yoav, Why should not I run too after the Kushi. And Yoav said, Why will you run, my son, seeing that you have no news to bring you a reward?

23 But, said he, what is the difference, let me run. And he said to him, Run. Then Achimaatz ran by the derech of the plain and overtook Kushi.

24 And Dawid sat between the two gates: and the watchmen went up to the roof over the gate to the wall; and lifted up his eyes and looked and saw a man running alone.

25 And the watchman cried and told the melech. And the melech said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came closer and drew near.

26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, See another man is running alone. And the melech said, He also brings news.

27 And the watchman said, I think the running of the first is like the running of Achimaatz the son of Tzadok. And the melech said, He is a tov man and comes with tov news.

28 And Achimaatz called and said to the melech, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the melech and said, Blessed be YHUH your Ahlohim, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my master the melech.

29 And the melech said, Is the young man Avshalom safe? And Achimaatz answered, When Yoav sent the melech's eved and me your eved, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

30 And the melech said to him, Turn aside and stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.

31 And, see, the Kushi came; and the Kushi said, There is news, my master the melech: for YHUH has avenged you this yom of all them that rose up against you.

32 And the melech said to the Kushi, Is the young man Avshalom safe? And the Kushi answered, The enemies of my master the melech and all that rise against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.

33 And the melech was much moved and went up to the bedroom over the gate and wept: and as he went, this he said, Oy my son Avshalom, my son, my son Avshalom! Would to Ahlohim I had died for you, O Avshalom, my son, my son!

19 And it was told Yoav, See, the melech weeps and mourns for Avshalom.

2 And the victory that yom was turned into mourning for all the people: for the people heard that yom how the melech was grieved for his son.

3 And the people concealed themselves that yom as they returned back into the city, as people who are ashamed flee in battle.

4 But the melech covered his face and the melech cried with a loud voice, Oy my son Avshalom, Oy Avshalom, my son, my son!

5 And Yoav came into the bayit to the melech and said, You have put to shame this yom all your avadim, who have saved your chayim and the chayim of your sons and of your daughters and the chayim of your wives and the chayim of your concubines;

6 In that you loved your enemies and hated your chaverim. For you have declared this yom, that you regard neither your princes, or avadim: for this yom I perceive, that if Avshalom had lived and all of us had died this yom, then it would have pleased you well.

7 Now therefore arise, go forth and speak comfortably to your avadim: for I swear by YHUH, if you go not forth, there will not stay one man with you this lyla: and that will be worse to you than all the evil that befell you from your youth until now.

8 Then the melech arose and sat in the gate. And they told to all the people, saying, See, the melech does sit in the gate. And all the people came before the melech: for Yisrael had fled every man to his tent.

9 And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Yisrael, saying, The melech saved us out of the hand of our enemies and he delivered us out of the hand of the Plishtim; but now he is fled out of the land for Avshalom.

10 And Avshalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why are you silent about bringing the melech back?

11 And melech Dawid sent to Tzadok and to Aviathar the kohanim, saying, Speak to the zechanim of Yahudah, saying, Why are you the last to bring the melech back to his bayit? Seeing the talk of kol Yisrael has come to the melech, even to his bayit.

12 You are my brothers, you are my bones and my flesh: why then are you the last to bring back the melech?

13 And say to Amasa, Are you not of my bone and of my flesh? Ahlohim do so to me and more also, if you are not captain of the army before me continually in place of Yoav.

14 And he bowed the lev of all the men of Yahudah, even as the lev of one man; so that they sent this word to the melech, Return and all your avadim.

15 So the melech returned and came to the Yarden River. And Yahudah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the melech, to accompany the melech over the Yarden River.

16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benyamite, who was of Bachurim, hurried and came down with the men of Yahudah to meet melech Dawid.

17 And there were a thousand men of Benyamin with him and Tziva the eved of the bayit of Shaul and his fifteen sons and his twenty avadim with him; and they went over the Yarden River before the melech.

18 And they built rafts to bring over the melech's household and to do what he thought tov. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the melech, as he crossed over the Yarden River;

19 And said to the melech, Let not my master impute Torah violations to me, neither remember that which your eved did perversely the yom that my master the melech went out of Yahrushalayim, that the melech should take it to his lev.

20 For your eved does know that I have sinned: therefore, see, I have come today as the first of all of Beit Yoseph to go down to meet my master the melech.

21 But Avishai the son of Tzuruyah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed YHUH 's anointed?

22 And Dawid said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Tzuruyah, that you should this yom be adversaries to me? Shall there any man be put to death this yom in Yisrael? For do not I know that I am this yom melech over Yisrael?

23 Therefore the melech said to Shimei, You shall not die. And the melech swore to him.

24 And Mephibosheth the son of Shaul came down to meet the melech and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the yom the melech departed until the yom he came again in shalom.

25 And it came to pass, when he had come to Yahrushalayim to meet the melech, that the melech said to him, Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?

26 And he answered, My master, O melech, my eved deceived me: for your eved said, I will saddle myself a donkey, that I may ride on it and go to the melech; because your eved is lame.

27 And he has slandered your eved to my master the melech; but my master the melech is as a heavenly malach of Ahlohim: do therefore what is tov in your eyes.

28 For all of my abba's bayit were but dead men before my master the melech: yet did you set your eved among them that did eat at your own shulchan. What right therefore have I yet to cry anymore to the melech?

29 And the melech said to him, Why speak you anymore of your matters? I have said, You and Tziva divide the land.

30 And Mephibosheth said to the melech, Yes, let him take all, forasmuch as my master the melech has come again in shalom to his own bayit.

31 And Barzillai the Giladi came down from Rogelim and went over the Yarden River with the melech, to accompany him over the Yarden River.

32 Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old: and he had provided the melech provisions while he lay at Machanayim, for he was a very rich man.

33 And the melech said to Barzillai, Come over with me and I will feed you with me in Yahrushalayim.

34 And Barzillai said to the melech, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the melech to Yahrushalayim?

35 I am this yom eighty years old: and can I discern between tov and evil? Can your eved taste what I eat, or what I drink? Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your eved be still a burden to my master the melech?

36 Your eved can hardly cross over the Yarden River with the melech: and why should the melech repay me with such a reward?

37 Let your eved, I beg you, turn back again, that I may die in my own city and be buried by the grave of my abba and of my eema. But see your eved Chimham; let him go over with my master the melech; and do to him what shall seem tov to you.

38 And the melech answered, Chimham shall go over with me and I will do to him that which shall seem tov to you: and whatever you shall require of me, that will I do for you.

39 And all the people went over the Yarden River. And when the melech had come over, the melech kissed Barzillai and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

40 Then the melech went on to Gilgal and Chimham went on with him: and all the people of Yahudah accompanied the melech and also half the people of Yisrael.

41 And, see, all the men of Yisrael came to the melech and said to the melech, Why have our brothers the men of Yahudah stolen you away and have brought the melech and his household and all Dawid's men with him, over the Yarden River?

42 And all the men of Yahudah answered the men of Yisrael, Because the melech is a near relative to us! Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the melech's expense? Or, has he given us any special gift?

43 And the men of Yisrael answered the men of Yahudah and said, We have ten parts in the melech and we have also more right in Dawid than you: why then did you despise us, was it not our advice first to bring back our melech? And the words of the men of Yahudah were fiercer than the words of the men of Yisrael.

20 And there happened to be there a man of Beliyaal, whose name was Sheva, the son of Bichri, a Benyamite: and he blew a shofar and said, We have no part in Dawid, neither have we any inheritance in the son of Yishai: every man back to his tents, Yisrael.

2 So every man of Yisrael went up from following after Dawid and followed Sheva the son of Bichri: but the men of Yahudah clung to their melech, from the Yarden River even to Yahrushalayim.

3 And Dawid came to his bayit at Yahrushalayim; and the melech took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to look after the bayit and put them in a protected bayit and fed them, but went not in to them. So they were shut up to the yom of their death, living in widowhood.

4 Then said the melech to Amasa, Assemble the men of Yahudah within three yamim and be here present.

5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Yahudah: but he stayed longer than the set time that he had appointed him.

6 And Dawid said to Avishai, Now shall Sheva the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Avshalom: take you your master's avadim and pursue after him, lest he get for himself fortified cities and escapes us.

7 And there went out after him Yoav's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men: and they went out of Yahrushalayim, to pursue after Sheva the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone that is in Giveon, Amasa went before them. And Yoav's garment that he had put on was girded to him and upon it a girdle with a sword attached to his loins in the sheath; and as he went forward it fell out.

9 And Yoav said to Amasa, Shalom, my brother? And Yoav took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Yoav's hand: so he smote him with it in the stomach and shed out his insides to the ground and struck him not again; and he died. So Yoav and Avishai his brother pursued after Sheva the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Yoav's men stood by him and said, He that favors Yoav and is also for Dawid, let him follow Yoav.

12 And Amasa wallowed in dahm in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and cast a garment upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Yoav, to pursue after Sheva the son of Bichri.

14 And he went through all the tribes of Yisrael to Avel and to Beth-Maachah and all the Berites: and they were gathered together and went also after him.

15 And they came and besieged him in Avel of Beth-Maachah and they cast up a siege mound against the city and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Yoav battered the wall, to throw it down.

16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Shema, listen; Please say to Yoav, Come near here, so that I may speak with you.

17 And when he was come near to her, the woman said, Are you Yoav? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your female eved. And he answered, I do listen.

18 Then she spoke, saying, In former times, they said, They shall surely ask counsel at Avel: and so all matters were ended.

19 I am one of those that are peaceful and faithful in Yisrael: you seek to destroy a city and an eema in Yisrael: why will you swallow up the inheritance of YHUH ?

20 And Yoav answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up, or destroy you, or your city.

21 That’s not the issue: but a man of Har Efrayim, Sheva the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the melech, even against Dawid: deliver him only and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Yoav, See, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

22 Then the woman went to all the people in her chochmah. And they cut off the head of Sheva the son of Bichri and cast it out to Yoav. And he blew a shofar and they returned from the city, every man to his tent. And Yoav returned to Yahrushalayim to the melech.

23 Now Yoav was over all the army of Yisrael: and Benyahu the son of Yahoyada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Yahushaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

25 And Shewa was Sopher: and Tzadok and Aviathar were the kohanim:

26 And Aza also the Yairite was a kohen to Dawid.

21 Then there was a famine in the yamim of Dawid three years, year after year; and Dawid inquired of YHUH. And YHUH answered, It is for Shaul and for his bloody bayit because he killed the Giveonites.

2 And the melech called the Giveonites and said to them now the Giveonites were not of the children of Yisrael, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Yisrael had sworn to them: and Shaul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Yisrael and Yahudah .

3 Therefore Dawid said to the Giveonites, What shall I do for you? And how shall I make the keporah that you may bless the inheritance of YHUH ?

4 And the Giveonites said to him, We will have no silver, or gold from Shaul, nor from his bayit; neither for us shall you kill any man in Yisrael. And he said, What you shall say, that will I do for you.

5 And they answered the melech, The man that consumed us and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Yisrael,

6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered to us and we will hang them up to YHUH in Givat of Shaul, whom YHUH did choose. And the melech said, I will give them.

7 But the melech spared Mephibosheth, the son of Yonathan the son of Shaul because of YHUH 's oath that was between them, between Dawid and Yonathan the son of Shaul.

8 But the melech took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she bore to Shaul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Shaul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Giveonites and they hanged them in the hill before YHUH: and they fell all seven together and were put to death in the yamim of harvest, in the first yamim, in the beginning of the barley harvest.

10 And Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until mayim dropped upon them out of the shamayim and allowed neither the birds of the air to rest on them by yom, nor the beasts of the field by lyla.

11 And it was told Dawid what Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, the concubine of Shaul, had done.

12 And Dawid went and took the bones of Shaul and the bones of Yonathan his son from the men of Yavesh-Gilad, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-Shan, where the Plishtim had hanged them, when the Plishtim had slain Shaul in Gilboa:

13 And he brought up from there the bones of Shaul and the bones of Yonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

14 And the bones of Shaul and Yonathan his son they buried in the country of Benyamin in Tzelah, in the tomb of Kish his abba: and they performed all that the melech commanded. And after that Ahlohim heard the tefillah for the land.

15 Moreover the Plishtim had war again with Yisrael; and Dawid went down and his avadim with him and fought against the Plishtim: and Dawid grew weary.

16 And Yishbo-Benov, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought he had slain Dawid.

17 But Avishai the son of Tzuruyah helped him and smote the Plishti and killed him. Then the men of Dawid swore to him, saying, You shall go no more out with us to battle, that you quench not the ohr of Yisrael.

18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Plishtim at Gov: then Sivechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.

19 And there was again a battle in Gov with the Plishtim, where Elchanan the son of Yaare-Oregim, a Beth-Lechemite, killed the brother of Golyat the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 And there was a battle in Gat again, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers and on every foot six toes, twenty-four in total; and he also was born to the giant.

21 And when he defied Yisrael, Yonathan the son of Shimea the brother of Dawid killed him.

22 These four were born to the giant in Gat and fell by the hand of Dawid and by the hand of his avadim.

22 And Dawid spoke to YHUH the words of this shir in the yom that YHUH had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Shaul:

2 And he said, YHUH is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer;

3 The Ahlohim of my Rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield and the horn of myOSWHY, my High Tower and my Refuge, my Savior; You save me from violence.

4 I will call on YHUH, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.

5 When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of wicked men made me afraid;

6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death were before me;

7 In my distress I called upon YHUH and cried to my Ahlohim: and He did listen to my voice out of His Hekal and my cry did enter into His ears.

8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the shamayim moved and shook because He was angry.

9 There went up a smoke out of His nostrils and devouring fire out of His mouth: coals were lit by it.

10 He bowed the shamayim also and came down; and darkness was under His feet.

11 And He rode upon a cheruv and did fly: and He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12 And He made darkness as pavilions around Him, dark mayim and thick clouds of the skies.

13 Through the brightness before Him were coals of fire lit.

14 YHUH thundered from the shamayim and the Most High uttered His voice.

15 And He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning and thwarted them.

16 And the channels of the sea appeared; the foundations of the olam were discovered, at the rebuking of YHUH, at the blast of The Ruach of His nostrils.

17 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many mayim;

18 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19 They confronted me in the yom of my calamity: but YHUH was my support.

20 He brought me forth also into a large place: He delivered me because He delighted in me.

21 YHUH rewarded me according to my tzedakah: according to the cleanness of my hands has He repaid me.

22 For I have kept the halacha of YHUH and have not wickedly departed from my Ahlohim.

23 For all His mishpatim were before me: and as for His chukim, I did not depart from them.

24 I was also upright before Him and have kept myself from Torah violations.

25 Therefore YHUH has repaid me according to my tzedakah; according to my cleanness in His eyes.

26 With those showing rachamim, You will show Yourself with rachamim and with the tzadik man, You will show Yourself tzadik.

27 With the pure, You will show Yourself pure; and with the perverse You will show Yourself twisted.

28 And the afflicted people you will save: but Your eyes are upon the proud, that You may bring them down.

29 For You are my Lamp, O YHUH: and YHUH will lighten my darkness.

30 For by You I have run through a troop: by my Ahlohim have I leaped over a wall.

31 As for El, His derech is perfect; The Word of YHUH is tried: He is a shield to all those that trust in Him.

32 For who is El, except YHUH ? And who is A Rock, except our Ahlohim ?

33 El is my strength and power: and He makes my derech perfect.

34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer: and sets me upon my high places.

35 He teaches my hands to make war; so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.

36 You have also given me the shield of YourOSWHY: and Your gentleness has made me great.

37 You have enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; and returned not again until I had consumed them.

39 And I have consumed them and wounded them, so that they could not rise: yes, they are fallen under my feet.

40 For You have girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me have You subdued under me.

41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

42 They looked, but there was none to save; even to YHUH, but He answered them not.

43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the dirt of the street and did spread them abroad.

44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people, You have kept me to be head of the heathen goyim: a people whom I knew not shall serve me.

45 Strangers shall submit themselves to me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient to me.

46 Strangers shall fade away and they shall be restrained from their derachot.

47 YHUH lives; and blessed be my Rock; and exalted is the Ahlohim of The Rock of my Yahusha.

48 El who avenges me and who brings down the peoples under me,

49 And who brings me forth from my enemies: You also have lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: You have delivered me from the violent man.

50 Therefore I will give hodu to You, O YHUH, among the heathen and I will sing tehillot to Your Name.

51 He is the Tower of salvation for His melech: and shows rachamim to His anointed, to Dawid and to his zera le-olam-va-ed.

23 Now these are the last words of Dawid. Dawid the son of Yishai said and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the Ahlohim of Yaakov and the sweet psalmist of Yisrael, said,

2 The Ruach of YHUH spoke by me and His Word was on my tongue.

3 The Ahlohim of Yisrael said, The Rock of Yisrael spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of Ahlohim.

4 And he shall be as the ohr of the boker, when the shemesh rises, even a boker without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

5 Although my bayit be not so with El; yet He has made with me an everlasting brit, ordered me in all sure things: for this is all for my salvation and all for my desire; He will not allow others to grow.

6 The sons of Beliyaal shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands:

7 But the man that shall touch them must be fortified with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom Dawid had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the officers; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he killed at one time.

9 And after him was El-Azar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with Dawid, when they defied the Plishtim that were there gathered together to battle, when the men of Yisrael had gone up:

10 He arose and smote the Plishtim until his hand was weary and his hand clung to the sword: and YHUH brought a great victory that yom; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Ahge the Ararite. And the Plishtim were gathered together into a company, where there was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Plishtim.

12 But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and killed the Plishtim: and YHUH brought a great victory.

13 And three of the valiant men went down and came to Dawid in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Plishtim camped in the Valley of Refayim.

14 And Dawid was then in a stronghold and the watch-post of the Plishtim was then in Beth-Lechem.

15 And Dawid longed and said, Oh that one would give me drink from the mayim of the well of Beth-Lechem, which is by the gate!

16 And the three mighty men broke through the army of the Plishtim and drew mayim out of the well of Beth-Lechem, that was by the gate and took it and brought it to Dawid: nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to YHUH.

17 And he said, Be it far from me, O YHUH, that I should do this: is not this the dahm of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 And Avishai, the brother of Yoav, the son of Tzuruyah, was first among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them and had a name among three.

19 Was he not most honorable of the three? Therefore he was their captain: but he did not come to the first three.

20 And Benanyahu the son of Yahuyadah, the son of a brave man, of Kavzeel, who had done many acts, he killed two men like lions of Moav: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow:

21 And he killed a Mitzri, an impressive man: and the Mitzri had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Mitzri's hand and killed him with his own spear.

22 These things did Benanyahu of Yahuyadah and had the name among three mighty men.

23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And Dawid set him over his guard.

24 Asah-El the brother of Yoav was one of the thirty; Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beth-Lechem,

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the Paltite, Eyra the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 Avi-Ezer the Anethothite, Mevunnai the Hushathite,

28 Tzalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Helev the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Rivai out of Givah of the children of Benyamin,

30 Benayahu the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31 Avi-Alvon the Arvathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Elyahva the Shaalvonite, of the sons of Yashen, Yonathan,

33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahyam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasvai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliyam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35 Hetzrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arvite,

36 Yigal the son of Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadite,

37 Tzelek the Ammonite, Nacharai the Be-erothite, armor-bearer to Yoav the son of Tzuruyah,

38 Eyra the Yithrite, Garev a Yithrite,

39 And Uriyah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

24 And again the anger of YHUH was lit against Yisrael and He moved Dawid against them to say, Go, number Yisrael and Yahudah

2 For the melech said to Yoav the captain of the army, who was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Yisrael, from Dan even to Be-er-Sheva and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3 And Yoav said to the melech, Now even if YHUH your Ahlohim adds to the people, a hundredfold more than there are, so that the eyes of my master the melech may see it: why does my master the melech delight in this thing?

4 Nevertheless the melech's word prevailed against Yoav and against the officers of the army. And Yoav and the officers of the army went out from the presence of the melech, to number the people of Yisrael.

5 And they passed over the Yarden River and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lies in the midst of the river of Gad and toward Yazer:

6 Then they came to Gilad and to the land of Tahtim-Hodshi; and they came to Dan-Yaan and around to Tzidon,

7 And came to the stronghold of Tzor and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Kanaanites: and they went out to the south of Yahudah, even to Be-er-Sheva.

8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Yahrushalayim at the end of nine chodashem and twenty yamim.

9 And Yoav gave the sum of the number of the people to the melech: and there were in Yisrael eight hundred thousand brave men that drew the sword; and the men of Yahudah were five hundred thousand men.

10 And Dawid's lev convicted him after he had numbered the people. And Dawid said to YHUH, I have sinned greatly in what I have done: and now, I beseech you, O YHUH, take away the Torah violations of Your eved; for I have done very foolishly.

11 For when Dawid was up in the boker, The Word of YHUH came to the navi Gad, Dawid's seer, saying,

12 Go and say to Dawid, This says YHUH, I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you.

13 So Gad came to Dawid and told him and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or, will you flee three chodashem before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or, will you that there be three yamim' pestilence in your land? Now advise me and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.

14 And Dawid said to Gad, I am in a great trouble now: let us fall now into the Hand of YHUH, for His rachamim are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

15 So YHUH sent a pestilence upon Yisrael from the boker even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Be-er-Sheva seventy thousand men.

16 And when The Malach stretched out His hand upon Yahrushalayim to destroy it, YHUH relented of the evil and said to The Malach that destroyed the people, It is enough: now stop Your hand. And The Malach-YHUH was by the threshing place of Aravnah the Yevusite.

17 And Dawid spoke to YHUH when he saw The Heavenly Malach that smote the people and said, See, I have sinned and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I beg you, be against me and against my abba's bayit.

18 And Gad came that yom to Dawid and said to him, Go up, raise an altar to YHUH on the threshing floor of Aravnah the Yevusite.

19 And Dawid, according to the saying of Gad, went up as YHUH commanded.

20 And Aravnah looked and saw the melech and his avadim coming toward him: and Aravnah went out and bowed himself before the melech with his face upon the ground.

21 And Aravnah said, Why is my master the melech come to his eved? And Dawid said, To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to YHUH, that the plague may be stopped from among the people.

22 And Aravnah said to Dawid, Let my master the melech take and offer up what seems tov to him: see, here are cattle for burnt sacrifice and threshing instruments and other instruments of the cattle for wood.

23 All these things O Melech, Aravnah gives to the melech. And Aravnah said to the melech, May YHUH your Ahlohim accept you.

24 And the melech said to Aravnah, No; but I will surely buy it from you at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings to YHUH my Ahlohim of that which costs me nothing. So Dawid bought the threshing floor and the cattle for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And Dawid built there an altar to YHUH and offered burnt offerings and shalom offerings. So YHUH answered the tefillot for the land and the plague was stopped from Yisrael. X

SECOND SAMUEL

• 2ᵑͩ 1:18 Efrayim and Manasseh, remained constantly in the house of Jacob [in Goshen-Egypt], together with the children of the sons of Jacob their brethren, to learn the ways of YAH and His Torah. We see then that the people who would later fill the nations through the ten tribes, began life in Jacob’s house in Egypt learning Torah. That alone makes Efraimites bona fide Yisraelites!

• 2ᵑͩ 1:26 This is not a reference to any alleged homosexual relationship as some perversely declare. It is a mere figure of speech in a song.

• 2ᵑͩ 2:4 But not yet over the House of Efrayim-Israel. Even before unification under Dawid, there was some subtle division between the North and South, though we cannot say for certain that the numbers of ten tribes versus two tribes + Lewi was the same as in the eventual Jeroboam-Rehoboam split.

• 2ᵑͩ 2:9 Also note that the Assyrians were not biological Yisraelites at this time but still were considered Israel, by joining the House of Israel along with other tribes.

• 2ᵑͩ 2:9 We see the two houses at an embryonic point, although the alignment shifted when the big split occurred in 921 BCE, when Benjamin was in the south with Judah and no longer with Efrayim.

• 2ᵑͩ 2:28 A two-house military encounter, ended by words of peace and sanity. May there be more people today sounding forth this message of peace between the two houses of Israel.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:1 Two houses before they were unified.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:3 Absalom had non-Yisraelite blood from his mother.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:10 Avner swears to now switch to Dawid’s side and help unite both houses under Dawid, in revenge against Ishbosheth’s false accusation.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:12 May all believers enter a similar brit with YAH , to bring all believers back to the House of Dawid and out of the nations and their false deities.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:19 Avner becomes a key figure in trying to unite both houses under Dawid.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:19 In those days the house of Benjamin was synonymous with the House of Efrayim and the House of Israel.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:21 Avner was performing YAH’s will as it remains to this day. Only through Dawid’s son the King Messiah can Israel be one again.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:27 All two-house messengers seeking unity like Avner, are targets for death inflicted by the enemies of Yisraelite unity.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:29 Dawid pronounces a curse on anyone in Joav's future lineage. A curse from YAH also remains on anyone who tries to stop two-house unity and restoration either in ignorance, or with malice and purpose. Remember: The curse on those who fight YAH’s perfect will, will be like the one placed on Joav.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:32 Weeping for the unity that could have come sooner.

• 2ᵑͩ 3:36 The House of Saul, or Israel was so impressed with Dawid’s love for both houses, that even former enemies made peace.

• 2ᵑͩ 4:2 Non-Yisraelites mixed with Benjamin and today Benjamin is mixed primarily with Judah. So even Jewish-Israel is full of blood from the nations.

• 2ᵑͩ 4:9 We see the Benjamites in part begin to change allegiance from the House of Israel/Saul to the House of Dawid.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:1 All 12 tribes seek unity.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:3 Over all 12 tribes.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:4 Same as Messiah who began public ministry at 30.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:5 Both houses.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:6 Idiomatic expression meaning we will fight to the last man.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:11 A land that was colonized under Solomon.

• 2ᵑͩ 5:21 A pattern for all Israel regarding pagan religions.

• 2ᵑͩ 6:11 The Ark of the Covenant dwelt in the house of a non-biological Yisraelite, but one who joined them by choice. The pattern for becoming Israel remains the same and has never been altered.

• 2ᵑͩ 6:18 The only way to seal YAH’s favor.

• 2ᵑͩ 6:19 Yisraelites always use wine to live before YAH , as did The Master Messiah Himself. They always partake, but are never to enter into excess. The custom that believers don’t, or should not even taste wine is a pagan tradition perpetrated by the so-called churches of Romanism and Protestantism. The only kind of Yisraelite that cannot drink wine is one under a Nazarite vow.

• 2ᵑͩ 7:10 This is an amazing prophecy that Israel will one day be preserved for a time at least in another place until they return. This is a clear reference to the USA where most of the 250 million people are composed of Jews and Efraimites in exile. YAH spoke to Dawid and the entire nation in the future tense. He "will appoint" (Hebrew: vesamti), "will plant" (Hebrew: oontativ) and "they shall dwell in a place of their own." Consider this apparent contradiction. Scripture teaches that Israel in the Holy Land of Canaan promised to our patriarchs, is our appointed and prepared place, where we are to find dwelling and peace from all the sons of wickedness (traditional enemies such as Ishmaelites and Edomites). While the nation was strong and fortified and at rest from all her enemies, YAH declared that there would yet be a future place of planting and appointment, where the traditional enemies of Israel (children of wickedness) will no longer oppress and harass the nation. He called this future land a place of their own, despite the fact that when this prophesy was given they were in a land of their own. Ultimately the final move will be from the new land back to the New Jerusalem, where they will never have to move again to find peace.

• 2ᵑͩ 7:14 Messiah will build the House for His Father and cannot commit Torah violations, thus YAH’s mercies cannot be removed from Him.

• 2ᵑͩ 7:16 Through Messiah.

• 2ᵑͩ 7:23 Israel was ultimately formed to proclaim and represent YAH’s Name.

• 2ᵑͩ 8:12 All became Yisraelite colonies and in a sense Yisraelite nations with a certain amount of intermingling of seed, even prior to the exiles of both houses.

• 2ᵑͩ 9:13 A beautiful typology of sinners, lame in every way, being forgiven and restored to Israel by brit despite the fact that many were cut off and, were dead non-Yisraelite dogs. Now however, they eat lechem always at Messiah the King’s shulchan.

• 2ᵑͩ 10:5 Beards are not a choice for all believing Yisraelite men. They must be worn. Being clean-shaven is a sign of rebellion, as Torah also commands by stating that men in Israel must not fully shave their facial corners. Leviticus 19:27: “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shall you mar the corners of your beard.”

• 2ᵑͩ 11:11 Both houses.

• 2ᵑͩ 12:8 Both houses.

• 2ᵑͩ 12:8 YAH rebuked David by saying I gave you many wives and ‘if you wanted even more wives, why didn’t you ask’? His sin was adultery, not polygyny, which is not a sin in Scripture and is part of Set Apart Israelite Torah living.

• 2ᵑͩ 12:23 A clear reference that babies’ spirits and those too young to know right from wrong do go to heaven.

• 2ᵑͩ 13:21 DSS, LXX.

• 2ᵑͩ 15:7 Peshitta.

• 2ᵑͩ 15:10 Internal uprising.

• 2ᵑͩ 15:30 Men wore head coverings in Israel as an eternal custom.

• 2ᵑͩ 15:30 All Yisraelites are seen here in head coverings not only the kohanim, or kings. Since YAH does not change, all believers must continue in the practice, at the very least in public worship and assembly.

• 2ᵑͩ 15:32 Mt. Of Olives.

• 2ᵑͩ 18:6 A typical two-house war, which is just one of many over the course of 3,000 years. We have yet to see an end to this battle.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:20 Another reminder that Benjamin was once part of the House of Israel and that most followers of Absalom were from the House of Joseph, who had already rebelled against the House of Dawid.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:40 Judah came to bring him back to Jerusalem.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:41 Efrayim is jealous of Judah as usual and complains. The fact that they weren’t invited nor welcome to bring Dawid back, was because they had just finished conspiring against Dawid by aiding and abetting Absalom, in his rebellion against the House of Dawid. But that didn’t seem to stop their jealousy.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:42 Judah’s answer is not bringing up the rebellion of Efrayim, but one of pride and arrogance. They claim that Efrayim should not be involved in Dawid’s return to the capital because the king is a Jew and as such is naturally, or biologically predisposed to being closer to Judah than to Efrayim. Today like yesterday, Judah desires to leave Efrayim out of kingdom restoration, just because the Efraimites are merely Yisraelites and not Jewish Yisraelites like the King Messiah.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:43 Efrayim’s argument is that while they may not be Jewish, they are still the larger part of biological Israel, with ten tribes, rather than just two and were also far more numerous than Judah. Not only that, it was their idea first to bring Dawid back to the capital. In these exchanges we see both houses vying for supremacy over the other, a condition that is terminal, unless YAH reveals to us the error of our ways.

• 2ᵑͩ 19:43 This short but succinct comment is YAH’s commentary on the argument. Judah was more harsh and unkind than Efrayim. Why? Because Judah taunted Efrayim with a situation they could not possibly change (that of being non-Jews), whereas the king was a Jew. We find the same trends in certain denominations today, where Efraimites are always reminded that though they are accepted, they can never be considered Jews who will benefit from a life of full obedience to Torah. This taunting led YAH to make this startling comment. It serves all Israel well to remember YAH’s own words and commentary, about the harshness used by Judah against returning Efrayim.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:1 Someone who is opposed to two-house truth is called here a son of s.a.tan, or Beliyaal.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:1 Benjamin was once considered part of Efrayim-Israel.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:1 According to many scholars this passage originally read “his Elohim,” rather than “his tents.”  The Masorites changed it because it was considered to be worded irreverently. The rendering of “his Elohim ” is fascinating, as it portrays Efrayim’s desire to return to their pagan Elohim and individualism, rather than to their ohelav, or tents. The words le-ohelaw and le-elohaw both make very strong statements that Efrayim often is happy in their own tents away from Torah, with their own Elohim.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:1 This is the result of rejection and vexation. A feeling of not really being Israel, even though biologically they certainly were. The same applies to returning Efrayim of today. “To your tents” often can mean back to false religion, after feeling rejected by Judah.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:2 Sharp division.

• 2ᵑͩ 20:22 This is the ultimate result to all who ruthlessly sow division between the two houses rather than unite them through Messiah and Torah.

• 2ᵑͩ 24:1 It is also likely that Dawid wanted to know how many he could actually trust, as he still wasn’t sold on Efrayim’s loyalty and as such wanted separate totals given to him from both houses.

• 2ᵑͩ 24:17 A true shepherd of Israel would rather have himself disciplined for his own sin, in order to spare the sheep that are often innocent.

• 2ᵑͩ 24:25 There is a corresponding account in First Chronicles 21:15-29 and many confuse these two accounts as the purchase of the same field. But Dawid actually bought two fields, from two different persons, for two different amounts of money. The first one was on the Mt. of Olives, which would become the altar of purifying from the red heifer with the ashes placed into the water of purification as per Numbers 19. The other altar was to be built on Mt. Moriah for the sacrifices in the Temple (First Chronicles 21:15-29) when it would be built. Both purchases were done in relation to the plague being lifted from Israel for Dawid’s sin of numbering the people.

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