Sons and Lovers

(1) David inquired, “Is there anyone still left of the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith for the sake of Jonathan?” (2) There was a servant of the House of Saul named Ziba, and they summoned him to David. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked him. “Yes, sir,”^-a he replied. (3) The king continued, “Is there anyone at all left of the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith as pledged before God?” Ziba answered the king, “Yes, there is still a son of Jonathan whose feet are crippled.” (4) “Where is he?” the king asked, and Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.”

(5) King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar; (6) and when Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, he flung himself on his face and prostrated himself. David said, “Mephibosheth!” and he replied, “At your service, sir.” (7) David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will keep faith with you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul; moreover, you shall always eat at my table.” (8) [Mephibosheth] prostrated himself again, and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?” (9) The king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I give to your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire family. (10) You and your sons and your slaves shall farm the land for him and shall bring in [its yield] to provide food for your master’s grandson to live on; but Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall always eat at my table.”—Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.— (11) Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do just as my lord the king has commanded him.” “Mephibosheth shall eat at my table^-d like one of the king’s sons.”

(12) Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica; and all the members of Ziba’s household worked for Mephibosheth. (13) Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate regularly at the king’s table. He was lame in both feet.

(1) ...Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon son of David became infatuated with her. (2) Amnon was so distraught because of his [half-]sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

(3) Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimah; Jonadab was a very clever man. (4) He asked him, “Why are you so dejected, O prince, morning after morning? Tell me!” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom!” (5) Jonadab said to him, “Lie down in your bed and pretend you are sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in front of me, so that I may look on, and let her serve it to me.’” (6) Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. The king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, “Let my sister Tamar come and prepare a couple of cakes in front of me, and let her bring them to me.”

(7) David sent a message to Tamar in the palace, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” (8) Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was in bed. She took dough and kneaded it into cakes in front of him, and cooked the cakes. (9) She took the pan and set out [the cakes],^-a but Amnon refused to eat and ordered everyone to withdraw. After everyone had withdrawn, (10) Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food inside and feed me.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother inside.

(11) But when she served them to him, he caught hold of her and said to her, “Come lie with me, sister.” (12) But she said to him, “Don’t, brother. Don’t force me. Such things are not done in Israel! Don’t do such a vile thing! (13) Where will I carry my shame? And you, you will be like any of the scoundrels in Israel! Please, speak to the king; he will not refuse me to you.” (14) But he would not listen to her; he overpowered her and lay with her by force.

(15) Then Amnon felt a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing for her was greater than the passion he had felt for her. And Amnon said to her, “Get out!” (16) She pleaded with him, “Please don’t commit this wrong; to send me away would be even worse^-a than the first wrong you committed against me.” But he would not listen to her. (17) He summoned his young attendant and said, “Get that woman out of my presence, and bar the door behind her.”— (18) She was wearing an ornamented tunic, for maiden princesses were customarily dressed in such garments.^-c—His attendant took her outside and barred the door after her. (19) Tamar put dust on her head and rent the ornamented tunic she was wearing; she put her hands on her head, and walked away, screaming loudly as she went.

(20) Her brother Absalom said to her, “Was it your brother Amnon who did this to you? For the present, sister, keep quiet about it; he is your brother. Don’t brood over the matter.” And Tamar remained in her brother Absalom’s house, forlorn. (21) When King David heard about all this, he was greatly upset. (22) Absalom didn’t utter a word to Amnon, good or bad; but Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

(23) Two years later, when Absalom was having his flocks sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons. (24) And Absalom came to the king and said, “Your servant is having his flocks sheared. Would Your Majesty and your retinue accompany your servant?” (25) But the king answered Absalom, “No, my son. We must not all come, or we’ll be a burden to you.” He urged him, but he would not go, and he said good-bye to him. (26) Thereupon Absalom said, “In that case, let my brother Amnon come with us,” to which the king replied, “He shall not go with you.” (27) But Absalom urged him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the other princes. (28) Now Absalom gave his attendants these orders: “Watch, and when Amnon is merry with wine and I tell you to strike down Amnon, kill him! Don’t be afraid, for it is I who give you the order. Act with determination, like brave men!” (29) Absalom’s attendants did to Amnon as Absalom had ordered; whereupon all the other princes mounted their mules and fled. (30) They were still on the road when a rumor reached David that Absalom had killed all the princes, and that not one of them had survived. (31) At this, David rent his garment and lay down on the ground, and all his courtiers stood by with their clothes rent.^-h

(32) But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimah, said, “My lord must not think that all the young princes have been killed. Only Amnon is dead; for this has been decided by^-i Absalom ever since his sister Tamar was violated. (33) So my lord the king must not think for a moment that all the princes are dead; Amnon alone is dead.”

(34) Meanwhile Absalom had fled.
The watchman on duty looked up and saw a large crowd coming from the road to his rear,^-j from the side of the hill. (35) Jonadab said to the king, “See, the princes have come! It is just as your servant said.” (36) As he finished speaking, the princes came in and broke into weeping; and David and all his courtiers wept bitterly, too. (37) Absalom had fled, and he came to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [King David] mourned over his son a long time. (38) Absalom, who had fled to Geshur, remained there three years. (39) And King David^-k was pining away for Absalom, for [the king] had gotten over Amnon’s death.

(1) Joab son of Zeruiah could see that the king’s mind was on Absalom; (2) so Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a clever woman from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; put on mourning clothes and don’t anoint yourself with oil; and act like a woman who has grieved a long time over a departed one. (3) Go to the king and say to him thus and thus.” And Joab told her what to say. (4) The woman of Tekoa came to the king, flung herself face down to the ground, and prostrated herself. She cried out, “Help, O king!” (5) The king asked her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Alas, I am a widow, my husband is dead. (6) Your maidservant had two sons. The two of them came to blows out in the fields where there was no one to stop them, and one of them struck the other and killed him. (7) Then the whole clan confronted your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother, that we may put him to death for the slaying of his brother, even though we wipe out the heir.’^-c Thus they would quench the last ember remaining to me, and leave my husband without name or remnant upon the earth.”

(8) The king said to the woman, “Go home. I will issue an order in your behalf.” (9) And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord king, may the guilt be on me and on my ancestral house; Your Majesty and his throne are guiltless.” (10) The king said, “If anyone says anything more to you, have him brought to me, and he will never trouble you again.” (11) She replied, “Let Your Majesty be mindful of the LORD your God and restrain the blood avenger bent on destruction, so that my son may not be killed.” And he said, “As the LORD lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” (12) Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant say another word to my lord the king.” “Speak on,” said the king. (13) And the woman said, “Why then have you planned the like against God’s people? In making this pronouncement, Your Majesty condemns himself in that Your Majesty does not bring back his own banished one. (14) We must all die; we are like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. God will not take away the life of one who makes plans so that no one may be kept banished.^-d (15) And the reason I have come to say these things to the king, my lord, is that the people have frightened me. Your maidservant thought I would speak to Your Majesty; perhaps Your Majesty would act on his handmaid’s plea. (16) For Your Majesty would surely agree to deliver his handmaid from the hands of anyone [who would seek to] cut off both me and my son from the heritage of God. (17) Your maidservant thought, ‘Let the word of my lord the king provide comfort; for my lord the king is like an angel of God, understanding everything, good and bad.’ May the LORD your God be with you.”

(18) In reply, the king said to the woman, “Do not withhold from me anything I ask you!” The woman answered, “Let my lord the king speak.” (19) The king asked, “Is Joab in league with you in all this?” The woman replied, “As you live, my lord the king, it is just as my lord the king says.^-f Yes, your servant Joab was the one who instructed me, and it was he who told your maidservant everything she was to say.^-g (20) It was to conceal the real purpose of the matter that your servant Joab did this thing. My lord is as wise as an angel of God, and he knows all that goes on in the land.” (21) Then the king said to Joab, “I will do this thing. Go and bring back my boy Absalom.”

(22) Joab flung himself face down on the ground and prostrated himself. Joab blessed the king and said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord king, for Your Majesty has granted his servant’s request.” (23) And Joab went at once to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. (24) But the king said, “Let him go directly to his house and not present himself to me.” So Absalom went directly to his house and did not present himself to the king. (25) No one in all Israel was so admired for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head he was without blemish. (26) When he cut his hair—he had to have it cut every year, for it grew too heavy for him—the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels by the royal weight. (27) Absalom had three sons and a daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

(28) Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without appearing before the king. (29) Then Absalom sent for Joab, in order to send him to the king; but Joab would not come to him. He sent for him a second time, but he would not come. (30) So [Absalom] said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. (31) Joab came at once to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why did your servants set fire to my field?” (32) Absalom replied to Joab, “I sent for you to come here; I wanted to send you to the king to say [on my behalf]: ‘Why did I leave Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there. Now let me appear before the king; and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death!’” (33) Joab went to the king and reported to him; whereupon he summoned Absalom. He came to the king and flung himself face down to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

(1) Sometime afterward, Absalom provided himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty outrunners. (2) Absalom used to rise early and stand by the road to the city gates; and whenever a man had a case that was to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” And when he answered, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe^-a in Israel,” (3) Absalom would say to him, “It is clear that your claim is right and just, but there is no one assigned to you by the king to hear it.” (4) And Absalom went on, “If only I were appointed judge in the land and everyone with a legal dispute came before me, I would see that he got his rights.”

(5) And if a man approached to bow to him, [Absalom] would extend his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. (6) Absalom did this to every Israelite who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom won away the hearts of the men of Israel. (7) After a period of forty years had gone by, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow that I made to the LORD. (8) For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram: If the LORD ever brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD.” (9) The king said to him, “Go in peace”; and so he set out for Hebron. (10) But Absalom sent agents to all the tribes of Israel to say, “When you hear the blast of the horn, announce that Absalom has become king in Hebron.”

(11) Two hundred men of Jerusalem accompanied Absalom; they were invited and went in good faith, suspecting nothing. (12) Absalom also sent [to fetch]^-d Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his town, Giloh, when the sacrifices were to be offered. The conspiracy gained strength, and the people supported Absalom in increasing numbers. (13) Someone came and told David, “The loyalty of the men of Israel has veered toward Absalom.” (14) Whereupon David said to all the courtiers who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let us flee at once, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must get away quickly, or he will soon overtake us and bring down disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.” (15) The king’s courtiers said to the king, “Whatever our lord the king decides, your servants are ready.”

(16) So the king left, followed by his entire household, except for ten concubines whom the king left to mind the palace. (17) The king left, followed by all the people,^-e and they stopped at the last house.^-f (18) All his followers^-g marched past him, including all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites; and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had accompanied him from Gath, also marched by the king. (19) And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you too go with us? Go back and stay with the [new] king, for you are a foreigner and you are also an exile from your country. (20) You came only yesterday; should I make you wander about with us today, when I myself must go wherever I can? Go back, and take your kinsmen with you, [in] true faithfulness.”

(21) Ittai replied to the king, “As the LORD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, there your servant will be, whether for death or for life!” (22) And David said to Ittai, “Then march by.” And Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the children who were with him marched by. (23) The whole countryside wept aloud as the troops marched by. The king crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the troops crossed by the road to^-k the wilderness. (24) Then Zadok appeared, with all the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God; and they set down the Ark of God until all the people had finished marching out of the city. Abiathar also came up.^-f (25) But the king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find favor with the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see it and its abode. (26) And if He should say, ‘I do not want you,’ I am ready; let Him do with me as He pleases.” (27) And the king said to the priest Zadok, “Do you understand? You return^-l to the safety of the city with your two sons, your own son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. (28) Look, I shall linger in the steppes of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

(29) Zadok and Abiathar brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they stayed there. (30) David meanwhile went up the slope of the [Mount of] Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he walked barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they went up. (31) David [was] told that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom, and he prayed, “Please, O LORD, frustrate Ahithophel’s counsel!” (32) When David reached the top, where people would prostrate themselves to God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him, with his robe torn and with earth on his head. (33) David said to him, “If you march on with me, you will be a burden to me. (34) But if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; I was your father’s servant formerly, and now I will be yours,’ then you can nullify Ahithophel’s counsel for me. (35) You will have the priests Zadok and Abiathar there, and you can report everything that you hear in the king’s palace to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. (36) Also, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan; and through them you can report to me everything you hear.” (37) And so Hushai, the friend of David, reached the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

(15) Meanwhile Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, arrived in Jerusalem, together with Ahithophel. (16) When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came before Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” (17) But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?” (18) “Not at all!” Hushai replied. “I am for the one whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, and I will stay with him. (19) Furthermore, whom should I serve, if not David’s son? As I was in your father’s service, so I will be in yours.”

(20) Absalom then said to Ahithophel, “What do you advise us to do?” (21) And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Have intercourse with your father’s concubines, whom he left to mind the palace; and when all Israel hears that you have dared the wrath of your father, all who support you will be encouraged.” (22) So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom lay with his father’s concubines with the full knowledge^-f of all Israel.— (23) In those days, the advice which Ahithophel gave was accepted like an oracle sought from God; that is how all the advice of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.

(1) And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me pick twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. (2) I will come upon him when he is weary and disheartened, and I will throw him into a panic; and when all the troops with him flee, I will kill the king alone. (3) And I will bring back all the people to you; when all have come back [except] the man you are after,^-a all the people will be at peace.” (4) The advice pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

(5) But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, so we can hear what he too has to say.” (6) Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom said to him, “This is what Ahithophel has advised. Shall we follow his advice? If not, what do you say?” (7) Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the advice that Ahithophel has given is not good. (8) You know,” Hushai continued, “that your father and his men are courageous fighters, and they are as desperate as a bear in the wild robbed of her whelps. Your father is an experienced soldier, and he will not spend the night with the troops; (9) even now he must be hiding in one of the pits or in some other place. And if any of them fall at the first attack, whoever hears of it will say, ‘A disaster has struck the troops that follow Absalom’; (10) and even if he is a brave man with the heart of a lion, he will be shaken—for all Israel knows that your father and the soldiers with him are courageous fighters. (11) So I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba—as numerous as the sands of the sea—be called up to join you, and that you yourself march into battle.^-c (12) When we come upon him in whatever place he may be, we’ll descend on him [as thick] as dew falling on the ground; and no one will survive, neither he nor any of the men with him. (13) And if he withdraws into a city, all Israel will bring ropes to that city and drag its stones^-d as far as the riverbed, until not even a pebble of it is left.”

(14) Absalom and all Israel agreed that the advice of Hushai the Archite was better than that of Ahithophel.—The LORD had decreed that Ahithophel’s sound advice be nullified, in order that the LORD might bring ruin upon Absalom. (15) Then Hushai told the priests Zadok and Abiathar, “This is what Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel; this is what I advised. (16) Now send at once and tell David, ‘Do not spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but cross over at once; otherwise the king and all the troops with him will be annihilated.’”

(17) Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, and a slave girl would go and bring them word and they in turn would go and inform King David. For they themselves dared not be seen entering the city. (18) But a boy saw them and informed Absalom. They left at once and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his courtyard. They got down into it, (19) and the wife took a cloth, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered groats on top of it, so that nothing would be noticed. (20) When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house and asked where Ahimaaz and Jonathan were, the woman told them that they had crossed a bit beyond the water.^-e They searched, but found nothing; and they returned to Jerusalem. (21) After they were gone, [Ahimaaz and Jonathan] came up from the well and went and informed King David. They said to David, “Go and cross the water quickly, for Ahithophel has advised thus and thus concerning you.”

(22) David and all the troops with him promptly crossed the Jordan, and by daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. (23) When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his ass and went home to his native town. He set his affairs in order, and then he hanged himself. He was buried in his ancestral tomb.

(24) David had reached Mahanaim when Absalom and all the men of Israel with him crossed the Jordan. (25) Absalom had appointed Amasa army commander in place of Joab; Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Israelite, who had married Abigal, daughter of Nahash and sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.^-f (26) The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the district of Gilead. (27) When David reached Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbath-ammon, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim (28) presented couches, basins, and earthenware; also wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched grain,^-h (29) honey, curds, a flock,^-i and cheese from the herd for David and the troops with him to eat. For they knew that the troops must have grown hungry, faint, and thirsty in the wilderness.

(1) David mustered the troops who were with him and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. (2) David sent out the troops,^-a one-third under the command of Joab, one-third under the command of Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one-third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And David said to the troops, “I myself will march out with you.” (3) But the troops replied, “No! For if some of us flee, the rest will not be concerned about us; even if half of us should die, the others will not be concerned about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us.^-b Therefore, it is better for you to support us from the town.” (4) And the king said to them, “I will do whatever you think best.”

So the king stood beside the gate as all the troops marched out by their hundreds and thousands. (5) The king gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “Deal gently with my boy Absalom, for my sake.” All the troops heard the king give the order about Absalom to all the officers. (6) The troops marched out into the open to confront the Israelites, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. (7) The Israelite troops were routed by David’s followers, and a great slaughter took place there that day—twenty thousand men. (8) The battle spread out over that whole region, and the forest devoured more troops that day than the sword.

(9) Absalom encountered some of David’s followers. Absalom was riding on a mule, and as the mule passed under the tangled branches of a great terebinth, his hair got caught in the terebinth; he was held^-e between heaven and earth as the mule under him kept going. (10) One of the men saw it and told Joab, “I have just seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.” (11) Joab said to the man who told him, “You saw it! Why didn’t you kill him then and there?^-f I would have owed you ten shekels of silver and a belt.” (12) But the man answered Joab, “Even if I had a thousand shekels of silver in my hands, I would not raise a hand against the king’s son. For the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai in our hearing, ‘Watch over my boy Absalom, for my sake.’^-h (13) If I betrayed myself—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have stood aloof.”

(14) Joab replied, “Then I will not wait for you.”^-j He took three darts in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s chest. [Absalom] was still alive in the thick growth of the terebinth, (15) when ten of Joab’s young arms-bearers closed in and struck at Absalom until he died. (16) Then Joab sounded the horn, and the troops gave up their pursuit of the Israelites; for Joab held the troops in check. (17) They took Absalom and flung him into a large pit in the forest, and they piled up a very great heap of stones over it. Then all the Israelites fled to their homes.— (18) Now Absalom, in his lifetime, had taken the pillar which is in the Valley of the King and set it up for himself; for he said, “I have no son to keep my name alive.” He had named the pillar after himself, and it has been called Absalom’s Monument to this day. (19) Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and report to the king that the LORD has vindicated him against his enemies.” (20) But Joab said to him, “You shall not be the one to bring tidings today. You may bring tidings some other day, but you’ll not bring any today; for the king’s son is dead!”

(21) And Joab said to a Cushite, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and ran off. (22) But Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “No matter what, let me run, too, behind the Cushite.” Joab asked, “Why should you run, my boy, when you have no news worth telling?”^-k (23) “I am going to run anyway.” “Then run,” he said. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the Plain, and he passed the Cushite. (24) David was sitting between the two gates. The watchman on the roof of the gate walked over to the city wall. He looked up and saw a man running alone. (25) The watchman called down and told the king; and the king said, “If he is alone, he has news to report.” As he was coming nearer, (26) the watchman saw another man running; and he called out to the gatekeeper, “There is another man running alone.” And the king said, “That one, too, brings news.” (27) The watchman said, “I can see that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok”; to which the king replied, “He is a good man, and he comes with good news.” (28) Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well!” He bowed low with his face to the ground and said, “Praised be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.”

​​​​​​​ (29) The king asked, “Is my boy Absalom safe?” And Ahimaaz answered, “I saw a large crowd when Your Majesty’s servant Joab was sending your servant off,^-k but I don’t know what it was about.” (30) The king said, “Step aside and stand over there”; he stepped aside and waited. (31) Just then the Cushite came up; and the Cushite said, “Let my lord the king be informed that the LORD has vindicated you today against all who rebelled against you!” (32) The king asked the Cushite, “Is my boy Absalom safe?” And the Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rose against you to do you harm fare like that young man!”

(1) There was a famine during the reign of David, year after year for three years. David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD replied, “It is because of the bloodguilt of Saul and [his] house, for he put some Gibeonites to death.” (2) The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them.—Now the Gibeonites were not of Israelite stock, but a remnant of the Amorites, to whom the Israelites had given an oath; and Saul had tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.— (3) David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, so that you may bless the LORD’s own people?” (4) The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no claim for silver or gold against Saul and his household; and we have no claim on the life of any other man in Israel.” And [David] responded, “Whatever you say I will do for you.” (5) Thereupon they said to the king, “The man who massacred us and planned to exterminate us, so that we^-a should not survive in all the territory of Israel— (6) let seven of his male issue be handed over to us, and we will impale them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.”^-b And the king replied, “I will do so.” (7) The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between the two, between David and Jonathan son of Saul. (8) Instead, the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah daughter of Aiah bore to Saul, and the five sons that Merab daughter of Saul bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite, (9) and he handed them over to the Gibeonites. They impaled them on the mountain before the LORD; all seven of them perished at the same time. They were put to death in the first days of the harvest, the beginning of the barley harvest. (10) Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it on a rock for herself, and she stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until rain from the sky fell on the bodies;^-d she did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day or the wild beasts [approach] by night. (11) David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah daughter of Aiah had done. (12) And David went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead, who had made off with them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up on the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa. (13) He brought up the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan from there; and he gathered the bones of those who had been impaled. (14) And they buried the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan in Zela, in the territory of Benjamin, in the tomb of his father Kish. And when all that the king had commanded was done, God responded to the plea of the land thereafter.