Study Desk

And the king said, What haue I to doe with you, ye sonnes of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord hath said vnto him, Curse Dauid. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

And againe, whom should I serue? should I not serue in the presence of his sonne? as I haue serued in thy fathers presence, so will I be in thy presence.

So they spread Absalom a tent vpon the top of the house, and Absalom went in vnto his fathers concubines, in the sight of all Israel.

And the counsell of Ahithophel which he counselled in those dayes, was as if a man had enquired at the Oracle of God: so was all the counsell of Ahithophel, both with Dauid and with Absalom.

And I wil bring backe all the people vnto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

So shall wee come vpon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light vpon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him, there shall not be left so much as one.

So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battell was in the wood of Ephraim,

And say ye to Amasa: Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captaine of the hoste before me continually in the roome of Ioab.

And he bowed the heart of all the men of Iudah, euen as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word vnto the King, Returne thou and all thy seruants.

So the King returned, and came to Iordan: and Iudah came to Gilgal, to goe to meet the King, to conduct the king ouer Iordane.

So euery man of Israel went vp from after Dauid, and followed Sheba the sonne of Bichri: but the men of Iudah claue vnto their king, from Iordane euen to Ierusalem.

And Dauid came to his house at Ierusalem, and the king tooke the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in vnto them: so they were shut vp vnto the day of their death, liuing in widowhood.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Iudah; but hee taried longer then the set time which he had appointed him.

But Amasa tooke no heed to the sword that was in Ioabs hand: so hee smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and strake him not againe, and he died: so Ioab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speake in old time, saying, They shall surely aske counsell at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim (Sheba the sonne of Bichri by name) hath lift vp his hand against the king, euen against Dauid: deliuer him onely, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said vnto Ioab, Behold, his head shall be throwen to thee ouer the wall.

I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saued from mine enemies.

He teacheth my hands to warre: so that a bow of steele is broken by mine armes.

Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder me: so that my feet did not slip.