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open field; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing." And David said to Uriah, "Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart.”

And

So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk; and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die." And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; and he charged the messenger, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king, it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, "Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper mill-stone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? Why went ye so nigh the wall?' then shalt thou

say, "Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

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So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. And the shooters shot at thy servants from the wall; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."

Then David said unto the messenger, "Thus shall thou say unto Joab, 'Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage thou him.'"

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.

And Yahweh sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him." And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, "As Yahweh liveth, the man that hath done this is worthy to die: and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

And Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus saith Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah: and if that had been too little, I would have added unto thee such and such things.' Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Yahweh, to do that which is evil in his sight? Thou hast smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."

And David said unto Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh." And Nathan said unto David, "Yahweh also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die." And Nathan departed unto his house.

And Yahweh struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David, therefore, besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?"

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But when David saw that his servants whispered together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Yahweh, and worshipped: then he came to his own house, and when he required they set bread before him, and he did eat.

Then said his servants unto him, "What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread." And he said, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knoweth whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon. And Yahweh loved him: and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah.

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters. 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."

And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. And he took the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight thereof

was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

THE STORY OF ABSALOM

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom, the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Ammon, the son of David, loved her. And Ammon was so vexed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Ammon to do anything unto her.

But Ammon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, "Why, O son of the king, art thou thus lean from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me?" And Ammon said unto him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." And Jonadab said unto him, "Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, 'Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.'”

So Ammon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Ammon said unto the king, "Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand." Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to thy brother Ammon's house, and dress him food."

So Tamar went to her brother Ammon's house: and he was laid down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Ammon said, "Have out all men from me." And they went out every man from him. And Ammon said unto Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat out of thine hand.' And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Ammon, her brother. And when she had brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said

And she answered for no such thing

unto her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." him, "Nay, my brother, do not force me; ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I carry my shame? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.”

Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her. Then Ammon hated her with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Ammon said unto her, "Arise, be gone." And she said unto him, "Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that thou didst unto me." But he would not hearken unto her.

Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, "Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her." And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

And Absalom her brother said unto her, " Hath Ammon thy brother been with thee? But now hold thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart." So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. And Absalom spake unto Ammon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Ammon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king, and said, "Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant. And the king said to Absalom, "Nay, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome unto thee." And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

Then said Absalom, "If not, I pray thee, let my brother

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