15 May - 2 Samuel 13-15

Jude Fri Dec 28, 2018 8:08 pm

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

2 SAMUEL 13

1And after this it came to be that Aḇshalom son of Dawiḏ had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar, and Amnon son of Dawiḏ loved her.

2And Amnon was distressed, even to become sick, because of his sister Tamar – for she was a maiden – and it was hard in the eyes of Amnon to do whatever to her.

3And Amnon had a friend whose name was Yonaḏaḇ son of Shim‛ah, Dawiḏ’s brother. Now Yonaḏaḇ was a very wise man.

4And he said to him, “Why are you, the sovereign’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Explain it to me.” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Aḇshalom’s sister.”

5And Yonaḏaḇ said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and make the food before my eyes so that I see it, and eat it from her hand.’ ”

6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the sovereign came to see him, Amnon said to the sovereign, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me before my eyes, so that I eat from her hand.”

7And Dawiḏ sent to Tamar, to the house, saying, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon, and make food for him.”

8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, while he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it, and made cakes before his eyes, and baked the cakes.

9And she took the pan and turned them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Make everyone go away from me.” And they all went out from him.

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

11And she brought them to him to eat, and he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Yisra’ĕl. Do not do this wickedness!

13“And I, where could I take my shame? And you – you would be like one of the fools in Yisra’ĕl. And now, please speak to the sovereign, for he would not withhold me from you.”

14But he would not listen to her voice, and being stronger than she, he humbled her and lay with her.

15Amnon then hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, go!”

16And she said to him, “No, for this evil of sending me away is worse than the other you have done to me.” But he would not listen to her.

17And he called his young man serving him, and said, “Now put this one out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.”

18And she had on a long coat, for the sovereign’s maiden daughters wore such garments. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

19And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her long coat that was on her, and put her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.

20And Aḇshalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now, keep silent, my sister. He is your brother, do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained in the house of her brother Aḇshalom, but was ruined.

21And Sovereign Dawiḏ heard all these reports, and he was very wroth.

22And Aḇshalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor evil. For Aḇshalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.

23And it came to be, after two years, that Aḇshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba‛al Hatsor, which is beside Ephrayim, and Aḇshalom invited all the sons of the sovereign.

24And Aḇshalom came to the sovereign and said, “See, your servant has sheep-shearers. Please, let the sovereign and his servants go with your servant.”

25But the sovereign said to Aḇshalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be too heavy on you.” And he urged him, but he would not go. And he blessed him.

26And Aḇshalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the sovereign said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

27And Aḇshalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the sons of the sovereign go with him.

28And Aḇshalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch, and when the heart of Amnon is glad with wine, and I shall say to you, ‘Smite Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and brave.”

29Then the servants of Aḇshalom did to Amnon as Aḇshalom had commanded. Then all the sons of the sovereign rose up, and each one mounted his mule and fled.

30And it came to be, while they were on the way, that news came to Dawiḏ, saying, “Aḇshalom has smitten all the sons of the sovereign, and not one of them is left!”

31And the sovereign rose up and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their garments torn.

32And Yonaḏaḇ son of Shim‛ah, Dawiḏ’s brother, answered and said, “Do not let my master say they have killed all the young men, the sons of the sovereign, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Aḇshalom this has been appointed from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.

33“And now, let not my master the sovereign take the matter to his heart, to think that all the sons of the sovereign are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”

34And Aḇshalom fled, and the young man who was watching lifted up his eyes and looked and saw many people were coming from the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

35Then Yonaḏaḇ said to the sovereign, “Look, the sons of the sovereign are coming; as your servant said, so it is.”

36And it came to be, as soon as he had finished speaking, that look, the sons of the sovereign came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And the sovereign too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37But Aḇshalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihuḏ, sovereign of Geshur. And Dawiḏ mourned for his son all the days.

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

39Sovereign Dawiḏ then longed to go to Aḇshalom, for he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.

2 SAMUEL 14

1And Yo’aḇ son of Tseruyah knew that the heart of the sovereign was towards Aḇshalom.

2And Yo’aḇ sent to Teqowa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead.

3“Then you shall go to the sovereign and speak to him according to this word.” And Yo’aḇ put the words in her mouth.

4And when the woman of Teqowa spoke to the sovereign, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, “Save, O sovereign!”

5And the sovereign said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, my husband is dead.

6“And your female servant had two sons. And the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one smote the other and killed him.

7“And see, the entire clan has risen up against your female servant and said, ‘Give him who smote his brother, so that we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would extinguish my burning coal that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”

8And the sovereign said to the woman, “Go to your house, and let me give orders concerning you.”

9And the woman of Teqowa said to the sovereign, “My master, O sovereign, let the crookedness be on me and on my father’s house, and the sovereign and his throne be guiltless.”

10And the sovereign said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and let him no longer touch you.”

11And she said, “Please let the sovereign remember יהוה your Elohim, and the redeemer of blood not destroy any more, lest they destroy my son.” And he said, “As יהוה lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12And the woman said, “Please, let your female servant speak a word to my master the sovereign.” And he said, “Speak.”

13And the woman said, “And why have you reasoned like this against the people of Elohim? For in speaking this word the sovereign is as one who is guilty, in that the sovereign does not bring his outcast one home again.

14“For we shall certainly die and become like water spilled on the ground, which is not gathered up again. Yet Elohim does not take away a life, but shall devise ways, so that His outcast ones are not cast out from Him.

15“And now I have come to speak this word to my master the sovereign because the people have made me afraid. And your female servant said, ‘Please let me speak to the sovereign, it could be that the sovereign does what his female servant asks,

16for the sovereign has listened to deliver his female servant from the hand of the man seeking to destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of Elohim.’

17“Then your female servant said, ‘Please let the word of my master the sovereign be comforting, for my master the sovereign is as the messenger of Elohim, in discerning the good and the evil. And יהוה your Elohim is with you.’ ”

18And the sovereign answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me the matter that I am asking you.” And the woman said, “Please, let my master the sovereign speak.”

19And the sovereign said, “Is the hand of Yo’aḇ with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your being lives, my master the sovereign, no one turns to the right or to the left from all that my master the sovereign has spoken. For your servant Yo’aḇ commanded me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your female servant.

20“Your servant Yo’aḇ has done this to change the appearance of the matter. But my master is wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of Elohim, to know all that is in the earth.”

21And the sovereign said to Yo’aḇ, “See now, you shall do this matter. And go, bring back the young man Aḇshalom.”

22And Yo’aḇ fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance, and blessed the sovereign. And Yo’aḇ said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your eyes, my master, O sovereign, in that the sovereign has done the word of his servant.”

23And Yo’aḇ rose up and went to Geshur, and brought Aḇshalom to Yerushalayim.

24And the sovereign said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” And Aḇshalom went to his own house, and did not see the sovereign’s face.

25And in all Yisra’ĕl there was no one who was praised as much as Aḇshalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26And when he cut the hair of his head – for it was at every year’s end that he cut it because it was heavy on him – when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred sheqels by the sovereign’s weight.

27And to Aḇshalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of fair appearance.

28And Aḇshalom dwelt in Yerushalayim, two years, and he had not seen the sovereign’s face.

29Then Aḇshalom sent for Yo’aḇ, to send him to the sovereign, but he would not come to him. And he sent again the second time, but he would not come.

30And he said to his servants, “See, Yo’aḇ’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” And Aḇshalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31Then Yo’aḇ rose up and came to the house of Aḇshalom, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

32And Aḇshalom said to Yo’aḇ, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I send you to the sovereign, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It was good for me while I was there.” ’ And now, let me see the sovereign’s face. And if there is any crookedness in me, then you shall put me to death.”

33Yo’aḇ then went to the sovereign and informed him. And he called for Aḇshalom, and he came to the sovereign and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the sovereign. Then the sovereign kissed Aḇshalom.

2 SAMUEL 15

1And it came to be after this that Aḇshalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, and fifty men to run before him.

2And Aḇshalom used to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. And it came to be, whenever anyone who had a complaint came to the sovereign for a right-ruling, that Aḇshalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And when he said, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Yisra’ĕl,”

3Aḇshalom would say to him, “Look, your matters are good and right, but you have nobody from the sovereign to hear you.”

4And Aḇshalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any complaint or case would come to me, and I shall let right be done to him.”

5And it came to be, whenever anyone came near him to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him.

6And Aḇshalom did this to all Yisra’ĕl who came to the sovereign for right-ruling. And Aḇshalom stole the hearts of the men of Yisra’ĕl.

7And it came to be at the end of four years that Aḇshalom said to the sovereign, “Please, let me go to Ḥeḇron and pay the vow which I vowed to יהוה.

8“For your servant vowed a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If יהוה indeed brings me back to Yerushalayim, then I shall serve יהוה.’ ”

9And the sovereign said to him, “Go in peace.” And he rose up and went to Ḥeḇron.

10But Aḇshalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, then you shall say, ‘Aḇshalom is sovereign in Ḥeḇron!’ ”

11And with Aḇshalom went two hundred men from Yerushalayim who were invited, and they went along unsuspectingly, and did not know the matter at all.

12Aḇshalom also sent for Aḥithophel the Gilonite, counsellor of Dawiḏ, from his city, from Giloh, while he was bringing offerings. And it came to be that the conspiracy became strong, for the people with Aḇshalom kept increasing.

13Then a messenger came to Dawiḏ, saying, “The hearts of the men of Yisra’ĕl are with Aḇshalom.”

14And Dawiḏ said to all his servants who were with him at Yerushalayim, “Rise up, and let us flee, for none of us shall escape from Aḇshalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.”

15And the sovereign’s servants said to the sovereign, “Look, your servants shall do according to all my master the sovereign chooses.”

16And the sovereign went out, and all his household at his feet. But the sovereign left ten women, concubines, to look after the house.

17So the sovereign went out, and all the people at his feet, and they stood still at the last house.

18And all his servants were passing on at his side. And all the Kerĕthites, and all the Pelĕthites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, were passing on before the sovereign.

19And the sovereign said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you go, you also, with us? Turn back and remain with the sovereign, for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from your own place.

20“You came yesterday, and should I today make you wander up and down with us, when I am going wherever I am going? Return, and take your brothers back. Kindness and truth be with you.”

21And Ittai answered the sovereign and said, “As יהוה lives, and as my master the sovereign lives, in whatever place my master the sovereign is, whether in death or life, let your servant also be there.”

22Therefore Dawiḏ said to Ittai, “Go, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him passed over.

23And all the land was weeping with a loud voice, and all the people were passing over. And the sovereign himself was passing over the wadi Qiḏron, and all the people were passing over toward the way of the wilderness.

24And see, Tsaḏoq also came, and all the Lĕwites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of Elohim. And they set down the ark of Elohim, and Eḇyathar went up until all the people completed passing over from the city.

25And the sovereign said to Tsaḏoq, “Take the ark of Elohim back to the city. If I find favour in the eyes of יהוה, then He shall bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling.

26“But if He says thus, ‘I have not delighted in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good in His eyes.”

27And the sovereign said to Tsaḏoq the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Aḥima‛ats your son, and Yehonathan son of Eḇyathar.

28“See, I am waiting in the desert plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29And Tsaḏoq and Eḇyathar took the ark of Elohim back to Yerushalayim, and they remained there.

30And Dawiḏ went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up. And he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up.

31And Dawiḏ was informed, saying, “Aḥithophel is among the conspirators with Aḇshalom.” And Dawiḏ said, “O יהוה, I pray You, make the counsel of Aḥithophel foolish!”

32And it came to be that Dawiḏ came to the summit, where he bowed himself before Elohim, and saw Ḥushai the Arkite, coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

33And Dawiḏ said to him, “If you pass on with me, then you shall become a burden to me,

34but if you return to the city, and say to Aḇshalom, ‘I am your servant, O sovereign – once servant of your father, but now I am your servant,’ then you shall nullify the counsel of Aḥithophel for me.

35“And are not Tsaḏoq and Eḇyathar the priests with you there? And it shall be that every matter you hear from the sovereign’s house, you should report to Tsaḏoq and Eḇyathar the priests.

36“See, there with them are their two sons, Aḥima‛ats, Tsaḏoq’s son, and Yehonathan, Eḇyathar’s son. And by them you shall send me every matter you hear.”

37And Ḥushai, Dawiḏ’s friend, went into the city. And Aḇshalom came into Yerushalayim.