2 Samuel 13 Cross References - LEB

¹ It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. ² And Amnon _⌊was so frustrated that he felt ill_⌋* because of Tamar his sister, because she was a virgin, and it was too difficult in Amnon's eyes to do anything with her. ³ Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David. (Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.) ⁴ And he said to him, "Why are you so sullen _⌊every morning_⌋,* O son of the king? Will you not tell me?" And Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom." ⁵ Then Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and appear ill. If your father comes to see you, you shall say to him, 'Please let Tamar my sister come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food before my eyes, in order that I may see it and eat from her hand.'" ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, and the king came to see him. Amnon said to the king, "Please let Tamar my sister come, and let her bake two cakes before my eyes that I may eat from her hand." ⁷ So David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare food for him." ⁸ Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother. Now he was lying down, and she took the dough and kneaded it and made cakes before his eyes, and she baked the cakes. ⁹ Then she took the pan and poured it out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, "Let all the men go out from me." So all the men went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food to the private room that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in* the private room. ¹¹ When she brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister!" ¹² Then Tamar said to him, "No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! ¹³ As for me, where should I take my disgrace? You will be as one of the fools in Israel. So please, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." ¹⁴ But he was not willing to listen to her voice. He was stronger than she, and he forced her and lay with her. ¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her _⌊very deeply_⌋,* for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. So Amnon said to her, "Get up and go." ¹⁶ She said to him, "No, because this evil in sending me away is greater than the other you have done to me." But he was not willing to listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his young man who was serving him and said, "Please send this woman from me to the outside, and bolt the door behind her!" ¹⁸ Now there was a long-sleeved robe on her, for so they clothed the daughters of the king who were virgins, in robes. His servant put her outside, and he bolted the door behind her. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved robe which was on her. She put her hand on her head, and _⌊she went away, crying out as she went_⌋.* ²⁰ Absalom her brother said to her, "Was Amnon your brother with you? But now, my sister, be quiet; he is your brother. _⌊Do not take this matter to heart_⌋."* So Tamar remained a desolate woman in the house of Absalom her brother. ²¹ Now King David heard all these things, and _⌊he became very angry_⌋.* ²² Absalom did not speak with Amnon _⌊either bad or good_⌋,* for Absalom hated Amnon _⌊over the matter when_⌋* he raped Tamar his sister. ²³ _⌊About two full years later_⌋,* Absalom's shearers were in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom summoned all the sons of the king. ²⁴ Then Absalom went to the king and said, "Look, here are your servant's shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant. ²⁵ The king said to Absalom, "No my son, not all of us shall go, so that we not be a burden to you." And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. ²⁶ So Absalom said, "But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?" And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. ²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is _⌊tipsy_⌋* with wine, then I shall say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' and you shall kill him! Don't be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be _⌊valiant!_⌋* ²⁹ So Absalom's servants did to Amnon just as Absalom commanded, and all the sons of the king got up, and each mounted his mule and fled. ³⁰ _⌊While they were on the way_⌋,* the message came to David, "Absalom has killed all the sons of the king, and not one of them was left." ³¹ Then the king rose and tore his garments, and he lay on the ground, and all his servants standing by were tearing their garments. ³² Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, "My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. _⌊Absalom was talking about it_⌋,* as it was being determined from the day he* raped Tamar his sister. ³³ So then, let not my lord the king set his heart on this matter, thinking, 'All the sons of the king are dead,' for only Amnon alone is dead." ³⁴ So Absalom fled, and the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and saw, and there were many people coming from the road behind him from the side of the mountain. ³⁵ Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the sons of the king have come. According to the word of your servant, so it has come about." ³⁶ When he finished speaking, look, the sons of the king came and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also, the king and all his servants wept a very great weeping. ³⁷ Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, the king of Geshur. David mourned over his son _⌊day after day_⌋.* ³⁸ But Absalom had fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years. ³⁹ King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was consoled that Amnon had died.

² Then* the sons of God saw the daughters of humankind, that they were beautiful. And they took for themselves wives from all that they chose.

¹⁸ And Jacob loved Rachel and said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."

²⁰ And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they were as a few days in his eyes because he loved her.

³ And his soul clung to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke _⌊tenderly_⌋* to the girl.

⁶ And he left all that he had in the hand of Joseph, and _⌊he did not worry about anything_⌋* except the food that he ate. Now Joseph was _⌊well built and handsome_⌋.* ⁷ And it happened that after these things his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."

² And sons were born to David in Hebron; his firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam _⌊from Jezreel_⌋*. ³ His second was Kileab by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur.

² It happened _⌊late one afternoon_⌋* that David got up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the king's house, and he saw a woman bathing on her* roof. Now the woman _⌊was very beautiful_⌋.*

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her _⌊very deeply_⌋,* for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. So Amnon said to her, "Get up and go."

²⁷ Three sons were born to Absalom and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman beautiful of appearance.

¹ King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite;

² the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith;

⁹ All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

²⁵ Do not desire her beauty in your heart; may she not capture you with her eyelashes.

³⁰ Charm* is deceit and beauty* is vain;* but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.

⁴ Then Ahab went to his house, sullen and angry because of the word that Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him when he had said, "I will not give to you the inheritance of my ancestors."* So he lay on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat any food.

⁸ I adjure you, _⌊O maidens of Jerusalem_⌋,* if you find my beloved, what will you tell him? Tell him that I am _⌊lovesick_⌋!*

¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any other _⌊wild animal_⌋* which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God indeed say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

¹ And it happened that at that time Judah went down from his brothers and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

²⁰ And Judah sent the kid from the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the hand of the woman, but he could not find her.

²⁰ And Samson's wife was given to his companion who was his best man.*

⁹ So Jesse made Shammah pass before Samuel, but he said, "Yahweh also has not chosen this one."

³² Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, "My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. _⌊Absalom was talking about it_⌋,* as it was being determined from the day he* raped Tamar his sister.

² So Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman, and he said to her, "Please pretend to mourn and put on garments of mourning. You should not anoint yourself with oil, and you must act like this woman who has been mourning over the dead for _⌊a long time_⌋.*

¹⁹ The king asked, "Was the hand of Joab with you in all of this?" The woman answered and said, "_⌊As your soul lives_⌋,* my lord the king, surely one cannot go to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken. Yes, your servant Joab himself commanded me, and he put all of these words in the mouth of your servant. ²⁰ In order _⌊to change the situation_⌋,* your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom, as the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is on the earth."

¹⁰ But Haman controlled himself and went to his house, and he sent for and brought his friends and Zeresh his wife.

¹⁴ And Zeresh his wife and all of his friends said to him, "Let them make a gallows fifty cubits* high, and in the morning tell the king, "Let them hang Mordecai on it; then go with the king to the banquet happily." The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

¹³ And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends all that had happened to him. And his advisers and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is _⌊from the descendants of the Jews_⌋,* you will not prevail against him, but will certainly fall before him."

⁶ Many will seek favor before the generous, and everyone is the friend of a man of gifts.*

²² "For my people are foolish, they have not known me. They are foolish children, and they do not have insight. They are skillful at doing evil, and they do not know how to do good."

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, "The one who catches the wise in their craftiness,"*

¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

⁹ As for your sister's nakedness, whether your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether _⌊born at home_⌋* or _⌊born abroad_⌋,* you must not expose their nakedness.

¹⁷ " 'As for* a man who takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and he sees her nakedness and she herself sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off _⌊before_⌋* the eyes of _⌊their people_⌋;* he has exposed his sister's nakedness—he must bear his guilt.

⁷ Jezebel his wife said to him, "Now, you _⌊rule_⌋* over Israel. Get up, eat food, and let your heart be _⌊cheerful_⌋.* I myself will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

¹³ But all this _⌊fails to satisfy me_⌋* _⌊when_⌋* I see Mordecai the Jew setting at the gate of the king." ¹⁴ And Zeresh his wife and all of his friends said to him, "Let them make a gallows fifty cubits* high, and in the morning tell the king, "Let them hang Mordecai on it; then go with the king to the banquet happily." The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

⁹ The look on their faces testifies against them and they declare their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have dealt out evil to themselves.

¹² Were they ashamed, for they had committed a detestable thing? What's worse,* they were not ashamed at all, and they did not know to feel humiliated. _⌊Therefore_⌋* they will fall among those who fall; at the time of their punishment they will stumble," says Yahweh.

³ Their hands are upon evil, to do it well; the official and the judge ask for the bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; and they weave it together.

³² "Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and _⌊all of your followers will be motivated_⌋!"*

¹⁸ When you see a thief, then you are pleased with him, and your association is with adulterers. ¹⁹ You give your mouth free rein for evil, and you harness your tongue to deceit.

²⁷ Cease to listen to instruction, my child, _⌊and you will stray_⌋* from sayings of knowledge.

²⁴ And she went out and* said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and* asked, saying, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately."

¹⁵ Therefore, now you along with the Sanhedrin explain to the military tribune that he should bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine more accurately the things concerning him. And we are ready to do away with him before he comes near."

⁶ Then* Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, "Quickly—make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!"

³³ He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and* put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

¹ Then Joseph was not able to control himself before all who were standing by him. And he cried out, "Make every man go out from me!" So no one stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

¹⁹ But he turned back from the sculptured stones* that were near Gilgal, and he said, "I have _⌊a secret message_⌋* for you, O king." And he* said, "Silence!" So all those standing in his presence went out, ²⁰ For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.

¹¹ _⌊But one particular day_⌋* he came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house were there in the house, ¹² she seized him by his garment and said, "Lie with me!" And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and he went outside.

² And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. And he took her and lay with her and raped her.

⁷ And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were distressed and very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having sexual relations with the daughter of Jacob—_⌊something that_⌋* should not be done.

¹¹ As for the nakedness of the daughter of your father's wife, she is your sister, a relative of your father; you must not expose her nakedness.

²⁹ then _⌊the man who lay with her_⌋* shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become _⌊his wife_⌋* _⌊because_⌋* he violated her, and he is not allowed to divorce her _⌊during his lifetime_⌋.*

²³ So the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, "No, my brothers, do not act wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this disgraceful thing.

⁶ Then I grabbed my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent her throughout all the territory of Israel's inheritance; for they committed a shameful and disgraceful thing in Israel.

²² His iniquities shall ensnare him, the evildoer, and in the vanity of his sin he shall be caught. ²³ He shall die _⌊for lack of_⌋* discipline, and in the greatness of his folly he shall be lost.

⁷ And I saw among the simple, I observed among the youth, a young man lacking _⌊sense_⌋,*

⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known* a man. Please, let me bring them out to you; then do to them as it seems good in your eyes. Only to these men do not do this thing, since they came under_⌊ my roof_⌋* for protection."

¹² _⌊Besides_⌋,* she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.

²⁴ Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please, let me bring them out; do violence to them,* and do to them _⌊whatever you please_⌋.* Do not do this disgraceful thing to this man."

²⁵ "But if the man finds the young engaged woman in the field and the man overpowers her and _⌊he has sex with her_⌋,* then the man only* must die who lay* with her. ²⁶ But you shall not do anything* to the young woman, for there is not reckoned against* the young woman _⌊a sin deserving death_⌋;* _⌊it is similar to when_⌋* a man rises up against his neighbor and murders him, _⌊a fellow human being_⌋,* just so is this _⌊case_⌋,* ²⁷ for he found her in the field, the engaged young woman cried out, but there was no* rescuer _⌊to help her_⌋.*

⁵ The lords of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine, and she died.

¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, 'Look, I am going to raise up evil against you from within your house, and I will take your women before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and he shall sleep with your wives _⌊in broad daylight_⌋.*

⁸ And the king returned from the palace garden to the _⌊banquet hall_⌋,* where Haman was lying prostrate on the couch that Esther was on, and the king said, "Will he also molest the queen with me in the house?" As the words* went from the king's mouth they covered Haman's face.

¹⁷ And so the _⌊Babylonians_⌋* came to her for the bed of lovemaking; and they defiled her with their fornication, and she was defiled by them, and she turned from them.

³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, for he was a son of his old age. And he made a robe with long sleeves* for him.

²³ And it happened that as Joseph came to his brothers they stripped Joseph of his robe, the robe with long sleeves,* that was upon him.

³² Then they sent the robe with long sleeves* and they brought it to their father and said, "We found this; please examine it. Is it the robe of your son or not?"

³⁰ 'Are they not finding and dividing the plunder? _⌊A bedmate or two bedmates for every man_⌋;* colorful garments for Sisera, plunder of colorful garments,* beautifully finished colorful garments, on the neck of the plunderer?'

¹³ The king's daughter is all glorious within;* her garment is of gold embroidered cloth. ¹⁴ She is brought to the king in colorful garments. The young women behind her, her attendants, are being brought to you.

⁶ And Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of Yahweh until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.*

¹² A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day, and his clothes were torn and earth was on his head.

² On the third day, a man came from the camp from being with Saul, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. _⌊When he came_⌋* to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down.

¹¹ David grabbed at his clothes and tore them, as did all of the men who were with him.

¹ Mordecai learned all that had been done and he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. And he went through the middle of the city and cried out a loud and bitter cry;

¹² Thus* they lifted up their eyes* from afar, but* they did not recognize him, so* they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garment* and threw dust on their heads _⌊toward the sky_⌋.*

⁶ Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

³⁷ Also from there you will come out with your hands on your head, for Yahweh has rejected _⌊those in whom you trust_⌋,* and you will not prosper through them.

¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah that she bore to Jacob in Paddan-Aram, and Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters were thirty-three persons in all.

²⁴ On his lips, an enemy will pretend, but _⌊inside_⌋* he will harbor deceit.

¹⁹ Do not take revenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God's wrath, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,"* says the Lord.

²² Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were having sexual relations with the women who were serving at the entrance of the tent of assembly.* ²³ And he asked them, "Why are you doing all these things that I am hearing, namely, your evil dealings with all these people? ²⁴ No, my sons, the report is not good that I am hearing the people of Yahweh spreading. ²⁵ If a man sins against a man, then God can intercede for him. But if a man sins against Yahweh, who can intercede for him?" But they did not _⌊obey_⌋* their father, because Yahweh wanted to kill them.

²⁹ Why do you despise my sacrifice and my offering which I commanded for my dwelling place, while you honored your sons more than me by making yourselves fat from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel?

²⁸ When David heard this afterwards, he said: "I and my kingdom are innocent _⌊before Yahweh_⌋* forever for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹ May the blood come down on the head of Joab and all the house of his father. _⌊May the house of Joab never lack_⌋* one with a bodily discharge or one with leprosy or one who grasps the distaff or one who falls by the sword or one who is lacking food."

⁵ Then _⌊the anger of David was kindled_⌋* against the man, and he said to Nathan, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* the man who has done this _⌊deserves to die_⌋!*

¹⁰ So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!'

⁸ _⌊Each morning_⌋,* I will destroy all the wicked of the land, cutting off from the city of Yahweh all evildoers.

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, "The matter has gone out from Yahweh; we are not able to speak bad or good to you.

²⁴ And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "_⌊Take care_⌋* that you not speak with Jacob, whether good or evil."

²⁹ _⌊It is in my power_⌋* to do harm to you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night saying, '_⌊Take care_⌋* from speaking with Jacob, whether good or evil.'

¹⁷ " 'You* shall not hate your* brother in your* heart; you* shall surely rebuke your* fellow citizen, so that you* do not incur sin _⌊along with_⌋* him. ¹⁸ You* shall not seek vengeance, and you* shall not harbor a grudge against _⌊your* fellow citizens_⌋;* and you* shall love your* neighbor like yourself; * I am Yahweh.

¹⁸ He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit, and he who utters slander—he is a fool.

⁹ Argue your argument with your neighbor himself, the secret of another do not disclose,

⁴ Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger, but who will stand before jealousy? ⁵ Better a rebuke that is open than a love that is hidden. ⁶ The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

⁹ Do not be quick in your spirit to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

¹⁵ "Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

²⁶ Be angry and do not sin;* do not let the sun set on your anger,

³¹ All bitterness, and rage, and wrath, and clamor, and abusive speech, must be removed from you, together with all wickedness.

⁹ The one who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

¹¹ But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.

¹² _⌊And in the course of time_⌋* the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. When Judah was consoled he went up to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah. ¹³ And it was told to Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

² Now there was a man in Maon, whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich and _⌊owned_⌋* three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. _⌊Now_⌋* the shearing of his sheep was taking place in Carmel.

⁴ David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

⁷ Now I have heard that _⌊you have shearers_⌋.* Now while your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and nothing of theirs was missing, all the days they were in Carmel.

³⁶ Then Abigail went to Nabal, and look, _⌊he was holding a feast_⌋* in his house like the feast of the king. _⌊Nabal was enjoying himself_⌋,* and he was very drunk, so she did not tell him a thing, _⌊nothing at all_⌋,* until the light of morning.

⁹ And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened animals near the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel. He invited all of his brothers, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king.

¹⁹ He has sacrificed oxen and sheep and fattened animals _⌊in abundance_⌋,* and he has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he did not invite.

²⁵ "For he went down today and sacrificed oxen, sheep, and fattened animals _⌊in abundance_⌋.* He invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and look, they are eating and drinking before him. They have also said, "Long live King Adonijah!

⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he used to deliver to the king of Israel a hundred thousand male lambs and a hundred thousand wool rams.

¹⁰ And he built towers in the desert and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and on the plain, along with farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

⁸ David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." So Uriah went out from the king's house, and a gift from the king went out after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his master and did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ They told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house." David said to Uriah, "Are you not coming from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" ¹¹ Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are living in the booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping on the surface of the open field; and I, shall I go to my house to eat and to drink and to sleep with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I surely will not do this thing." ¹² David said to Uriah, "Remain here _⌊today_⌋,* and tomorrow I will send you away." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem on that day and the next. ¹³ David invited him, and he ate and drank in his presence _⌊so that he became drunk_⌋,* and he went out in the evening to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. ¹⁴ And it happened in the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and he sent it by the hand of Uriah. ¹⁵ He had written in the letter, "Put Uriah in the front, in the face of the fiercest fighting, then draw back from behind him so that he may be struck down and die."

² They speak falseness _⌊to each other_⌋.* With flattering lips, with _⌊a double heart_⌋* they speak.

²¹ The _⌊buttery words_⌋* of his mouth were smooth, but there was battle in his heart. His words were smoother than oil, but they were drawn swords.

⁶ And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out to meet them from Mizpah, _⌊weeping as he came_⌋.* _⌊And then_⌋* as he was meeting them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam." ⁷ _⌊And then_⌋,* the moment of their coming to the middle of the city, then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, _⌊along with_⌋* the men who were with him, slaughtered* them and threw them to the middle of the pit.*

² And he said, "Behold, my lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the square." ³ But _⌊he urged them strongly_⌋,* and they turned aside with him and came into his house. And he made a meal for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁷ The man got up to go, but his father-in-law urged him, and he returned and spent the night there. ⁸ On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to go, and the father of the young woman said, "Please, _⌊enjoy yourself_⌋,"* and they lingered until the day declined, and the two of them ate. ⁹ And the man got up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant—but his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, "Please, the day has worn on to evening; please, spend the night, the day has drawn to a close. Spend the night here and _⌊enjoy yourself_⌋.* You can rise early tomorrow for your journey and _⌊go to your home_⌋."* ¹⁰ But the man was not willing to spend the night, and he got up and went; and he arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.

⁴ And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May Yahweh be with you." And they said to him, "May Yahweh bless you."

²² Joab fell with his face to the ground and did obeisance. And he blessed the king, and he* said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant." ²³ And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and press them* to come in, so that my house will be filled!

²⁹ And they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is getting toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent." And he went in to stay with them.

¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household, she urged us,* saying, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and* stay." And she prevailed upon us.

²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak with him in private. Then he struck him in the stomach there and he died, _⌊for he had shed the blood of Asahel his brother_⌋.*

⁹ Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it peace, O you my brother?" Then the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa as if to kiss him.

²⁴ On his lips, an enemy will pretend, but _⌊inside_⌋* he will harbor deceit. ²⁵ When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him, for seven abominations are in his heart. ²⁶ Though hatred is covered with guile, its evil will be exposed in the assembly.

²¹ And he drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he exposed himself in the midst of his tent.

³² Come, let us give our father wine to drink and let us lie with him* that _⌊we may secure descendants through our father_⌋."* ³³ And they gave their father wine to drink that night, and the firstborn went and lay with her father, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up. ³⁴ And it happened that, the next day the firstborn said to the younger one, "Look, I laid with my father last night. Let us give him wine to drink also tonight, then go and lie with him that _⌊we may secure descendants through our father_⌋."* ³⁵ And they gave their father wine to drink again that night, and the younger got up and lay with him, but he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.

¹⁶ and he said, "When you help the Hebrews give birth, you will look upon the pairs of testicles; if he is a son, you will put him to death, and if she is a daughter, she will live." ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had said to them. They let the boys live.

¹⁶ They came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of Zippor, 'Please, let nothing keep you from coming to me ¹⁷ because I will surely honor you greatly, and all that you say to me I will do. Please, come; curse this people for me.'"

⁹ Did I not command you? Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you _⌊wherever you go_⌋."*

⁶ So the two of them sat and ate and drank together, and the father of the young woman said to the man, "Please, agree to spend the night and _⌊enjoy yourself_⌋."*

⁹ And the man got up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant—but his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, "Please, the day has worn on to evening; please, spend the night, the day has drawn to a close. Spend the night here and _⌊enjoy yourself_⌋.* You can rise early tomorrow for your journey and _⌊go to your home_⌋."*

²² While _⌊they were enjoying themselves_⌋,* behold, the men of the city, _⌊the perverse lot_⌋,* surrounded the house, pounding on the door. And they said to the old man, the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so that _⌊we may have sex with him_⌋."*

⁷ And Boaz ate and drank until his heart was _⌊merry_⌋* and then he came to lie at the end of the grain heap. And she came in quietly and _⌊uncovered_⌋* his feet and lay down.

¹⁷ So the king said to the runners who were stationed around him, "Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because _⌊they also support David_⌋* and because they knew that he was fleeing and _⌊did not disclose it to me_⌋."* But the servants of the king were not willing to raise their hand to attack the priests of Yahweh. ¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

³⁶ Then Abigail went to Nabal, and look, _⌊he was holding a feast_⌋* in his house like the feast of the king. _⌊Nabal was enjoying himself_⌋,* and he was very drunk, so she did not tell him a thing, _⌊nothing at all_⌋,* until the light of morning. ³⁷ _⌊And then_⌋* in the morning when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these words. Then his heart died _⌊within him_⌋,* and he became like a stone. ³⁸ _⌊And then_⌋,* about ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal and he died.

¹⁰ Then Saul swore to her by Yahweh, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* _⌊you will not be punished_⌋* for this thing."

¹³ The king said to her, "Do not be afraid! What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god* coming up from the ground!"

¹³ David invited him, and he ate and drank in his presence _⌊so that he became drunk_⌋,* and he went out in the evening to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

¹⁵ He had written in the letter, "Put Uriah in the front, in the face of the fiercest fighting, then draw back from behind him so that he may be struck down and die."

¹⁶ They went out at noon while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him.

¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven of the eunuchs attending King Ahasuerus,

¹⁵ and wine that makes glad the heart of man, so that their faces shine from oil, and bread that strengthens the heart of man.

⁷ Go—eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart! For God already has approved your deeds.

¹⁹ _⌊Feasts are held for celebration_⌋,* wine cheers the living, and money answers everything.

² _⌊When he tasted the wine_⌋,* Belshazzar commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his _⌊predecessor_⌋* had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords,* his wives and his concubines may drink from them. ³ Then they brought in the vessels of gold that they took from the temple, the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords,* his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.* ⁵ _⌊Immediately_⌋* _⌊human fingers_⌋* appeared and they wrote _⌊opposite_⌋* the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching* the palm of the hand that was writing. ⁶ Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and _⌊his hip joints gave way_⌋* and _⌊his knees knocked together_⌋.*

³⁰ _⌊That same night_⌋* Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

¹⁰ For like entangled thorns, and like their drink which is drunk, they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.

³⁴ "But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly

²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered and* said, "It is necessary to obey God rather than men!

²⁴ Now these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah—he is Anah who found the hot springs in the desert while he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father.

¹⁹ " 'You* must keep my statutes: as for your* domestic animals, you* shall not cause two differing kinds to breed; as for your* field, you* shall not sow two differing kinds of seed; and, a garment of two differing kinds of woven material should not be worn on you.*

¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ And _⌊he put to the sword_⌋* Nob, the city of the priests, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep;* all _⌊to the sword_⌋.*

⁹ Absalom was found in the presence of the servants of David as he was riding on the mule. The mule went under the thicket of the great oak tree, and his head was caught in the tree. He was left hanging between heaven and earth, and the mule which was under him went on.

³³ The king said to them, "Take with you all the servants of your lord, and let them make Solomon my son ride on my mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

¹¹ The men of his city and the elders and nobles who were living in his city did according to what Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters which she had sent to them. ¹² They called a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ Then the two men, _⌊scoundrels_⌋,* came, sat opposite him, and the _⌊scoundrels_⌋* witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king," so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.

⁹ So _⌊Ahaziah_⌋* sent to him the commander of fifty with his fifty men, and he went up to him while he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" ¹⁰ Then Elijah answered and said to the commander of the fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty!" Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. ¹¹ So he _⌊again sent_⌋* another commander of fifty and his fifty men. He answered and said to him, "O man of God, thus says the king, 'Come down quickly!'" ¹² Then Elijah answered and said to them, "If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty!" Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹² A ruler listening to a word of falsehood, all his officials are wicked.

²⁹ Then Reuben returned to the pit and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes.

³⁴ And Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days.

³¹ David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothing and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." Now King David was following after the bier.

¹⁶ David pleaded with God on behalf of the boy and David fasted. He went to spend the night and lay upon the ground.

²⁰ Then* Job arose and tore his outer garment* and shaved his head; _⌊then_⌋* he fell upon the ground and he worshiped.

⁴¹ Then Esau held a grudge against Jacob on account of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart,* "The days of mourning for my father are coming, then I will kill Jacob my brother."

³ Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David. (Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.)

¹⁴ See, he* travails with* evil. He is pregnant with trouble, and he gives birth to deception.

¹¹ Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back, ¹² if you say, "Look, we do not know this," does not he who weighs hearts perceive it? And he who keeps your soul,* he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.

¹⁹ and he said to the king, "May not my lord hold me guilty, and may you not remember how your servant did wrong on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, by taking it to heart!

⁸ Then* Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out into the field."* And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then* Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" ¹⁰ And he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. ¹¹ So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. ¹² When you till the ground _⌊it shall no longer yield its strength to you_⌋.* You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth." ¹³ And Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide. I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."

³⁷ Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, the king of Geshur. David mourned over his son _⌊day after day_⌋.* ³⁸ But Absalom had fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years.

¹⁷ A person who is burdened with the blood of _⌊another_⌋,* until death he will flee; do not take hold of him.

¹⁹ It will be as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall and a snake bit him.

²¹ Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; now that the child has died, you get up and eat food!"

³³ * The king was upset, and he went up to the upper room of the gate and wept. He said as he went, "My son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom. _⌊If only_⌋* I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son."

³ His second was Kileab by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur.

³⁴ So Absalom fled, and the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and saw, and there were many people coming from the road behind him from the side of the mountain.

²³ Then Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

³² Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I have sent to you, saying, 'Come here that I may send you to the king to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there." ' So then, let me see the face of the king; if there is guilt in me, then let him kill me."

⁸ for your servant made a vow while I was staying in Geshur in Aram, saying, '_⌊If Yahweh will indeed let me return_⌋* to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'"

⁶⁷ And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother. And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after the death of his mother.

³⁰ Now, you have surely gone because you desperately longed for the house of your father, but why did you steal my gods?"

³⁵ And all his sons and daughters tried to console him, but he refused to be consoled. And he said, "No, I shall go down to my son, to Sheol, mourning." And his father wept for him.

¹² _⌊And in the course of time_⌋* the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. When Judah was consoled he went up to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.

³² Your sons and your daughters shall be given to other people, and _⌊you will be looking on_⌋* _⌊longingly_⌋* for* them all day, _⌊but you will be powerless to do anything_⌋.*

¹⁹ When David saw that his servants were whispering together, he realized that the child was dead. Then David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." ²⁰ David stood up from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothing. Then he went to the house of Yahweh and worshiped, and he went to his own house. He asked, so they served him food, and he ate. ²¹ Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; now that the child has died, you get up and eat food!" ²² He said, "When the child was still alive, I fasted and I wept because I thought, 'Who knows? Yahweh may have mercy on me that the child will live.' ²³ But now he is dead. Why should I be fasting? Am I able to return him again? I am going to him, but he cannot return to me."

² My soul longs and even fails for the courtyards of Yahweh. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

²⁰ My soul is crushed with longing for your ordinances at all times.

²⁶ because he was longing for all of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.