The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
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20And Absalom’s her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s’s house.
21But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
22And Absalom’s spoke to his brother Amnon oneither good nor bad. For Absalom’s phated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
Absalom Murders Amnon
23And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom’s qhad sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom’s invited all the king’s sons.
24Then Absalom’s came to the king and said, “Kindly note, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.”
25But the king said to Absalom’s, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.” Then he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him.
26Then Absalom’s said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
27But Absalom’s urged him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
28Now Absalom’s had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s rheart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and 3valiant.”
29So the servants of Absalom’s sdid to Amnon as Absalom’s had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on this mule and fled.
30And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom’s has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!”
31So the king arose and utore his garments and vlay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32Then wJonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom’s this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33“Now therefore, xlet not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”
Absalom Flees to Geshur
34yThen Absalom’s fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked, and there, many people were coming from the road on the hillside behind 4him.
35And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.”
36So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.
37But Absalom’s fled and went to zTalmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
38So Absalom’s fled and went to aGeshur, and was there three years.
39And 5King David 6longed to go to Absalom’s. For he had been bcomforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.
2 Samuel 14
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
1So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned aabout Absalom’s.
2And Joab sent to bTekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, cand put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead.
3“Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab dput the words in her mouth.
4And when the woman of Tekoa 1spoke to the king, she efell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, f“Help, O king!”
5Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, g“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead.
6“Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
7“And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him hfor the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”
8Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”
9And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let ithe 2iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, jand the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”
11Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, and do not permit kthe avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.” And he said, l“As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Say on.”
13So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against mthe people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring nhis banished one home again.
14“For we owill surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not ptake away a life; but He qdevises means, so that His banished ones are not 3expelled from Him.
15“Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant.
16‘For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the rinheritance of God.’
17“Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for sas the angel of God, so is my lord the king in tdiscerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’ ”
18Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Please, let my lord the king speak.”
19So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, and uhe put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant.
20“To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, vaccording to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”
21And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom’s.”
22Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and 4thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.”
23So Joab arose wand went to Geshur, and brought Absalom’s to Jerusalem.
24And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but xdo not let him see my face.” So Absalom’s returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.
David Forgives Absalom
25Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom’s for his good looks. yFrom 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—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard.
27zTo Absalom’s were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28And Absalom’s dwelt two full years in Jerus
alem, abut did not see the king’s face.
29Therefore Absalom’s sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
30So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32And Absalom’s answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; but bif there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.”
33So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom’s, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king ckissed Absalom’s.
2 Samuel 15
Absalom’s Treason
1After this ait happened that Absalom’s bprovided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2Now Absalom’s would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a clawsuit1 came to the king for a decision, that Absalom’s would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.”
3Then Absalom’s would say to him, “Look, your 2case is good and right; but there is no 3deputy of the king to hear you.”
4Moreover Absalom’s would say, d“Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.”
5And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and ekiss him.
6In this manner Absalom’s acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. fSo Absalom’s stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7Now it came to pass gafter 4forty years that Absalom’s said to the king, “Please, let me go to hHebron and pay the vow which I made to the LORD.
8i“For your servant jtook a vow kwhile I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the LORD indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.’ ”
9And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.
10Then Absalom’s sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom’s lreigns in Hebron!’ ”
11And with Absalom’s went two hundred men minvited from Jerusalem, and they nwent along innocently and did not know anything.
12Then Absalom’s sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, oDavid’s counselor, from his city—from pGiloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom’s qcontinually increased in number.
David Escapes from Jerusalem
13Now a messenger came to David, saying, r“The hearts of the men of Israel are 5with Absalom’s.”
14So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us sflee, or we shall not escape from Absalom’s. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15And the king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.”
16Then tthe king went out with all his household after him. But the king left uten women, concubines, to keep the house.
17And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts.
18Then all his servants passed 6before him; vand all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, wsix hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.
19Then the king said to xIttai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place.
20“In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go yI know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”
21But Ittai answered the king and said, z“As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”
22So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over.
23And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the awilderness.
24There was bZadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the cark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and dAbiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He ewill bring me back and show me both it and fHis dwelling place.
26“But if He says thus: ‘I have no gdelight in you,’ here I am, hlet Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
27The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a iseer?7 Return to the city in peace, and jyour two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28“See, kI will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
30So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he lhad his head covered and went mbarefoot. And all the people who were with him ncovered their heads and went up, oweeping as they went up.
31Then someone told David, saying, p“Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom’s.” And David said, “O LORD, I pray, qturn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the rArchite coming to meet him swith his robe torn and dust on his head.
33David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become ta burden to me.
34“But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom’s, u‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me.
35“And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to vZadok and Abiathar the priests.
36“Indeed they have there wwith them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”
37So Hushai, xDavid’s friend, went into the city. yAnd Absalom’s came into Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 16
Mephibosheth’s Servant
1Whena David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was bZiba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
2And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?” So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for cthose who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
3Then the king said, “And where is your dmaster’s son?” eAnd Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”
4So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”
Shimei Curses David
6And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
7Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You 1bloodthirsty man, hyou 2rogue!
8“The LORD has ibrought upon you all jthe blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom’s your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a 3bloodthirsty man!”
9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this kdead dog lcurse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”
10But the king said, m“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because nthe LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ oWho then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
11And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how pmy son who qcame from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him.
12“It may be that the LORD will look on 4my affliction, and that the LORD will rrepay me with sgood for his cursing this day.”
13And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and 5kicked up dust.
14Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.
The Advice of Ahithophel
15Meanwhile tAbsalom’s and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him.
16And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, uDavid’s friend, came to Absalom’s, that vHushai said to Absalom’s, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17So Absalom’s said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? wWhy did you not go with your friend?”