The Reign of David

For thou diddest it secretly: but I will doe this thing before all Israel, and before the sunne.

Then Dauid sayde vnto Nathan, I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan sayde vnto Dauid, The Lord also hath put away thy sinne, thou shalt not die.

Howbeit because by this deede thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the childe that is borne vnto thee shall surely die.

So Nathan departed vnto his house: and the Lord stroke the childe that Vriahs wife bare vnto Dauid, and it was sicke.

Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.

Then the Elders of his house arose to come vnto him, and to cause him to rise from the groud: but he would not, neither did he eate meate with them.

So on the seuenth day the child dyed: and the seruants of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead: for they sayde, Beholde, while the childe was aliue, we spake vnto him, and he woulde not hearken vnto our voyce: how then shall we say vnto him, The childe is dead, to vexe him more?

But when Dauid sawe that his seruantes whispered, Dauid perceiued that the childe was dead: therefore Dauid sayde vnto his seruants, Is the childe dead? And they sayd, He is dead.

Then Dauid arose from the earth, and washed and anoynted himselfe, and changed his apparell, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and afterward came to his owne house, and bade that they should set bread before him, and he did eate.

Then saide his seruants vnto him, What thing is this, that thou hast done? thou diddest fast and weepe for the childe while it was aliue, but when the childe was dead, thou diddest rise vp, and eate meate.

And he sayde, While the childe was yet aliue, I fasted, and wept: for I sayde, Who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me, that the childe may liue?

But now being dead, wherefore shoulde I now fast? Can I bring him againe any more? I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me.

And Dauid comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in vnto her, and lay with her, and she bare a sonne, and he called his name Salomon: also the Lord loued him.

For the Lord had sent by Nathan the Prophet: therefore he called his name Iedidiah, because the Lord loued him.

Then Ioab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and tooke the citie of the kingdome.

Therefore Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, saying, I haue fought against Rabbah, and haue taken the citie of waters.

Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and besiege the city, that thou mayest take it, lest the victorie be attributed to me.

So Dauid gathered al the people together, and went against Rabbah, and besieged it, and tooke it.

And he tooke their Kings crowne from his head, (which weighed a talent of golde, with precious stones) and it was set on Dauids head: and he brought away the spoyle of the citie in exceeding great abundance.

And he carryed away the people that was therein, and put them vnder sawes, and vnder yron harowes, and vnder axes of yron, and cast them into the tyle kylne: euen thus did he with all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then Dauid and all the people returned vnto Ierusalem.

Now after this so it was, that Absalom the sonne of Dauid hauing a fayre sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued her.

And Amnon was so sore vexed, that he fell sicke for his sister Tamar: for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to doe any thing to her.

But Amnon had a friend called Ionadab, the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother: and Ionadab was a very subtile man.

Who sayde vnto him, Why art thou the Kings sonne so leane from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? Then Amnon answered him, I loue Tamar my brother Absaloms sister.

And Ionadab sayd vnto him, Lie downe on thy bed, and make thy selfe sicke: and when thy father shall come to see thee, say vnto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and giue me meate, and let her dresse meate in my sight, that I may see it, and eate it of her hand.