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Joab said [to Abishai], "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to help you.

But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

Then it happened in the spring, at the time when the kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all [the fighting men of] Israel, and they destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

The messenger said to David, "The men indeed prevailed against us and came out to us in the field, but we were on them and pushed them as far as the entrance of the [city] gate.

And when the time of mourning was past, David sent word and had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done [with Bathsheba] was evil in the sight of the LORD.

But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb Which he had purchased and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It ate his food, drank from his cup, it lay in his arms, And was like a daughter to him.

'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'"

The elders of his household stood by him [in the night] to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling [to get up] and would not eat food with them.

But when David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. So David said to them, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you got up and ate food."

"But now he is dead; why should I [continue to] fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him [when I die], but he will not return to me."

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd (cunning) man.

She took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Have everyone leave me." So everyone left him [except Tamar].

But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

But she said, "No, because this wrong of sending me away is worse than the other that you have done to me!" But he would not listen to her.

So her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon been with you? But now keep silent, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart." So Tamar remained secluded in her brother Absalom's house.

Now when King David heard about all these things, he was very angry [but failed to take any action].

But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be a burden to you." Although Absalom [strongly] urged David, still he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.