And he said unto me, 'Come on me and slay me: For anguish is come upon me and my life is yet all in me.'

Then David took his clothes and rent them, and so did all the men that were with him.

Ye mountains of Gilboa, upon you be neither dew nor rain, nor fields whence heave offerings come: For there the shields of the mighty were cast from them, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil.

Wherefore the LORD show you mercy and truth again. And I will do you good also, because ye have done this thing.

and made him king over Gilead and over the Asherites, and over Jezreel; and over Ephraim and Benjamin and over all Israel.

And they caught each his fellow that came against him, by the head and thrust his sword in his side, and so fell down all at once. Wherefore the place was called Helkathhazzurim which is in Gibeon.

And therewith Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still and pursued after Israel no more nor fought no more.

And Abner and his men walked all that night by the wild fields, and went over Jordan, and passed through all Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

And Joab returned from after Abner and gathered all the people together. And there lacked, of David's servants, nineteen persons and Asahel.

And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and came in the dawning to Hebron.

And Abner sent messengers to David forthwith, saying, "Whose is the land?" And he said thereto, "Make a bond with me, and see, my hand is with thee, to bring all Israel unto thee."

And David answered, "Well said. I will make a bond with thee. But one thing I require of thee, that thou see not my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see me."

Now then, do it. For the LORD hath said of David, 'By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel; out of the hands of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

And like words had he with Benjamin, and then went to tell in the ears of David in Hebron all that Israel was content with and the whole house of Benjamin.

Then Abner said unto David, "I will up and go gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make an appointment with thee, that thou mayest be king over all that thine heart desireth." And so David let Abner depart, and he went in peace.

When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, men told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away that he is gone in peace."

Thou mightest know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to flatter with thee, and to know thy conversation and behaviour, and to know all that thou doest."

And when Joab was come out from the king, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah - unwitting to David.

It fall therefore on the head of Joab and on all his father's house: that the house of Joab be never without one or other that hath running issues or without lepers and goers on crutches, and that fall on the sword and that lack bread."

And David said to Joab and to all the people that were with him, "Rent your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And king David himself followed the bier.

And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept over the sepulchre of Abner, and so did all the people.

Thy hands were not manacled nor thy feet brought into fetters: but as men fall before wicked children, so fellest thou." And all the people wept yet more over him.

And when all the people came to eat meat with David, while it was yet day, David sware, saying, "So do God to me and so thereto, if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down."

And the people wist it, and it pleased them, as well as all other good things which the king did in the sight of the people.

And all the people and all Israel thereto understood that day how that it was not the king's mind to slay Abner the son of Ner.

When Ishbosheth heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands fainted and all Israel was troubled.

For they came into the house as he slept on his bed in his resting chamber, and smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and gat them away through the wild fields all night.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, "As surely as the LORD liveth, which hath delivered my soul out of all adversities:

And how much more ought I to deal with wicked men that have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? Now therefore think ye that I will not require his blood of your hands and take you from the earth?"

Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and said, "See, we are thy bones and thy flesh.

And so all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron. And king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, they came all up to seek David. And as soon as David heard of it, he gat him to a hold.

And David asked of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go to the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into my hands?" And the LORD said unto David, "Go, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands."

After that, David chose out all the chief young men in Israel to the sum of thirty thousand;

and arose and went, with all the folk that were with him of the men of Judah, to fetch away the Ark of God: upon which is called the name of the LORD of Hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.

And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD with all manner instruments of fir wood - with harps, psalteries, timbrels, fiddles and cymbals.

And the Ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite, three months; and the LORD blessed Obededom and all his household.

And when it was told king David how that the LORD had blessed the house of Obededom and all that pertained unto him, because of the Ark of God, he went and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obededom unto the city of David with gladness.

And David danced before the LORD with all his might, in a linen ephod gird unto him.

And David and all the house of Israel brought the ark of the LORD with shouting and trumpet blowing.

and gave among all the folk - even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men - every one a cake of bread and a piece of flesh and a flacket of wine. And so the people departed every man to his house.

But David said again to Michal, "I thought to dance before the LORD - which chose me, rather thy father and all his kin, and commanded me to be ruler over all the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

And therefore will I play before the LORD, and will yet be more vile than so, and I will be meek in mine own sight: and of the very same maidservants which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour."

And in process, as the king dwelt in his house after that the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies,

Then said Nathan unto the king, "Go, and do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee."

And I was with thee in all that thou wentest to, and have destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men of the world.

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant it and they shall continue in one place and shall move no more, neither shall wicked people trouble them any more as they did at the beginning,

and since the time I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies. And the LORD telleth thee that he will build thee a household.

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou laid to rest with thy fathers, then I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy body, and will establish his kingdom.

And he shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the seat of his kingdom forever:

I will be his father and he shall be my son; insomuch that if he sin, I will but rebuke him with such a rod as men be rebuked with and with such plagues as the children of men be plagued with.

But my mercy will I not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put down before thee.

And when Nathan had told David all these words and all this vision,

And is this a small thing in thy sight Lord Jehovah, but that thou shouldest speak also of thy servant's house for a great while to come? Is this a law among men Lord Jehovah?

Even for thy word's sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make them known unto thy servant.

Wherefore, thou art great O LORD God and there is none like thee, neither is there any God save thou, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

For thou, LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, hast told in the ear of thy servant, saying, "I will build thee a house. And therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

And David took a thousand and seven hundred horsemen of his, and twenty thousand footmen, and destroyed all his chariots - reserving one hundred of them.

And the Syrians became servants to David paying tribute. And thus the LORD saved David in all that he went to.

When Toi, king of Hamath, had heard how David had discomforted all the host of Hadadezer,

And them also King David did dedicate unto the LORD with the silver and gold that he consecrated of all nations which he subdued:

And he put keepers in Edom, even throughout all Edom put he soldiers; and all Edom became his servants. And the LORD kept David whatsoever he took in hand.

And David reigned over all Israel and executed right and justice unto all his people.

And David said, "Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan's sake and will restore thee all the fields of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat meat on mine own table always."

Then the king called unto Ziba, Saul's young man, saying unto him, "I give unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his kin.

Then said Ziba unto the king, "All that my lord hath said unto his servant, thy servant shall do." "For," said the king, "Mephibosheth must eat upon my table, as one of the king's sons."

This Mephibosheth had a son that was young named Mica, and all that dwelled in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And thereupon David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants over the death of his father. Now when David's servants were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of strong men.

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was before and after, he chose of all the best of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.

And he said, "If the Syrians overcome me, then succor me. But if the children of Ammon be too good for thee, I will come and succor thee.

And when it was showed David, he gathered all Israel and passed over Jordan and came to Helam: where the Syrians put themselves in array against David and fought with him.

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with them and served them. And so the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

And it came to pass in the beginning of a new year, in the times when kings are wont to go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

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

And Uriah said unto David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in pavilions; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord lie in tents upon the flat earth - and should I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life and as sure as thy soul liveth, I will not do that thing."

Then said David unto Uriah, "Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." And so Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and on the morrow.

Then Joab sent and told David all the process of the war,

And the messengers went and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him with,

Then said David unto the messenger, "Thus wise say unto Joab, 'Let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage, Joab."

Thus sayeth the LORD, 'Behold, I will stir up evil against thee even of thine own house and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, which shall sleep with them in the sight of the sun.

And thou didst it secretly, yet will I do this thing before all Israel and in the open sunlight.'"

And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth.

And it happened the seventh day that the child died. But the servants of David durst not tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "See, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How much more then will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?"

Then said his servants unto him, "What is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for thy child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst rise up and didst eat meat."

And he answered, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept. For I this thought, 'Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child may live?'

And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah and assaulted it and gat it.

And he brought out the people that was therein and sawed them and drew harrows of iron upon them, and shred some of them with shredding knives of iron, and thrust some into furnaces. And so he served all the cities of the children of Ammon. And then David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

and took a platter and poured them out before him. And Amnon would not eat, but commanded to have out all men from him. And they went all out from him.

And king David heard of all these things and was very wroth.

And it happened, two year after, that Absalom had a sheep shearing in Baal Hazor besides the tribe of Ephraim, and bade all the king's sons.

But Absalom made such insistence that he let Amnon go with him, and all the king's children.

And the young men of Absalom served Amnon even as Absalom commanded them. And all the king's sons arose and took each man his mule and fled.

And while they were yet in the way, tidings came to David that Absalom had slain all the king's sons, so that none was left alive.

Then the king arose and tare his garments and lay along on the earth: and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah David's brother answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons: save Amnon only is dead. For that hath been ever in Absalom's mouth since he forced his sister Tamar.

Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing so grievously to think that all the king's sons were dead, when Amnon only is dead."

And as soon as he had left speaking: behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voices and wept. And thereto the king and all his servants wept exceedingly.

he sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, "Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel. And anoint not thyself with oil. But be as a woman that had long time mourned for the death of somebody.