And it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag,

it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn, and earth upon his head. And so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground, and did obeisance.

And David said to him, From where did thou come? And he said to him, I escaped out of the camp of Israel.

And David said to him, How did the matter go? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, The people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are also dead.

And David said to the young man who told him, How do thou know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them, and likewise all the men who were with him.

And David said to the young man who told him, From where are thou? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.

And David said to him, Why were thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy LORD's anointed?

And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him so that he died.

And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain LORD's anointed.

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Hebron.

So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead were those who buried Saul.

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of LORD, that ye have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.

Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

And the battle was very severe that day. And Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

And Joab returned from following Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and sixty men died.

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,

and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as LORD has sworn to David, I do not even so to him,

to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? [And] saying, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee to bring about all Israel to thee.

And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver to me my wife Michal whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In times past ye sought for David to be king over you.

Now then do it, for LORD has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abner also went to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin.

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou may reign over all that thy soul desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in

And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them, but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

And when Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David knew it not.

And afterward, when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

And David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day, but David swore, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, till the sun is down.

And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life. And LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of h

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

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

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, Unless thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shall not come in here, thinking, David cannot come in he

Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [smite] the lame and the blind, the hated by David's soul, because the blind and the lame say, He cannot come into the house.

And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

And David grew greater and greater, for LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.

And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons, and they built David a house.

And David perceived that LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

And David took for him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.

And David inquired of LORD, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will thou deliver them into my hand? And LORD said to David, Go up, for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there. And he said, LORD has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.

And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away.

And when David inquired of LORD, he said, Thou shall not go up. Make a circuit behind them, and come upon them opposite the mulberry trees.

And David did so, as LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.

And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

And David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of LORD of hosts who sits [above] the cherubim.

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

And David was displeased, because LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah. And he called that place Perez-uzzah, to this day.

And David was afraid of LORD that day, and he said, How shall the ark of LORD come to me?

So David would not remove the ark of LORD to him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

And it was told king David, saying, LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David w

And David danced before LORD with all his might. And David was girded with a linen ephod.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

And it was so, as the ark of LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before LORD, and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of LORD, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before LORD.

And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of LORD of hosts.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as on

And David said to Michal, [It was] before LORD, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play before LORD.

Go and tell my servant David, Thus says LORD, Shall thou build a house for me to dwell in?

Now therefore thus thou shall say to my servant David, Thus says LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that thou should be prince over my people, over Israel.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Then David the king went in, and sat before LORD. And he said, Who am I, O lord LORD, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far?

And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD.

And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, LORD of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee.

And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them. And David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lay down on the ground. And he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.

David also smote Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.

And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.

And when the Syrians of Damascus came to aid Hadadezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceedingly much brass.

And when Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the army of Hadadezer,

then Toi sent Joram his son to king David to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gol

These also king David dedicated to LORD with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued:

And David got a name for him when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men.

And he put garrisons in Edom. He put garrisons throughout all Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

And David reigned over all Israel. And David executed justice and righteousness to all his people.

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were chief ministers.

And David said, Is there yet any who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, Are thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.

Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold, thy servant!