It happened after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag;

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

David said to him, "Where do you come from?" He said to him, "I have escaped out of the camp of Israel."

David said to him, "How did it go? Please tell me." He answered, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also."

David said to the young man who told him, "How do you 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.

David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite."

David said to him, "How were you not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy Yahweh's anointed?"

David called one of the young men, and said, "Go near, and fall on him." He struck him, so that he died.

David said to him, "Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have slain Yahweh's anointed.'"

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

It happened after this, that David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" Yahweh said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" 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.

David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.

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

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "Blessed are you by Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.

Ishbosheth, 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.

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

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 Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

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

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 struck of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, [so that] three hundred 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.

To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

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

It happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman!

God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don't do 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."

Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" and saying, "Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel around to you."

David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

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

Now then do it; for Yahweh 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.'"

Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also 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. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

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 you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

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.

When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn't know it.

Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier.

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, until the sun goes down."

They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! Yahweh has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed."

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

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 Ishbosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

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

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

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

The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "Unless you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here;" thinking, "David can't come in here."

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

David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and strike the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul." Therefore they say, "The blind and the lame can't come into the house."

David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. David built around from Millo and inward.

David grew greater and greater; for Yahweh, the God of Armies, was with him.

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

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

David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

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.

David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?" Yahweh said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand."

David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and he said, "Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.

They left their images there; and David and his men took them away.

When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, "You shall not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them over against the mulberry trees.

David did so, as Yahweh commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

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

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 Yahweh of Armies who sits [above] the cherubim.

David and all the house of Israel played before Yahweh with all kinds of [instruments made of] fir wood, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken forth on Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day.

David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, "How shall the ark of Yahweh come to me?"

So David would not move the ark of Yahweh to be with him in the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

It was told king David, saying, "Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God." David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy.

David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.

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

It was so, as the ark of Yahweh 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 Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

They brought in the ark of Yahweh, 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 Yahweh.

When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies.

Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious the king of Israel was today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"

David said to Michal, "It was before Yahweh, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of Yahweh, over Israel. Therefore will I celebrate before Yahweh.

"Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?

Now therefore you shall tell my servant David this, 'Thus says Yahweh of Armies, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you 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 Yahweh; and he said, "Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Lord Yahweh.

Let your name be magnified forever, saying, 'Yahweh of Armies is God over Israel; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you.'

After this it happened that David struck the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.

He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.

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

David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for one hundred chariots.

When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

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

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

From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer,

then Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

These also did king David dedicate to Yahweh, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued;

David earned a reputation when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men.

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

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.

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

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 you Ziba?" He said, "Your servant is he."

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