After the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had been two days in Ziklag:

Behold, there came a man the third day out of the host from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the earth and did obeisance.

To whom David said, "Whence comest thou?" And the other answered him, "Out of the host of Israel am I escaped."

And David said to him again, "How hath it chanced? Tell me." And he said, "The people fled from the battle, and many of the people are overthrown and dead: and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead thereto."

And they mourned, wept and fasted until evening - for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they were overthrown with the sword.

Then said David unto the young man that brought him tidings, "Whence art thou?" And he said, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite."

And David called one of his young men, and said, "Go and run upon him." And he smote him that he died.

And David sang this song of mourning over Saul and Jonathan his son,

and bade to teach the children of Israel the staves thereof. And behold, it is written in the book of the righteous:

"The glory of Israel is slain upon the high hills: Oh how were the mighty overthrown!

Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, and that the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph thereof.

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.

The bow of Jonathan and the sword of Saul turned never back again empty, from the blood of the wounded and from the fat of the mighty warriors.

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, which clothed you in purple and garments of pleasure, and bordered your raiment with ornaments of gold.

Woe is me for thee, my brother Jonathan! Delectable to me wast thou, exceeding. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

How were the mighty overthrown, and how were the weapons of war forlorn!"

After this David asked the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Juda? And the LORD said, "Go." And David answered, "Whither shall I go?" He answered, "Unto Hebron."

And so David went thither with his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail, Nabal's wife, the Carmelite.

And the men that were with him, did David carry up also, every man with his house. And they dwelt in the towns of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came, and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. When it was told David, how the men of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul,

And now let your hands stir them and play ye the men, though your master Saul be dead. And finally, understand that the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

But Abner the son of Ner that was captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim;

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

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

And Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out of Mahanaim, to Gibeon.

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 part on the one side the pool and the other on the other side.

Then there arose and went over: twelve of Benjamin by number, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David.

And there began an exceeding cruel battle that same day. But Abner and the men of Israel were put to the worse of the servants of David.

And there was three sons of Zeruiah there: Joab, Abishai and Asahel - which Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild roe -

Then said Abner, "Turn thee either to the righthand or to the left and catch one of the young men and take thee his spoil." But Asahel would not depart from him.

Howbeit, he would in no wise depart. Then Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the short ribs, that the spear came out behind him: that he fell down in the same place and died there. And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

But Joab and Abishai followed Abner till the sun went down. And when they were come to the hill Ammah that lieth before Giah in the way that goeth through the wilderness of Gibeon,

the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner on a plump and stood still on the top of a hill.

And Joab answered, "As truly as God liveth, if thou hadst so said, then even in the morning had the people departed, each from following his brother."

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

But the servants of David had slain, of Benjamin and of Abner's men, three hundred and three score men.

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.

There was long strife between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

And David had children born him in Hebron: his eldest son was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

the second, Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur;

the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

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

And as long as there was battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner held up the house of Saul.

And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Wherefore liest thou with my father's concubine?"

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head, then? That I, against Judah, do mercy unto the house of Saul thy father - and unto his brethren and kinsfolk - and have not delivered them into the hand of David? And thou layest a trespass to my charge this day for a woman's sake?

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

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."

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal which I married with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.

And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "Ye have long gone about that David should be king over you.

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.

And see, the servants of David and Joab came from chasing robbers and brought a great prey with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron: for he had sent him away to depart 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.

And when Abner was come again to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate, to speak with him guilefully, and there smote him under the short ribs that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

And when it afterward came to David's ear, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever, concerning the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

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 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.

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.

And I am this day tender, though I be anointed king. And these men the sons of Zeruiah be too strong for me to rule. But the LORD reward the doer of evil, according to his wickedness."

Now this Saul's son had two men that were become captains over the soldiers, the one called Baanah and the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, and of the children of Benjamin: for Beeroth was reckoned to pertain to Benjamin.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame on his feet: five years old was he when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel. And his nurse took him up and fled away. And as she made haste to flee and was amazed, the child fell and became halt and was called Mephibosheth.

And these sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he slept on a bed at noon.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David, to Hebron and said to the king, "Behold there the head of Ishbosheth Saul's son, thine enemy, which sought thy soul. But the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed."

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?"

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them up by the pole in Hebron. And they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

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.

Then went the king and his men to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites the inhabiters of the land. And they said unto David, "Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither" - meaning thereby that David should not have come in thither.

Nevertheless David took the hold of Zion, which is in the city of David.

Then said David the same day, "Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutters of the houses: smite the lame and the blind that hate David's soul." Wherefore they said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

And David dwelt in the tower and called it the city of David. And David built round about it from Mello inward.

And David waxed great and the LORD God of hosts was with him.

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

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

And these be the names of the sons that were born him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

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 the Philistines came and laid them along in the valley of Rephaim.

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."

And David came to Baalperazim and smote them there, and said, "The LORD hath divided mine enemies asunder before me, as a man would divide water." And therefore he called the name of the said place, Baalperazim.

And when thou hearest the noise of a thing going in the tops of the pear trees, then move. For then the LORD is gone out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines."

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 they put the Ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that dwelt at Gibeah. And Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab drove the new cart.

And when they brought it out of that house of Abinadab that dwelt at Gibeah, with the Ark of God, Ahio went before the ark.

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 when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah put his hand to the ark of God and held it, for the oxen stumbled.

And the LORD was wrath with Uzzah; and God smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he died by the ark of God.

And David was displeased because the LORD had rent Uzzah. And the name of the place was called Perezuzzah until this day.

And David was then afraid of the LORD and said, "How should the Ark of the LORD come to my house?"

And so David would not bring the Ark of the LORD with him into the city of David. But carried it into the house of Obededom, a Gittite.

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 ever, when they that bare the Ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he offered an ox and a fat sheep.

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