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.

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 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 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 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 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."

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 as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window and saw King David spring and dance before the LORD, and therefore despised him in her heart.

Then there fell a hunger in the days of David: three years, year by year. And David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is for Saul's sake and the house of blood, because he slew the Gibeonites."

But the king had compassion on Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them: that is to say, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

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?

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

But he took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah which she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Miphiyboseth, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul which she bare to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite,

he went and took the bones of Saul, and of Jonathan his son, and of the men of Jabesh in Gilead, which they had stolen from the street of Bet-Shean, where the Philistines had hanged them in the days when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.