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 David said unto him, "How is it that thou wast not afraid to lay thine hand on the LORD's anointed, to destroy him?"

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

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.

How were the mighty slain in battle? Jonathan on the high hills was wounded to death.

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.

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

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

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

And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise and play before us." And Joab answered, "Be it."

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 followed after Abner and turned neither to the righthand nor to the left from Abner.

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.

And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn from me! Why wilt thou that I smite thee to the ground? For then how should I hold up my face before Joab thy brother?"

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,

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour without end? Knowest thou not that bitterness is wont to come in the latter end? How long shall it be, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?"

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 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.

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

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?

So do God to Abner, and so thereto: except that as the LORD hath sworn to David, I so do to him,

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 he could give Abner never a word to answer because he feared him.

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."

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 her husband went with her, and came weeping behind her, till they came to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, "Go and return." And he returned.

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 when Abner was come to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him: David made him and the men that were with him a feast.

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."

Then Joab went to the king, and said, "What hast thou done? See, Abner came unto thee, why hast thou sent him away, that he should escape quite?

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.

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 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 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 the king said unto his servants, "Know ye not, how that there is a lord, and that a great, fallen this day in Israel?

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 these Beerothites fled to Gittaim and sojourned there until the same time.

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."

him that told me how that Saul was dead, thinking to have brought me good tidings, I caught and slew in Ziklag, to give him a reward for his tidings-bringing.

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 thereto in time past when Saul was king over us, thou leddest Israel in and out. And the LORD hath said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.'"

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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."

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."

And David did as the LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Gibeah to Gezer.

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 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 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 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.

Then David returned to salute his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out against him, and said, "Oh how glorious was the king of Israel today, which stripped himself today before the eyes of the maidens of his servants, as a light-brained fellow is wont to strip himself."

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.

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

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

"Go and tell my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD, 'Shalt thou go build me a house for the LORD to dwell in?

For I have not dwelt in any house since the time I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, unto this day: but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

In any way where I went among the children of Israel, spake I one word with any of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: why build ye not me a house of cedar trees?'

Now therefore so say unto my servant David, thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, 'I took thee out of a shepherd's cote from following sheep to be a ruler over my people Israel.

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 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 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.

And what one people in the earth is like thy people Israel? Which God went and delivered to be his people, and to make him a name, and to show them great and terrible things in the earth, before thy people which thou redeemest to thee out of Egypt, even from the people and from their gods.

And thou hast ordained thy people Israel to be thy people forever. And thou, LORD, art their God.

And now, LORD God, the thing thou hast said of thy servant and of his house: make it good forever and do as thou hast said.

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 now go to and bless the household of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. For thou, Lord Jehovah, hast said that of thy blessing the house of thy servant shall be blessed forever."

And he beat the Moabites and measured them with a line, making them lie along the earth; so that he brought two parts of them to death, and let one part live. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and paid tribute.

David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as he went to make the end of his coasts at the river Euphrates.

Then came the Syrians of Damascus to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah. And David slew of them two and twenty thousand men and put soldiers in Syria, Damascus.

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

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