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

Saul and Jonathan, men who were loved and pleasant, undivided; comely in their lives, and undivided in their death; swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

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 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 each man caught his fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner. And the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah that lays before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

So Joab blew the trumpet. And all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither did they fight any more.

And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah, and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulcher of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.

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

When Joab and all the army that was with him came, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has 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 they buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

And they came there into the midst of the house as though they would have fetched wheat, and they smote him in the body. And Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and killed him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.

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 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.

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.

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

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

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth to the ark of God, and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.

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 I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more. Neither shall the sons of iniquity afflict them any more, as at the first,

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.

When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the

So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Syrians. And they fled before him.

And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadarezer at their head.

And when all the kings who were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the sons of Ammon any more.

And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David remain

And when they had told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have thou not come from a journey? Why did thou not go down to thy house?

it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he says to thee, Why did ye go so near to the city to fight? Did ye not know that they would shoot from the wall?

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive we spoke to him, and he did not hearken to our

But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel. And he came into the house of LORD, and worshipped. Then he came to his own house, and when he required, they set bread before him, and he

And she took the pan, and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have all men out from me. And they went out every man from him.

And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the news came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.

And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined fr

And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who smote his brother that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also. Thus they will quench my co

Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood not destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As LORD lives, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem who were invited, and went in their simplicity. And they did not know anything.

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and they remained in Beth-merhak.

And, lo, Zadok also [came], and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished passing out of the city.

Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem, and they abode there.

And David went up by the ascent of the [mount of] Olives, and wept as he went up, and he had his head covered, and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they we

Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. And by them ye shall send to me everything that ye shall hear.

So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel. And a maid-servant used to go and tell them, and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.

But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And they went away quickly, both of them, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his court, and they went down there.

And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they return

And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David. And they said to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.

Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who was not gone over the Jordan.

and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat. For they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.

But the people said, Thou shall not go forth. For if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us, but thou are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that thou be ready to

And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every man to his tent.

And the people slipped away that day into the city, as people who are ashamed sneak away when they flee in battle.

Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told to all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.

And he inclined the heart of all the men of Judah, even as [the heart of] one man, so that they sent to the king, [saying], Return thou, and all thy servants.

And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him. And they went through the Jordan in the presence of the king.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up

And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. And they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a belt with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath of it. And as he

And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites. And they were gathered together, and also went after him.

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

Then she spoke, saying, They were accustomed to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel, and so they ended [the matter].

Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab re

And they said to the king, The man who consumed us, and who devised against us, [that] we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,

And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites. And they hanged them in the mountain before LORD, and they fell [all] seven together. And they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of

and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.

And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulcher of Kish his father. And they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was appealed for the land.

These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but LORD was my support.

I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them, neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise. Yea, they are fallen under my feet.

They looked, but there was none to save; even to LORD, but he did not answer them.

The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.

But the worthless shall be as thorns to be thrust away, all of them, because they cannot be taken with the hand.

But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear, and they shall be utterly burned with fire in [their] place.

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away.

And Joab said to the king, Now LORD thy God add to the people, however many they may be, a hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?

And they passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer.

Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi. And they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Sidon,

and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites. And they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba.

So when they had gone to and from through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to thee in thy land? Or will thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land?

And David spoke to LORD when he saw the agent who smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely, but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's ho