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.

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."

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.

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?"

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 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.

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

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.

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

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 David asked the LORD, and he said, "Go not. But compass them on the back side and come down upon them from the pear trees.

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

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 in process, as the king dwelt in his house after that the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies,

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 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.

But my mercy will I not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put down before thee.

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 David made him a name after he returned from the slaughter of the Syrians in the valley of salt where he slew eighteen thousand men.

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And so Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

And it chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king's palace; and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to enquire what woman it should be.

And David said moreover to Uriah, "Go down to thine house and wash thy feet." And Uriah departed out of the king's palace, and there followed him a service from the king's table.

Then they told David, saying, "Uriah descended not into his house." Then said David unto Uriah, "Seeing that thou art come from journeying, why dost thou not go down unto thine house?"

And he wrote in the letter saying, "Put Uriah in the forefront of the battle where it is most strong, and come back from him that he may be smitten to death."

if he begin to fume and say unto thee, 'Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city to fight? Wist ye not that men would hurl and shoot from the walls?

Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbosheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from off the walls, that he died in Thebes? Why then went ye nigh the walls?" Then say thou, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

And the shooters shot from the walls, and some of the servants of the king be dead. And thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, to be thy wife.'

And the elders of his house arose and went to him to take him up from the earth. But he would not, neither yet eat meat with them.

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and went into the house of the LORD and prayed; and after came to his own house and bade that they should set meat before him, and he did eat.

and sent messengers to David, saying, "I have made assault to Rabbah, and also have taken the castle from whence they had their water.

And he took the king's crown from off his head, which weighed a hundred weight of gold, and was set with precious stones. And David wore it on his head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in exceeding great abundance.

and took a platter and poured them out before him. And Amnon would not eat, but commanded to have out all men from him. And they went all out from him.

but called his lad that waited upon him, and said, "Put her out at the doors from me and bolt the door after her."

And by that time, the king turned his mind from pursuing Absalom. For he had left mourning for the death of Amnon.

For we must needs die, and perish as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again: and God will not take away the life, but find the means that the banished be not utterly expelled from him.

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, "Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king say on."

Moreover, in all Israel there was not so goodly a man as Absalom, or so greatly praised - from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no blemish in him.

And Absalom said to Joab, "Behold, I sent for thee desiring thee to come; because I would have sent thee to the king, for to say wherefore I am come from Geshur. It had been as good for me to have bidden there still. Now therefore let me come to the king's presence, or else if there be any trespass in me, kill me."

Then said David unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Up, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart; lest he come suddenly and catch us and bring some mischief upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

And so the king and all the people went out afoot and tarried far from the house.

And all his servants went by his side. And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites, and all the Hittites, even six hundred men which were come afoot from Gath, went before the king.

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, "Wherefore shouldest thou go with us also? Return and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and art removed from thine own place.

And see, I will tarry in the fields of the wilderness until there come some word from you to be told me."

But my counsel is, that all Israel be gathered unto thee, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand of the sea in number, and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

Moreover though I had jeoparded my life and done falsely thereto, yet could nought of all the matter have been hid from the king: yea, and thou thyself wouldest be against me."

Then Joab blew a trumpet, and the people returned from following Israel: for Joab spared the people.

Now therefore up and come out, and speak kindly unto thy servants, I swear by the LORD, except thou come out, there will not tarry one man with thee this night. And that will be worse unto thee, than all the evil that fell on thee from thine youth unto this hour."

And king David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah and say, 'Why should ye be the last that should bring again the king to his house, seeing that such tidings is come from all Israel unto the king, even to his house?

And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet nor shaved his beard nor washed his clothes from the time the king departed, until he came again in peace.

And Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim and went over Jordan with the king, to accompany him over Jordan:

I am this day four score year old: and therefore can not discern savoury from unsavoury, neither hath thy servant pleasure in that he eateth or drinketh: nor yet delectation in the songs of men or women. It is no need that thy servant be a burden unto my lord the king:

Let us depart therefore every man to his tent." And all Israel went from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clave fast unto the king, from Jordan to Jerusalem.

The matter is not so: But there is a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, which hath lifted up his hand against king David. Deliver us him only, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said unto Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown through the wall to thee."

And then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they smote off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they scattered from the city every man to his tent, and Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it under her upon the rock, even from the beginning of harvest until rain dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to fall on them by day nor beasts of the field by night.

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.

I will praise and call on the LORD, and so shall be saved from mine enemies.

The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most high put out his voice.

He sent from on high and fetched me, and plucked me out of mighty waters.

He delivered me from my mighty enemy, and from them that hated me and were too strong for me.

But I had all his laws in my sight, and I turned my face from none of his ordinances.

But was pure unto him ward, and kept myself from wickedness.

And thou deliveredst me from the dissension of my people, and keepest me to be a head over nations, for the people which I knew not became my servants.

And delivereth me from mine enemies: thou liftest me up on high from them that rise against me, and deliverest me from the wicked men.

And forthwith the king said to Joab the captain of his Host, "Go abroad, I pray thee, throughout all the tribes of Israel, even from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people that I may know the number of them."

Notwithstanding, the king's words prevailed against Joab and against all the captains of the Host. Then Joab and the captains of the Host went out from the king, to view the people of Israel.

And then they went to Gilead and to the nether land of Hodshi, and from thence to Dan-Jaan, and about to Sidon,

And the LORD sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning unto the end of the time appointed. And there died of the people between Dan and Beersheba seventy thousand men.

and said, "Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor of thee, for to make an altar unto the LORD that the plague may cease from the people."

And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. And so the LORD was agreed with the land. And the plague ceased from Israel.