And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, - and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.

And David said unto him - How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said - The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.

Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, - How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them, - yea moreover, so did all the men who were with him.

And David said unto the young man who was telling him, Whence art thou? And he said, Son of a sojourner - an Amalekite, am I.

And David said unto him, - How wast thou not afraid to thrust forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of Yahweh?

So David called one of the young men, and said, - Go near - fall upon him. And he smote him, that he died.

And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, - for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.

Then chanted David this dirge, - over Saul and over Jonathan his son;

And it came to pass, after this, that David enquired of Yahweh, saying - Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Yahweh said unto him, Go up. And David said - Whither shall I go up? And he said - Unto Hebron.

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, - Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

His men also who were with him, did David bring up, every man with his household, - and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

Then came the men of Judah, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, Men of Jabesh-gilead, were they who buried Saul.

So David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, - and said unto them - Blessed, be ye of Yahweh, that ye did this lovingkindness unto your lord, unto Saul, and buried him.

Forty years old, was Ish-bosheth son of Saul, when he began to reign over Israel, and, two years, reigned he, - but, the house of Judah, followed David.

And it came to pass, that, the number of the days that David was king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.

And, Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out from Hebron and met, by the pool of Gibeon, together, - and they sat down, these, by the pool, on the one side, and, those, by the pool, on the other side.

Then there arose, and went over by number, - twelve of Benjamin, pertaining to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve, of the servants of David.

So the battle became exceeding obstinate, on that day, - and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

And, Joab, returned from pursuing Abner, and, when he had gathered together all the people, there were missing of the servants of David - nineteen men, and Asahel;

but, the servants of David, had smitten of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, - so that three hundred and sixty men, had died.

And the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was prolonged, - and, David, waxed stronger and stronger, and, the house of Saul, became weaker and weaker.

And there were born unto David, sons, in Hebron, - and it came to press that - His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess;

And the sixth Ithream, by Eglah wife of David. These, were born unto David, in Hebron.

And it came to pass, while the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, that, Abner, shewed himself courageous for the house of Saul.

And it provoked Abner greatly, on account of the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said - Am I, the head of the dogs, that pertain unto Judah? To-day, would I deal in lovingkindness with the house of Saul thy father, towards his brethren, and towards his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, - and yet thou hast charged upon me the transgression of the woman, today.

So, may God do unto Abner, and, so, may he add to him, - if, as Yahweh hath sworn unto David, even so, I deal not with him;

by turning over the kingdom from the house of Saul, - and establishing the throne of David, over Israel and over Judah, from Dan, even unto Beer-sheba.

So Abner sent messengers unto David, on the spot, saying - Whose, is the land? Saying also - Solemnise thy covenant with me; and lo! my hand, shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee, all Israel.

And David sent messengers unto Ish-bosheth son of Saul, saying, - Give up my wife, Michal, whom I espoused to myself, for a hundred foreskins of Philistines.

Then had Abner, speech, with the elders of Israel, saying, - In times past, ye were seeking David, to be king over you.

Now, therefore, act, - for Yahweh, spake unto David, saying, By the hand of David my servant, will I save my people Israel, out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin, - and Abner also went to speak in the ears of David, in Hebron, all that was pleasing in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

So, when Abner came in unto David, in Hebron, and, with him, twenty men, David made, for Abner, and for the men who were with him, a banquet.

Then said Abner unto David - I will verily arise and go, and gather together unto my lord the king, all Israel - that they may solemnise with thee a covenant, so shalt thou reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David let Abner go, and he departed in peace.

And lo! the servants of David, and Joab, came in from a raid, and, great spoil, brought they in with them; but, Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had let him go, and he had departed in peace.

And, when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the well of Sirah, - but, David, knew it not.

And, when David heard of it, after that, he said - Guiltless, am I and my kingdom before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, - of the blood of Abner son of Ner.

And David said unto Joab, and unto all the people who were with him, - Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and lament aloud before Abner. And, King David himself, was following the bier.

And, when all the people came near to get David to eat bread, while yet it was day, David sware, saying - So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, before the sun go in, I taste bread, or anything else.

and brought in the head of Ish-bosheth unto David, at Hebron, and said unto the king, Lo! the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life: so hath Yahweh given to my lord the king, avengement this day, on Saul and on his seed.

Then David responded to Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, - By the life of Yahweh, who hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

David therefore commanded the young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands, and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool, in Hebron, - but, the head of Ish-bosheth, took they, and buried in the grave of Abner, in Hebron.

Then came all the tribes of Israel unto David, in Hebron, - and spake, saying - Behold us! thy bone and thy flesh, we are.

So all the elders of Israel came unto the king, in Hebron, and King David solemnised to them a covenant in Hebron, before Yahweh, - and they anointed David to be king over Israel.

Thirty years old, was David when he began to reign, - forty years, he reigned:

Then went the king and his men, to Jerusalem, against the Jebusites, inhabiting the land, - and they spake to David, saying - Thou canst not come in hither, unless thou take away the blind and lame - Thinking, David will not come in hither.

So then David captured the citadel of Zion, - the same, is the city of David.

And David said, on that day - Whosoever is smiting the Jebusites, then let him reach as far as the aqueduct. But, as for the lame and the blind, they were the hated of David's soul, - for which cause, they kept on saying, Blind and lame! he will not enter the place.

So then David dwelt in the citadel, and called it, The City of David, - and David built round about, from Millo and inwards.

And David went on and on waxing great, - Yahweh, God of hosts, being with him.

Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers unto David, with cedar-wood, and carpenters, and masons, and they built a house for David.

So David perceived that Yahweh had established him to be king over Israel, - and that he had exalted his kingdom, for the sake of his people Israel.

And David took him yet more concubines and wives, out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron, and there were, yet further, born unto David, sons and daughters.

And, when the Philistine heard that they had anointed David to be king over Israel, then came up all the Philistines to seek to secure David, and David heard of it, and went down into the citadel.

So then David enquired of Yahweh, saying, - Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And Yahweh said unto David - Go up; for I, will surely deliver, the Philistines into thy hand.

And David entered Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said - Yahweh hath broken forth upon mine enemies, before me, like a breaking forth of waters. For this cause, called he the name of that place, Baal-perazim.

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

So David enquired of Yahweh, and he said - Thou shalt not go up, - Get round behind them, and come in upon them, over against the mulberry-trees.

And David did so, as Yahweh had commanded him, - and smote the Philistines, from Gibeon until thou enterest Gezer.

And David, once more, gathered together all the choice young men in Israel, thirty thousand.

Then David, and all the people that were with him, arose and went beyond Baale Judah, - to bring up from thence, the ark of God, the name whereof is called by the name of Yahweh of hosts, who inhabiteth the cherubim thereupon.

And, David and all the house of Israel, were dancing for joy before Yahweh, with all boldness and with songs, - and with lyres, and with harps, and with timbrels, and with sistrums, and with cymbals.

And it was a sadness unto David, for that Yahweh had broken in with a breach against Uzzah, - therefore called he that place, Perez-uzzah as it is called until this day.

And David was afraid of Yahweh, on that day, - and said, How can the ark of Yahweh come unto me?

So David would not remove unto him the ark of Yahweh, unto the city of David, - but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.

And it was told King David, saying, Yahweh hath blessed the household of Obed-edom, and all that he hath, because of the ark of God. David therefore went and brought up the ark of God, out of the house of Obed-edom, unto the city of David, with rejoicing.

And, David, was dancing with all boldness before Yahweh, - David, being girt with an ephod of linen.

So, David and all the house of Israel, were bringing up the ark of Yahweh, - with triumphant shoutings, and with the sound of a horn.

Now it so came about that, when the ark of Yahweh entered the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter, looked out through the window, and saw King David, leaping and dancing before Yahweh, and she despised him, in her heart.

So they brought in the ark of Yahweh, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent which David had stretched out for it, - and David caused to go up ascending-sacrifices before Yahweh, and peace-offerings.

And, when David had finished offering up the ascending-sacrifice and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of hosts.

and David returned, to bless his household. Then came forth Michal Saul's daughter to meet David, and said - How honoured, to-day, was the king of Israel in disrobing himself to-day, in the sight of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the low people, might disrobe himself?

And David said unto Michal, Before Yahweh, I will dance, - blessed, be Yahweh, who made choice of me above thy father, and above all his house, putting me in charge as leader over the people of Yahweh, over Israel, - therefore will I dance before Yahweh;

Go and say unto my servant - unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh, - Shalt, thou, build me a house, for me to dwell in;

Now, therefore, thus, shalt thou say unto my servant, unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I myself, took thee away from the pasture, from after the flock, - to become leader over my people, over Israel;

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so, spake Nathan unto David.

Then entered King David, and tarried before Yahweh, - and said - Who am, I, My Lord, Yahweh, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me, hitherto;

What more, then, can David yet further speak unto thee, - seeing that, thou thyself knowest thy servant, O My Lord Yahweh?

that thy name may be age-abidingly magnified, saying, Yahweh of hosts, is God over Israel, and so, the house of thy servant David, be established before thee.

And it came to pass, after this, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, - and David took the bridle of the metropolis, out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line casting, them down to the ground, and be measured with two lines to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive, - so the Moabites became David's, as servants, bringing gifts.

And David smote Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, - when he went to lay his hand on the River Euphrates.

And David captured from him, a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, - and David destroyed all the chariots, but reserved of them, a hundred chariots.

And, when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians, twenty-two thousand men.

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became David's, as servants bringing gifts, - and so Yahweh gave victory unto David, whithersoever he went.

And David took the shields of gold which had come to the servants of Hadadezer, - and brought them to Jerusalem;

also, from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, did King David take bronze, exceeding much.

And, when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadadezer,

then Tou sent Hadoram his son unto King David, to ask after his welfare, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had smitten him, for Hadadezer had had wars with Tou, - and, in his hand, were vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze.

Them also, did King David hallow unto Yahweh, - with the silver and the gold which he had hallowed from all the nations which he had subdued:

And David made a name, when he returned from his smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, - eighteen thousand.

And he put, in Edom, garrisons, throughout all Edom, put be garrisons, and so it was that all Edom became servants unto David, - and Yahweh gave victory unto David, whithersoever he went.

And David reigned over all Israel, - and so it was that David used to execute justice and righteousness for all his people;

and, Benaiah, son of Jehoiadah, was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, - and, the sons of David, became, chief rulers.

And David said, Is there yet one left unto the house of Saul, - that I may show him lovingkindness, for the sake of, Jonathan?

Now, unto the house of Saul, belonged a servant, whose name, was Ziba, and, when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him - Art, thou, Ziba? And he said - Thy servant!

Then sent King David, - and fetched him out of the house of Machir son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.