So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed at them.

And it was so, as she rode on her donkey, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him, and he has returned me evil for good.

God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertains to him by the morning light so much as one man-child.

And when Abigail saw David, she hastened, and alighted from her donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this worthless fellow, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord whom thou sent.

For in very deed, as LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from hurting thee, unless thou had hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one man-child.

So David received from her hand that which she had brought him. And he said to her, Go up in peace to thy house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

And Abigail came to Nabal, and, behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

And it came to pass about ten days after, that LORD smote Nabal, so that he died.

Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the people lay round about him.

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not, for who can put forth his hand against LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

LORD forbid that I should put forth my hand against LORD's anointed. But now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head, and they got away. And no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from LORD was fallen upon them.

This thing is not good that thou have done. As LORD lives, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept watch over your lord, LORD's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

And LORD will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness, inasmuch as LORD delivered thee into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against LORD's anointed.

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David. Thou shall both do mightily, and shall surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring them to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell of us, saying, So did David, and so has been his manner all the while he has dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have thou deceived me? For thou are Saul.

And the king said to her, Be not afraid, for what do thou see? And the woman said to Saul, I see gods coming up out of the earth.

And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was greatly troubled, and said to him, Behold, thy handmaid has hearkened to thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened to thy words which thou spoke to me.

But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him, and he hearkened to their voice. So he arose from the ground, and sat upon the bed.

And David said to Achish, But what have I done? And what have thou found in thy servant so long as I have been before thee to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

And David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

And David took all the flocks and the herds, [which] they drove before those [other] cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor. And they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. And when D

Then David said, Ye shall not do so, my brothers, with that which LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.

And who will hearken to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle so shall his share be who remains by the baggage; they shall share alike.

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

Then Saul said to his armor bearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore Saul took his s

And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled. And the Philistine

it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn, and earth upon his head. And so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground, and did obeisance.

And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here I am.

So I stood beside him, and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he was fallen. And I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.

And David said to him, Why were thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy LORD's anointed?

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

And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain LORD's anointed.

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

Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.

Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed 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.

However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him. And he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came to pass, that as many

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

And Joab returned from following Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and sixty men died.

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

Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And [Ish-bosheth] said to Abner, Why have thou gone in to my father's concubine?

Then Abner was very angry for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? This day I show kindness to the house of Saul thy father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee i

God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as LORD has sworn to David, I do not even so to him,

And he said, Well! I will make a league with thee, but one thing I require of thee. That is, thou shall not see my face unless thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou come to see my face.

And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver to me my wife Michal whom I betrothed to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house. And let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.

So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters. As a man falls before the sons of iniquity, so did thou fall. And all the people wept again over him.

And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day, but David swore, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, till the sun is down.

So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

And when [Ish-bosheth], Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

And [Ish-bosheth], Saul's son, [had] two men who were captains of bands. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, for Beeroth also is reckoned to

Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that h

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 David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [smite] the lame and the blind, the hated by David's soul, because the blind and the lame say, He cannot come into the house.

And David perceived that LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

And David did so, as LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.

So David would not remove the ark of LORD to him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

And it was so, that, when those who bore the ark of LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

And it was so, as the ark of LORD came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before LORD, and she despised him in her heart.

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed every one to his house.

that the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.

Now therefore thus thou shall say to my servant David, Thus says LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that thou should be prince over my people, over Israel.

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

And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord LORD, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this [too] according to the manner of men, O lord LORD!

And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord LORD.

For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it.

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were chief ministers.

And David said, Is there yet any who is left of the house of Saul that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

And David said to him, Fear not, for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore to thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shall eat bread at my table continually.

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All that pertained to Saul and to all his house I have given to thy master's son.

And thou shall till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants. And thou shall bring in [the fruits] that thy master's son may have bread to eat, but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall always eat bread at my table. Now

Then Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, [the king said], he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons.

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.

And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

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

Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

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