And Gideon said unto them, "I will not reign over you, neither shall my children reign over you, but the LORD shall reign over you."

"Say, I pray you, in the ears of all the inhabiters of Shechem: whether is better for you that all the sons of Jerubbaal which are seventy persons reign over you, either that one reign over you. And remember thereto, that I am your bones and your flesh."

The trees went to anoint a king over them, and said unto the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'

But the olive tree said unto them, 'Should I leave my fatness which both God and man praiseth in me, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

Then said the trees to the fig tree, 'Come thou and be king over us.'

And the fig tree answered them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and should go to be promoted over the trees?'

Then said the trees unto the vine, 'Come thou and be king over us.'

And the vine answered, 'Should I leave my wine that cheereth both God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

Then said all the trees unto the furze-bush, 'Come thou and reign over us.'

And the furze bush said unto the trees, "If it will be true that ye will anoint me king over you, then come and rest under my shadow, and ye shall see that a fire shall come out of the furze-bush and waste the cypress trees of Lebanon!'

and ye are risen up against my father's house this day. And have slain his children, even seventy persons upon one stone and have made Abimelech - the son of his maidservant - king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your brother.

Moreover, the children of Ammon went over Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore cumbered.

And the company of the lords of Gilead said each to other, "Whosoever will begin the battle against the children of Ammon, the same shall be head over all the inhabiters of Gilead."

And the elders of Gilead answered Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabiters of Gilead."

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead. And the people made him head and ruler over them. And Jephthah rehearsed all his words in Mizpeh.

Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. And he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and came to Mizpeh that lieth in Gilead, and from thence unto the children of Ammon.

Moreover, the men of Gilead took the passages of Jordan from the Ephraimites. And when those Ephraimites that were escaped said, "Let us go over," then the men of Gilead said unto them, "Ye are Ephraimites." And they said, "Nay."

But his father and mother wist not that it was the LORD's doing, and that he sought an occasion of the Philistines, which at that time reigned over Israel.

Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? Wherefore then hast thou served us thus?" And he answered them, "As they served me, so have I served them."

- unto whom came the lords of the Philistines, and said unto her, "Flatter with him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may have power over him, that we may bind him, to bring him under, and we will give every man eleven hundred silverlings."

Then he said, "What art thou?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread thy mantle over thine handmaid, for thou art the next of the kin."

And Hannah prayed and said, "Mine heart rejoiceth in the LORD. Mine horn is high in the LORD and my mouth is wide open over mine enemies, for I rejoice in thy salvation.

Then Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, "Hear the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee. For they have not cast thee away, but me: that I should not reign over them.

Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet, testify unto them and show them the duty of the king that shall reign over them."

and he said, "This shall be the duty of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and put them to his chariots and make his horsemen of them and they must run before his chariot,

and will make him captains of them over thousands and over fifties, and set them to ear his ground, and to gather in his harvest, and to make instruments of war and apparel for his chariots.

Nevertheless, the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but did say, "Nay, not so: But there shall be a king over us,

"Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin: him shalt thou anoint to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people and their cry is come unto me."

When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD answered him, "See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of. This same shall reign over my people."

And then Samuel took a box of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "The LORD hath anointed thee to be a captain over his inheritance.

And ye have this day cast away your God that helped you out of all your adversities and tribulations. And ye have said unto him: make a king over us. Now therefore stand before the LORD by your tribes and your thousands.'"

Then said the people to Samuel, "What are they that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us? Bring them that we may slay them.'"

And for all that, when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, 'Not so, a king shall reign over us' - when yet the LORD your God was your king.

Oh that ye would fear the LORD and serve him and hear his voice and not disobey the mouth of the LORD: and that both ye and the king that reigneth over you would follow the LORD your God.

Saul was as a child of a year old, when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

And the Hebrews went over Jordan unto the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people that followed him were astonished.

But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and hath commanded him to be a captain over his people: because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

And it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto his young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over to the watchmen of the Philistines that are yonder on the other side" - and told not his father.

And in the way over by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the garrison of the Philistines, were there two sharp rocks, even one on the one side, and the other one the other side: the one called Bozez, and the other Seneh.

Then said Jonathan to the young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over unto the standing of these uncircumcised, peradventure the LORD will work with us: for the LORD is free to save with many or with few."

Then said Jonathan, "Behold, when we go over unto the men, and show ourselves unto them,

And so Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side: against the Moabites; against the children of Ammon; against the Edomites; against the kings of Zobah; and against the Philistines.

Then said Samuel unto Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint thee king over his people Israel. Now therefore obey thou the voice of the words of the LORD.

And Samuel said, "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king over Israel.

Then said Samuel unto Saul, "I will not return with thee: for thou hast cast away the bidding of God, and therefore the LORD hath cast away thee also, that thou shalt not be king over Israel."

But Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, because the LORD repented that he had made him king over Israel.

And then the LORD said unto Samuel, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? Fill a horn with ointment, and come: I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have spied me a king among his sons."

And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely. And when Saul had set him over his men of war, he pleased all the people, and Saul's servants thereto.

And then Saul put David from him and made him a captain over a thousand, and he went out and in before the people.

And there gathered unto him all men that were in cumbrance and in debt and troubled in their hearts, and he became a captain over them. And there were with him upon a four hundred men.

he said unto his servants that stood about him, "Hear I pray you, you sons of Benjamin: will the son of Jesse also give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains over thousands and over hundreds,

and said unto him, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I must be next unto thee: And Saul my father thereto knoweth that it shall be so."

And moreover when the LORD shall have done to my lord all the good that he hath promised thee, and shall have made thee ruler over Israel:

Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off - a great space being between them -

And David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear: let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

But David and four hundred men followed: But two hundred abode, behind being too weary to go over the river Besor.

And when he had brought him: see, they lay scattered abroad upon the earth, eating and drinking and triumphing over all the great prey that they had carried away out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

And David sang this song of mourning over Saul and Jonathan his son,

Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, which clothed you in purple and garments of pleasure, and bordered your raiment with ornaments of gold.

And the men of Judah came, and there anointed David king over the house of Judah. When it was told David, how the men of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul,

And now let your hands stir them and play ye the men, though your master Saul be dead. And finally, understand that the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

and made him king over Gilead and over the Asherites, and over Jezreel; and over Ephraim and Benjamin and over all Israel.

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 the time which David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

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 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 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 Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "Ye have long gone about that David should be king over you.

Then Abner said unto David, "I will up and go gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make an appointment with thee, that thou mayest be king over all that thine heart desireth." And so David let Abner depart, and he went in peace.

And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept over the sepulchre of Abner, and so did all the people.

And the king lamented over Abner and said, "Abner died not as a wretch dieth.

Thy hands were not manacled nor thy feet brought into fetters: but as men fall before wicked children, so fellest thou." And all the people wept yet more over him.

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 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.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months. And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

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

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.

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.

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.

And David reigned over all Israel and executed right and justice unto all his people.

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And thereupon David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants over the death of his father. Now when David's servants were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

And when it was showed David, he gathered all Israel and passed over Jordan and came to Helam: where the Syrians put themselves in array against David and fought with him.

Then Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, 'I anointed thee king over Israel and rid thee out of the hands of Saul.

And behold, Zadok and all the Levites were with him and bare the ark of the covenant of God. And when they had fetched down the Ark of God, Abiathar came up, until the people were all come over, out of the city.

And thus as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him and cast dust.

Now therefore send quickly and show David, saying, 'Tarry not all night in the fields of the wilderness, but get thee over, lest the king be devoured and all the people that are with him.'"

And when Absalom's servants came to the wife to the house and asked where one Ahimaaz and Jonathan were, the wife said unto them, "They be gone over the little brook of water." And when they had sought them and could not find them, then they returned to Jerusalem.

And as soon as they were departed, the other came out of the well, and went and told King David and said unto him, "Up, and get you quickly over the water for such counsel hath Ahithophel given."

Then David arose and all the people that were with him, and they were come over Jordan by that it was day, that there lacked not one of them that was not come over Jordan.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, both he and all the men of Israel with him.

And the king numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and of hundreds over them.

And the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Entreat me gently, my son Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge over Absalom.

And David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes and saw: and behold, there came a man running alone.

And the king was moved and went up to a chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went thus he said, "My son Absalom, my son, my son, my son Absalom, would to God I had died for thee Absalom, my son, my son."

And now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. But Absalom whom we anointed over us is dead in battle. Now therefore why are ye so still, that ye bring not the king again?"