And David struck the land, and did not keep alive man nor woman, and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the clothing, and returned and came to Achish.

And Achish said, Where have you made a raid today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.

And David did not keep alive man or woman to bring news to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So David did, and so has been his custom all the days he lived in the fields of the Philistines.

And Achish believed David, saying, He has made himself to be hated among his people Israel, and has become my servant forever.

And in those days it happened that the Philistines gathered their armies for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, You surely know that you shall go with me to battle, you and your men.

And David said to Achish, Surely you shall know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, And I will make you keeper of my head forever.

And Jehovah has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For Jehovah has torn the kingdom out of your hand and is giving it to your neighbor, to David.

And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands. But David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.

And the rulers of the Philistines said, What are these Hebrews doing? And Achish said to the rulers of the Philistines, Is this not David the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years. And I have not found anything evil in him from the day he fell away until today?

Is not this David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying, Saul killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

And Achish called David and said to him, Surely, as Jehovah lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me until today. But you are not good in the eyes of the lords.

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

And Achish answered and said to David, I know that you are good in my sight, like an angel of God. But the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

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

And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire.

And David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captives.

And David and the people with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

And David's two wives had been seized, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the former wife of Nabal of Carmel.

And it greatly distressed David, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, each one for his sons and for his daughters. But David encouraged himself in Jehovah his God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod there to David.

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, Go! For you shall surely overtake and will without fail recover all.

So David went, he and the six hundred men that 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 too exhausted to go over the brook Besor.

And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate. And they made him drink water.

And David said to him, Whose are you? And where do you come from? And he said, I am an Egyptian youth, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick.

And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company.

And David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. And not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued his two wives.

And nothing was lacking to them, from the small to the great, even to sons and daughters, and from the spoil, even to all that they had taken to themselves. David recovered all.

And David took all the flock, and the herd. They drove on before those cattle. And they said, This is David's spoil.

And David came to the two hundred who were too exhausted to follow David, whom they had made also to stay at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David, and to meet the people with him. And David came up to the people, and greeted them.

And every evil and worthless man of the men who went with David answered and said, Because they did not go with us, we will not give them from a thing the spoil that we have seized, except to every man his wife and his sons. Let them take them, and go.

And David said, My brothers, you shall not do so with that which Jehovah has given us. For He has protected us, and has delivered into our hand the company that came against us.

And David came to Ziklag, and sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, Behold, a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of Jehovah;

and to the ones in Hebron, and to all the places where David had gone up and down, he and his men.

And it happened after the death of Saul, David returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David stayed two days in Ziklag,

on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes torn and earth upon his head. And it happened when he came to David, he fell to the earth and bowed to him.

And David said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.

And David said to him, How did the matter go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead also.

And David said to the young man who told him, How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?

And David took hold on his garments, and tore them. And likewise all the men with him did so.

And David said to the young man who told him, From where are you? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

And David said, Why were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy Jehovah's anointed?

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

And David said to him, Your blood be upon your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, I have slain Jehovah's anointed.

And David chanted this death dirge over Saul and over his son Jonathan.

And it happened after this, David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And Jehovah said to him, Go up! And David said, Where shall I go? And He said, To Hebron.

And David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's wife.

And David brought up his men with him, each man with his household. And they lived in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah there. And they told David, saying, The men of Jabesh-gilead buried Saul.

And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead. And he said to them, Blessed are you of Jehovah, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.

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

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

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met by the pool of Gibeon and sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

And they arose and went over by number, twelve for Benjamin, and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and twelve of the servants of David.

And there was a very grievous battle that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

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

But the servants of David had stricken three hundred and sixty men of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, who died.

And there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David became stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

And sons were born to David in Hebron. And his first-born was Amnon, the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel.

And the sixth was Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, who shows kindness against Judah this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David? Am I a dog's head that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman today?

So may God do to Abner, and more also, if I do not do to David as Jehovah has sworn,

to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? He said, Cut your covenant with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring about all Israel to you.

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

The word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, You sought for David in times past to be king over you.

And then do it, for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and all that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

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

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and so that you may reign over all that your heart desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

And Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah. But David did not know.

And afterward David heard, and said, My kingdom and I are guiltless before Jehovah forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Tear your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And King David followed the bier.

And all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was still day; David swore, saying, So let God do to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else until the sun is down.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. And Jehovah has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

And all the tribes of Israel came to David, to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.

And all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. And King David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah. And they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign. He reigned forty years.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the people of the land. And one spoke to David saying, You shall not come in here, except the blind and the lame will turn you away; also saying, David cannot come in here.

And David took the stronghold of Zion; it is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Anyone who strikes the Jebusite, let him go by the water-shaft and take the lame and the blind, the hated of David's soul. On account of this they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

And David lived in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built all around, from Millo and inward.

And David went on and became great, and Jehovah, the God of Hosts was with him.

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

And David saw that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that He had made his kingdom sure for His people Israel's sake.

And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. And there were still more sons and daughters born to David.

And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel. And all the Philistines came up to seek David. And David heard, and went down to the stronghold.

And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? And Jehovah said to David, Go up! For I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.

And David came to Baal-perazim, and David struck them there, and said, Jehovah has broken forth on my enemies before me, like the breaking forth of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place The Breaking of Baal.

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

And David inquired of Jehovah, and He said, You shall not go up, but go around behind them and come upon them over across from the weeping trees.

And David did so, as Jehovah had commanded him. And he struck the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.

Again David gathered every chosen one in Israel, thirty thousand.

And David arose and went with all the people with him from beyond Baale of Judah, to bring up the ark of God from there, which is called by the Name, the Name of Jehovah of Hosts who dwells above the cherubs.

And David and all the house of Israel were dancing before Jehovah on all instruments of fir wood, with lyres and with harps, and with tambourines, and with sistra, and with cymbals.