and he thought to teach the sons of Judah the song of the Bow, - lo! it is written in the Book of the Upright: -

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.

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.

Now, therefore, let your hands be made firm, and become ye sons of valour, for your lord Saul is dead, - and, me, moreover have the house of Judah anointed, to be king over them.

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 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.

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.

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

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 Uriah said unto David - The ark, and Israel and Judah, are dwelling in huts and, my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field, are encamped, Was, I, then, to enter my own house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life, yea by the life of thy soul, I could not do this thing.

and gave unto thee the household of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and gave unto thee the house of Israel and Judah. And, if this had been too little, I could have further given thee more and more of such things.

And, King David, sent unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Wherefore should ye be behindhand, in bringing back the king unto his home, - seeing that, the speech of all Israel, hath come unto the king, regarding his home?

Thus bowed he the heart of all the men of Judah, as one man, - and they sent unto the king, Return, thou, and all thy servants.

Then the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan, - and, Judah, came to Gilgal, to go and meet the king, to escort the king over the Jordan.

Then hastened Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, - and came down, with the men of Judah, to meet King David.

And the king passed over to Gilgal, and, Chimham, passed over with him, - and, all the people of Judah, escorted the king, yea moreover, half the people of Israel.

Then lo! all the men of Israel, were coming unto the king, - and they said unto the king - Why did our brethren the men of Judah steal thee away, and escort the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

And all the men of Judah made answer unto the men of Israel - Because the king is, near of kin, unto us, wherefore, then, is it, that ye are angry over this matter? Have we, eaten, at the king's cost? or hath he, bestowed any gifts, on us?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said - Ten parts, have we in the king, therefore, even in David, have we more right than ye. Why, then, made ye light of us, so that our word was not heard first as to bringing back our king? And, the words of the men of Judah, were fiercer than, the words of the men of Israel.

Then went up all the men of Israel from following David, to follow Sheba son of Bichri, - but, the men of Judah, clave unto their king, from the Jordan, even as far as Jerusalem.

Then said the king unto Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah, within three days, - and, thou, here, take thy stand!

So Amasa went, to assemble Judah, - but he tarried beyond the fixed time, which he had appointed him.

The king therefore called the Gibeonites, and said unto them (now, the Gibeonites, were, not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, with whom, the sons of Israel, had entered into an oath, and Saul had sought to smite them, in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah) -

And again was the anger of Yahweh kindled against Israel, - so that he suffered David to be moved against them, saying, Go, count Israel and Judah.

and entered the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites, - and they went out to the South of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.

And Joab delivered up the sum of the number of the people, unto the king, - and there were found to be, in Israel, eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing the sword, - and, the men of Judah, five hundred thousand men.