Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel. Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel and reigned two years. Only the house of Judah followed David. read more.
And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. And Abner, the son of Ner, and the slaves of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib 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 as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren? And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers. So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's slaves nineteen men and Asahel. But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at the break of day.


And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and ye slaves to Saul? Choose a man from among you, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and to overcome me, then will we be your slaves, but if I prevail against him and overcome him, then ye shall be our slaves and serve us. And the Philistine said, I have dishonoured the ranks of Israel today; give me a man that we may fight together. read more.
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. And David was the son of an Ephrathite man of Bethlehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons, and this man was old in the days of Saul and of advanced age among men. And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone and followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab, the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest, the three eldest having gone after Saul. But David had gone and returned from being with Saul to feed his father's sheep in Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself for forty days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge. Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took and went with his burden as Jesse had commanded him, and he came to the trench as the host was going forth in battle array, and they had already sounded the alarm for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had ordered the battle, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and asked about his brethren, if they were well. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up that man, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, speaking the same words, and David heard them. And all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and feared greatly. And each one of the men of Israel were saying, Have ye seen this man that is come up? He is come up to dishonour Israel. It shall be that the king will enrich the man who overcomes him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. Then David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that overcomes this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should dishonour the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that overcomes him. And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke unto the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why didst thou come down here? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the malice of thy heart, for thou art come down that thou might see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another and spoke after the same manner, and the people answered him again after the former manner. And the words which David had spoken were heard, and they were rehearsed before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy slave will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a young man, and he a man of war from his youth. And David replied unto Saul, Thy slave was the pastor of his father's sheep, and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him. Whether it was a lion or a bear thy slave would kill it, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has dishonoured the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. And Saul clothed David with his clothing, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; he also armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded Saul's sword upon Saul's clothing, and he undertook to go, for he had not proved them. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them. And putting them off, David took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a provision bag, and with his sling in his hand he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man that bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the field. Then David said to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of the hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast dishonoured. This day the LORD will deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee and take thy head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the heaven and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this congregation shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David that David hastened and ran to do battle against the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took a stone from there and slang it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone remained sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and slew him and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw their giant was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines unto the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath and unto Ekron. And the sons of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. read more.
And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David.

And the Philistines made war again with Israel; and David went down, and his slaves with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David became weary. And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, and the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, was girded with a new sword and had determined to kill David. But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, helped David, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying, From now on thou shalt not go out with us to battle that thou not quench the light of Israel. read more.
And after this, there was a second war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbechai, the Hushathite, slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. And there was another war in Gob with the Philistines where Elhanan, the son of Jaareoregim of Bethlehem, slew Goliath, the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And after that there was another war in Gath where there was a man of great stature, that had six fingers on every hand, and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was of the sons of the giant. And when he dishonoured Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimea, the brother of David, slew him. These four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his slaves.


and made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David.

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

Of the sons of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand; for in that time many of them had the charge of the house of Saul.


and made him king over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jezreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel.

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David.

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

And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill.


And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. read more.
And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David.


and the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital;

And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. read more.
And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib 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 as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren? And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers. So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's slaves nineteen men and Asahel. But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at the break of day.


And Abner, the son of Ner, and the slaves of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. read more.
Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib 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 as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren? And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers. So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's slaves nineteen men and Asahel. But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at the break of day.

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.


Moreover thou knowest also what Joab, the son of Zeruiah, did to me and what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel, unto Abner, the son of Ner and unto Amasa, the son of Jether, whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins and in his shoes that were on his feet.


And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. read more.
And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib 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 as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren? And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers. So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's slaves nineteen men and Asahel. But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at the break of day.


And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they shall fight each one against his brother, and each one against his neighbour; city against city and kingdom against kingdom.

Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together towards the Aquilon and said unto Jephthah, Why didst thou go over to fight against the sons of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thy house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah replied unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the sons of Ammon, and when I called you, ye did not defend me from their hands. Seeing, therefore, that ye did not defend me, I put my life in my hands and went over against the sons of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up against me this day to fight with me? read more.
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they had said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim; ye are Gileadites among Ephraim and Manasseh. And the Gileadites took the passages of the Jordan from Ephraim; and it was such that when any of those of Ephraim who had escaped would say, May I pass? The men of Gilead would ask them, Art thou an Ephrathite? If he said, No; then they would say unto him, Now say Shibboleth. . And he would say Sibboleth; ; for he could not pronounce it the same. Then they would take him and slay him at the passages of the Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of those of Ephraim fell.

And Abner, the son of Ner, and the slaves of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the slaves of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon, and when they met, the one group was on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and sport before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. read more.
Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the slaves of David. And each one 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 Helkathhazzurim, , which is in Gibeon. And there was a very severe battle that day where Abner and the men of Israel were overcome before the slaves of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib 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 as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner, and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together in one troop with Abner and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Dost thou not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then before thou bid the people to return from following their brethren? And Joab replied, As God lives, if thou had not spoken, surely from this morning the people would have left off from following their brothers. So Joab blew the shofar, and all the people stood still and no longer pursued after Israel, neither did they fight any more. And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passing the Jordan, they went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. Joab also returned from following Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's slaves nineteen men and Asahel. But the slaves of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died.

Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni, the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.