King James Version
1 ¶ Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when
David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and
David had abode two days in Ziklag;
2 It came even to
pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with
his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to
David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
3 And David said
unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of
the camp of Israel am I escaped.
4 And David said
unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the
people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and
dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.
5 And David said
unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and
Jonathan his son be dead?
6 And the young
man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul
leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after
him.
7 And when he
looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.
8 And he said
unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.
9 He said unto me
again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me,
because my life is yet whole in me.
10 So I stood
upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that 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 hither
unto my lord.
11 ¶ Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them;
and likewise all the men that were with him:
12 And they
mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of
Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
13 And David said
unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the
son of a stranger, an Amalekite.
14 And David said
unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to
destroy the LORD'S anointed?
15 And David
called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote
him that he died.
16 And David said
unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against
thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.
17 ¶ And David lamented with this
lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:
18 (Also he bade
them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in
the book of Jasher.)
19 The beauty of
Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
20
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the
daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised
triumph.
21 Ye mountains
of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields
of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the
shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
22
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of
Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 Saul and
Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were
not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
24 Ye daughters
of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
25 How are the
mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine
high places.
26 I am
distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me:
thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
27
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
1 ¶ And it came to pass after this, that David enquired
of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the
LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said,
Unto Hebron.
2
So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.
3 And his men
that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they
dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 And the men of
Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of
Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that
buried Saul.
5 And David sent
messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of
the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and
have buried him.
6
And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will
requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7 Therefore now
let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is
dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8 ¶ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,
took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to
Mahanaim;
9 And made him king
over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and
over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 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.
11
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was
seven years and six months.
12 And Abner the
son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from
Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the
son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together
by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool,
and the other on the other side of the pool.
14 And Abner said
to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let
them arise.
15 Then there
arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of
David.
16 And they
caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's
side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called
Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.
17 And there was
a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of
Israel, before the servants of David.
18 ¶ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab,
and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.
19 And Asahel
pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the
left from following Abner.
20
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he
answered, I am.
21 And Abner said
to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on
one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside
from following of him.
22
And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me:
wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face
to Joab thy brother?
23 Howbeit he
refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder 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.
24 Joab also and
Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the
hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 ¶ And the children of Benjamin
gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on
the top of an hill.
26 Then Abner
called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not
that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere
thou bid the people return from following their brethren?
27
And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in
the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
28 So Joab blew a
trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more,
neither fought they any more.
29 And Abner and
his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to
Mahanaim.
30 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.
31 But the
servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three
hundred and threescore men died.
32
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 break of day.
1 ¶ 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.
2 And unto David
were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess;
3 And his second,
Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third,
Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth,
Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth,
Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6
And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and
the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.
7 ¶ And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the
daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in
unto my father's concubine?
8 Then was Abner
very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head,
which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy
father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into
the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this
woman?
9 So do God to
Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to
him;
10
To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the
throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
11 And he could
not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent
messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make
thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
13 And he said,
Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is,
Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter,
when thou comest to see my face.
14 And David sent
messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the
Philistines.
15 And Ishbosheth
sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her
husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto
him, Go, return. And he returned.
17
And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought
for David in times past to be king over you:
18 Now then do
it: for the LORD hath 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.
19
And Abner also spake 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 that
seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came
to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men
that were with him a feast.
21
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all
Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that
thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner
away; and he went in peace.
22 ¶ 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
was gone in peace.
23 When Joab and
all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son
of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24
Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner
came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
25 Thou knowest
Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out
and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.
26 And when Joab
was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which
brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
27 And when Abner
was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him
quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood
of Asahel his brother.
28 And afterward
when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before
the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
29 Let it rest on
the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from
the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth
on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30 So Joab and
Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 And David said
to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird
you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the
bier.
32 And they
buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33 And the king
lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
34 Thy hands were
not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men,
so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
35 And when all
the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I
taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
36 And all the
people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did
pleased all the people.
37 For all the
people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king
said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man
fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am this
day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard
for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
1 ¶ And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in
Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2 And Saul's son
had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a
Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to
Benjamin:
3 And the
Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4 And Jonathan,
Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the
tidings 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 he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the
day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
6 And they came thither
into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched
wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his
brother escaped.
7 For when they
came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and
slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the
plain all night.
8
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said
to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which
sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul,
and of his seed.
9 ¶ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the
sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath
redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
10 When one told
me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took
hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a
reward for his tidings:
11 How much more,
when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house
upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and
take you away from the earth?
12 And David
commanded his young men, and they slew 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 sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
1 ¶ Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto
Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 Also in time
past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest
in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.
3 So all the
elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with
them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was
thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
5
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.
6 ¶ And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the
Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except
thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking,
David cannot come in hither.
7
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of
David.
8 And David said
on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and
the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and
captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the
house.
9
So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David
built round about from Millo and inward.
10 And David went
on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.
11 ¶ And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and
cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house.
12
And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel,
and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.
13 And David took
him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron:
and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
14 And these be
the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shammua,
and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 Ibhar also,
and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama,
and Eliada, and Eliphalet.
17 ¶ But when the Philistines heard that they had
anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and
David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
18 The
Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19 And David
enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou
deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will
doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
20
And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The
LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.
Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.
21 And there they
left their images, and David and his men burned them.
22 And the
Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
23 And when David
enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind
them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
24 And let it be,
when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that
then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.
25 And David did
so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until
thou come to Gazer.
1 ¶ Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel,
thirty thousand.
2
And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from
Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by
the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
3 And they set
the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab
that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
4 And they
brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the
ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
5 And David and
all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments
made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
6 ¶ And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah
put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook
it.
7 And the anger
of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error;
and there he died by the ark of God.
8
And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah:
and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
9 And David was
afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to
me?
10 So David would
not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David:
but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of
the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the
LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
12 ¶ And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath
blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the
ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God
from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
13 And it was so,
that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed
oxen and fatlings.
14
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was
girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and
all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with
the sound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark
of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and
dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they
brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the
tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings before the LORD.
18
And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and
peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
19 And he dealt
among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the
women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a
flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
20 ¶ Then David returned to bless his
household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said,
How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the
eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly
uncovereth himself!
21 And David said
unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy
father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the
LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
22 And I will yet
be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the
maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
23 Therefore
Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.