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.