2Samuel:3-5

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* 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 unto David were sons born in Hebron : and his firstborn was Amnon , of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess ; * 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 ; * And the fourth , Adonijah the son of Haggith ; and the fifth , Shephatiah the son of Abital ; * And the sixth , Ithream , by Eglah David 's wife . These were born to David in Hebron . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 ? * So do God to Abner , and more also , except , as the LORD hath sworn to David , even so I do to him ; * 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 . * And he could not answer Abner a word again , because he feared him . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And Ishbosheth sent , and took her from her husband , even from Phaltiel the son of Laish . * And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim . Then said Abner unto him , Go , return . And he returned . * And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel , saying , Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you : * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 ? * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 : * 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 . * So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner , because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle . * 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 . * 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 . * And the king lamented over Abner , and said , Died Abner as a fool dieth ? * 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 . * 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 . * And all the people took notice of it , and it pleased them : as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people . * For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner . * And the king said unto his servants , Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel ? * 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 . * And when Saul 's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron , his hands were feeble , and all the Israelites were troubled . * 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 : * And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim , and were sojourners there until this day .) * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 , * 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 : * 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 ? * 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 . * Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron , and spake , saying , Behold , we are thy bone and thy flesh . * 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 . * 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 . * David was thirty years old when he began to reign , and he reigned forty years . * 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 . * 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 . * Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion : the same is the city of David . * 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 . * So David dwelt in the fort , and called it the city of David . And David built round about from Millo and inward . * And David went on , and grew great , and the LORD God of hosts was with him . * And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David , and cedar trees , and carpenters , and masons : and they built David an house . * 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 . * 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 . * And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem ; Shammua , and Shobab , and Nathan , and Solomon , * Ibhar also , and Elishua , and Nepheg , and Japhia , * And Elishama , and Eliada , and Eliphalet . * 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 . * The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim . * 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 . * 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 . * And there they left their images , and David and his men burned them . * And the Philistines came up yet again , and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim . * 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 . * 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 . * And David did so , as the LORD had commanded him ; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer . * Again , David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel , thirty thousand .

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