Old/New Testament
3 Then there was a long war between the House of Saul and the House of David. But David grew stronger, and the House of Saul grew weaker.
2 And children were born to David in Hebron. And his eldest son was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess.
3 And his second was Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur.
4 And the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital.
5 And the sixth was Ithream, by Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 Now, while there was war between the House of Saul and the House of David, Abner strengthened himself for the House of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
8 Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? This day I have shown mercy to the House of Saul your father, to his brethren, and to his neighbors, and have not delivered you into the hand of David! Yet, you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman?
9 “So do God to Abner, and more also, unless I do for David as the LORD has sworn to him,
10 “to remove the kingdom from the House of Saul, so that the throne of David may be established over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 And he dared not answer Abner anymore. For he feared him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and also saying, “Make a covenant with me. And behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel to you.”
13 Who said, “Good. I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you, which is that you do not see my face unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.”
14 Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver my wife Michal to me, whom I married for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel, the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her and came, weeping, behind her, to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go. Return.” So, he returned.
17 And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “You fought for David in times past, so that he might be your king.
18 “Then, do it now! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant, David, I will save My people, Israel, out of the hands of the Philistines and out of the hands of all their enemies.’”
19 Also, Abner spoke to Benjamin. And afterward, Abner went to speak with David in Hebron concerning all that Israel was content with, as well as all that of the House of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to David, to Hebron, having twenty men with him. And David made a feast for Abner, and to the men who were with him.
21 Then Abner said to David, “I will rise up and go gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” Then David let Abner depart, who went in peace.
22 And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from the camp and brought a great spoil with them (but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he had departed in peace).
23 When Joab and all the army that was with him had come, men told Joab, saying, “Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king. And he has sent him away. And he has gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why have you sent him away, so that he is gone?
25 “You know Abner, the son of Ner. For he came to deceive you, and to know of your coming out and going in, and to know all that you do.”
26 And when Joab had gone out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah, unknown to David.
27 And when Abner had come back to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him “peaceably”. And he struck him under the fifth rib, so that he died, because of the blood of Asahel, his brother.
28 And afterward, when it came to David’s ear, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever concerning the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.
29 “Let the blood fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s House, so that the House of Joab is never without some who have discharges, or are lepers, or who lean on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
30 So Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he had killed their brother, Asahel, in battle at Gibeon.
31 And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner!” And King David himself followed the bier.
32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept beside the sepulcher of Abner. And all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, “Did Abner die as a fool dies?
34 “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet tied in fetters of bronze. Yet, as a man falls before wicked men did you fall.” And all the people wept again for him.
35 Afterward, all the people came to urge David to eat food while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “So do God to me and more also if I taste bread or anything else until the Sun is down.”
36 And all the people noted it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood on that day how that it was not the king’s doing that Abner, the son of Ner, had been killed.
38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that there is a prince and a great man who has fallen this day in Israel?
39 “And I, the anointed king, am weak this day. And these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. May the LORD reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.”
4 And when Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands were idle. And all Israel was afraid,
2 And Saul’s son had two men who were captains of bands: one called Baanah and the other called Rechab (the sons of Rimmon, a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin, for Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin,
3 because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and sojourned there to this day).
4 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame on his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Israel. Then his nurse took him and fled away. And as she hurried to flee, the child fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in the heat of the day to the House of Ishbosheth (who slept on a bed at noon).
6 And behold, Rechab and Baanah, his brother, came into the midst of the house, as though requesting wheat. And they struck him under the fifth rib and fled.
7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber. And they struck him, and killed him, and beheaded him, and took his head and got away through the plain, all night.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David, to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold the head of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, your enemy, who sought after your life. And the LORD has avenged my Lord the king of Saul and of his seed this day.”
9 Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the LORD lives, Who has delivered my soul out of all adversity,
10 “when someone told me and said that Saul was dead (thinking to have brought good tidings), I took him and killed him in Ziklag, even while he thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings.
11 “How much more then, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house, upon his bed, shall I not now therefore require his blood at your hand and take you from the Earth?”
12 Then David commanded his young men, and they killed 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 sepulcher of Abner, in Hebron.
5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David, to Hebron, and said this: “Behold, we are your bones and your flesh.
2 “And in time past, when Saul was our king, you led Israel in and out. And the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall feed my people, Israel, and you shall be a captain over Israel.’”
3 So, all the elders of Israel came to the king, to Hebron. And King David made a covenant 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. He reigned for forty years.
5 He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron. And he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
6 Also, the king and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites (the inhabitants of the land), who spoke to David, saying, “Unless you turn aside the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here,” thinking that David could not come there.
7 But David took the fort of Zion. This is the City of David.
8 Now David had said the same day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, go up to the gutters!” (and the lame and blind, whom David’s soul hates). Therefore, they said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into that house!”
9 So David dwelt in that fort and called it the City of David. And David built all around it, from Millo, inward. LORD God of Hosts was with him.
11 Also Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees and carpenters and masons for walls. And they built David a house.
12 Then David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.
13 And after he had come from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem for himself. And more sons and daughters were born to David.
14 And these are the names of the sons who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David. And when David heard, he went down to a fort.
18 But the Philistines came and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.
19 Then David asked counsel of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hands?” And the LORD answered David, “Go up! For I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
20 Then David came to Baal Perazim and struck them there, and said, “The LORD has divided my enemies before me, as waters are divided.” Therefore, he called the name of that place, “Baal Perazim”.
21 And they left their images there; and David and his men burnt them.
22 Again, the Philistines came up and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.
23 And when David asked counsel of the LORD, He answered, “You shall not go up. Circle around behind them and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.
24 “And when you hear the noise of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then move. For then shall the LORD go out before you, to strike the army of the Philistines.”
25 Then David did so, as the LORD had Commanded him, and struck the Philistines from Geba, until you come to Gezer.
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters - yes, and even his own life - he cannot be My disciple.
27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.
28 “For who of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down beforehand and count the cost (whether he has the means to complete it),
29 “lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who behold it begin to mock him,
30 “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 “Or what king (going to make war against another king) does not first sit down and take counsel on whether he is able, with ten thousand, to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 “Otherwise, while he is still a great way off, he sends ambassadors to ask for peace.
33 “So likewise, whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
34 “Salt is good. But if salt has lost its savor, with what shall it be salted?
35 “It is fit neither for the land nor for manure. But it is cast out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
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