Old/New Testament
3 1 Long war between the houses of Saul and David. 2 The children of David in Hebron. 12 Abner turneth to David. 27 Joab killeth him.
1 There was then [a]long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker.
2 ¶ And unto David were children born in Hebron: and his eldest son was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,
3 And his second, was [b]Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite: and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the 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 [c]Hebron.
6 ¶ Now while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in to my father’s concubine?
8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a [d]dog’s head, which against Judah do show mercy this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his neighbors, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman?
9 [e]So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him,
10 To remove the kingdom from the house of Saul, that the throne of David may be established over Israel, and over Judah, even from Dan to Beersheba.
11 And he durst no more answer to Abner: for he feared him.
12 ¶ Then Abner sent messengers to David [f]on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? who should also say, Make covenant with me, and behold, mine hand shall be with thee, to bring all Israel unto thee.
13 Who said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face, except thou bring Michal Saul’s daughter when thou comest to see me.
14 ¶ Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I married for (A)an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband (B)Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, and came weeping behind her, unto Bahurim: then said Abner unto him, Go, and return. So he returned.
17 ¶ And Abner had [g]communication with the Elders of Israel, saying, Ye fought for David in times past, that he might be your King.
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 hands of the Philistines, and out of the hands of all their enemies.
19 Also Abner spake [h]to Benjamin, and afterward Abner went to speak with David in Hebron, concerning all that Israel was content with, and the whole [i]house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, having twenty men with him, and David made a feast unto Abner, and to the men that were with him.
21 Then Abner said unto David, I will rise up, and go gather all Israel unto my lord the King, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. Then David let Abner depart, who went [j]in peace.
22 ¶ And behold, the servants of David and Joab came [k]from the camp, and brought a great prey with them (but Abner was not with David in Hebron: for he had sent him away, and he departed in peace.)
23 When Joab, and all the host that was with him were come, men 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, [l]What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee, why hast thou sent him away, and he is departed?
25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner: for he came to deceive thee, and to know thy outgoing and ingoing, and to know all that thou doest.
26 ¶ And when Joab was gone out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah unknowing to David.
27 And when Abner was come again to Hebron, (C)Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him [m]peaceably, and smote him under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of (D)Asahel his brother.
28 ¶ And when afterward it came to David’s ear, he said, I and my Kingdom are [n]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, that the house of Joab be never without some that have running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that doeth fall on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30 (So Joab and [o]Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle.)
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn [p]before Abner: and King David himself followed the bier.
32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the King lift up his voice, and wept beside the sepulcher of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the King lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner [q]as a fool dieth?
34 Thine hands were not bound, nor thy feet tied in fetters of brass: but as a man falleth before wicked men, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again for him.
35 Afterward all the people came to cause David eat [r]meat while it was yet day, but David swore, 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 knew it, and it [s]pleased them: as whatsoever the King did, pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day, how that it was not the King’s deed that Abner the son of Ner was slain.
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 and newly anointed King: and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too [t]hard for me: the Lord reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
4 5 Baanah and Rechab slay Ishbosheth the son of Saul. 12 David commandeth them to be slain.
1 And when Saul’s [u]son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, then his hands were [v]feeble, and all Israel was afraid,
2 And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the one called Baanah, and the other called Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin: (for [w]Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin,
3 Because the Beerothites fled to [x]Gittaim, and sojourned there, unto this day.)
4 And Jonathan Saul’s son had a son that was lame on his feet: he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Israel: then his nurse took him, and fled away. And as she made haste to flee, the child fell, and began to halt, 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 they [y]would have wheat, and they [z]smote 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 smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got them away through the [aa]plain all the night.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth Saul’s son thine enemy, who sought after thy life: and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9 Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all adversity,
10 When one (E)told me, and said that Saul was dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings) I took him and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11 How [ab]much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house, and 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 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 sepulcher of (F)Abner in Hebron.
5 3 David is made King over all Israel. 7 He taketh the fort of Zion. 19 He asketh counsel of the Lord. 23 And overcometh the Philistines twice.
1 Then (G)came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and said thus, Behold, we are thy [ac]bones and thy flesh.
2 And in time past when Saul was our King, thou leddest Israel in and out: and the Lord hath said to thee, (H)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 covenant with them in Hebron [ad]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 (I)seven years, and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 ¶ The King also and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the [ae]blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking that David could not come thither:
7 But David took the fort of Zion: this is the city of David.
8 Now David had said the same day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, and getteth up to the gutters and smiteth the lame and blind, which David’s soul hateth, I will prefer him: (J)therefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not [af]come into that house.
9 So David dwelt in that fort, and called it the city of David, and David built round about it, from [ag]Millo, and inward.
10 And David prospered and grew: for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
11 ¶ Hiram also king of [ah]Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walls: and they built David an 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 David took him more (K)concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.
14 (L)And these be the names of the sons, that were born unto him in Jerusalem, Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
15 And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
16 And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
17 ¶ (M)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 [ai]asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hands? And the Lord answered David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hands.
20 ¶ (N)Then David came to Baal Perazim, and smote them there, and said, The Lord hath divided mine enemies asunder before me, as waters be divided asunder: therefore he called the name of that place, [aj]Baal Perazim.
21 And there they left their images, and David and his men (O)burnt them.
22 Again the Philistines came up, and spread themselves in the valley of [ak]Rephaim.
23 And when David asked counsel of the Lord, he answered, Thou shalt not go up, but turn about behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
24 And when thou hearest the noise of one going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then remove: for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
25 Then David did so as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba, until thou come to [al]Gezer.
25 [a]Now there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them,
26 (A)If any man come to me, and [b]hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters: yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 (B)[c]And whosoever beareth not his cross, and cometh after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you minding to build a tower, [d]sitting not down before, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to perform it,
29 Lest that after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to perform it, all that behold it, begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to make an end.
31 Or what King going to make war against another King, sitteth not down first, and taketh counsel, whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else while he is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
34 (C)[e]Salt is good: but if salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?
35 It is neither meet for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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