25. Now the Benjaminites flocked after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill. 26. There Abner called Joab, saying, Shall the sword devour for ever? Knowest thou not that it will be bitter desperation in the latter end? How long will it be before thou bid the people return from pursuing their brethren? 27. Then Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst spoken so at first, surely the people had gone away from the morning from pursuing their brothers. 28. So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued Israel no more, nor fought any more.

29. Then Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and going thro' all Bithron, came to Mahanaim. 30. So Joab returned from pursuing Abner; and having gathered all the people, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men beside Asahel. 31. But they had smitten dead of Benjamin's and of Abner's men, three hundred and sixty.

82. Then they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, in Beth-lehem. And Joab with his men walked all night, and came to Hebron at break of day.

CHAP. III.

ABNER TRIES TO JOIN ISRAEL TO DAVID.

THE war was still prolonged between Saul's house and David's; but David's waxed still stronger, and Saul's still weaker.

2. To David were sons born in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelite; 3. And his second, Chileab, of Abigail, Nabal's widow, the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, Talmai, king of Geshur's daughter; 4. And the fourth, Adonijah, Haggith's son; and the fifth, Shephatiah, Abital's son; 5.And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife.

6. While the war lasted between Saul's house and David's, Abner exerted himself for Saul's house.

7. Now Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why cohabitest thou with my father's concubine? for Saul left a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. 8, Then Abner was greatly enraged at these words; and said, Am I a dog's head, who against Judah shew kindness this day to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hands of David, that thou chargest me to-day with a fault concerning this woman? 9. Go do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not to David as the Eternal hath sworn to him; 10. To translate the kingdom from Saul's house, and set up the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba. 11, Now he durst not answer Abner a word again, be cause he feared him.

12. Then Abner, on his own behalf, sent messengers to David, saying, Whose is the land? Make thy league with me, and lo my power shall be exerted with thee, to bring over all Israel to thee.

13. Then he said, Well, I will make a league, with thee; but this one thing I require of thee, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see

me.

14. Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused for an hundred of the Philistines. 15. Then Ish-bosheth sent persons who took her from her husband Phaltiel, the son of Laish. 16. Her husband accompanied her, weeping behind her to Bahurim; when Abner said to him, Go, return. So he returned.

17. Then Abner treated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye wished for David in times past to be king over you, 18. Now take him, for the Eternal bath spoken of David, saying, By my servant Da vid I will save my people Israel from the Philistines,

and all their enemies. 19. Abner also spake these words in the hearing of Benjamin; and he went also to relate to David in Hebron all that seemed so good to Israel, even to the whole house of Benjamin. 20. So Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men; then David made Abner and his men a feast. 21. Then Abner said to David, I will go and gather all Israel to my lord king, to make a league with thee, that thou mayest reign over all as thine heart desireth. So David dismissed Abner in peace.

22. But lo Joab came, with David's servants, from pursuing a troop of plunderers, and brought a great spoil with them. 23. Now it was told him that Abner, Ner's son, came to the king, and he dismissed him in peace. 24. Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold Abner came, and was with thee; why hast thou let him away and escape? 25. Thou must know, Abner, Ner's son, came to deceive thee, and to know all that thou doest. 26. So when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who 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 at the gate, as if to speak with him secretly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.

28. But afterward, when David heard it, he said, I, and my kingdom, are guiltless before the Eternal for ever from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner: 29. It will rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and there shall not fail to be in his house one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread. 30. So Joab, and Abishai his brother, slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asabel at the battle of Gibeon.

31. Then David said to Joab, and to all the

pea.

ple with him, Rend your clothes, and gird your selves with sack-cloth, and mourn for Abner. And king David followed the bier. 32. Now they buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at his grave; and all the people wept also. 33. The king lamented over Abner; and said, Thus died Abner, as a criminal falleth! 34. Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet fettered; as one falleth by the hand of lawless men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. 35. Now all the people having come to cause David eat 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's light depart. 36. Now all the people remarked it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king now did, pleased all the people. 37. For all the people, and all Israel, understood that day that it was not by the king's order that Abner, Ner's son, was slain. 38. Then the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a great chief fallen this day in Israel? 89. And I am yet weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too stubborn for me: The Eternal shall repay the evil doer according to his evil deeds.

CHAP. IV.

ISH-BOSHETH SLAIN BY HIS GUARDS.

Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, he was dismayed, and all the Israelites were troubled. 2. Saul's son had two men, captains of bands, the one named Baanah, and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon, a Beerothite, Benjaminites, for Beeroth now was reckoned to Benjamin. 3. For the aboriginal Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and sojourned there until this day. 4. Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son lame in his feet. 5. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul's and Jonathan's death from Jezreel, and his

nurse snatched him up, and fled; and as she hasted to flee, he fell, and became lame; his name was Mephibosheth. 5. The foresaid sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, came about mid-day to Ish-bosheth's house, who lay on a bed then asleep at noon; 6. And smote him under the fifth rib, 7. And slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and travelled thro' the plain all night. 8. And they brought his head to David, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, thine enemy, who sought thy life; the Eternal hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

9. But David answered Rechab. and Baanah his brother, As the Eternal liveth, who redeemed me from all adversity. 10. If when one told me, that Saul is dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings), I seized him, and slew him in Ziklag, instead of giving him rewards; 11. How much more, when wicked men have slain a just person in his own house on his bed? Shall I not require his blood of them, and extirpate them from the earth. 12. David then commanded his young men to slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up by the pond in Hebron: But they took Ishbosheth's head, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

CHAP. V.

DAVID MADE king of aLL ISRAEL, HE TAKES

JERUSALEM.

THEN all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2. Even in times past, when Saul reigned over us, thou leddest Israel out to battle, and back again; and the Eternal said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and preside over them. 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and David made a league with them before the E