THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. CHAPTER I. Now IT CAME TO PASS after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, that David abode two days in Ziklag. 2 And it came 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 ground and bowed himself. 3 And David said to him, From whence comest thou? And he said to him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 4 And David said to him, How went the matter? I pray thee tell me. And he answered, that the people were fled from the battle, and many of the people also were fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also. 5 And David said to the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? 6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance to be upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, Here I am. 8 And he said to me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. 9 And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me; for giddiness is come upon me, while 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 my lord. to 11 Then David took hold of his clothes and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him. 12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and Jonathan his son, and for the LORD's people, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to 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 to him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the anointed of the LORD? ing, I have slain the anointed of the LORD. 17 And David sang his lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son ; 18 Also he bade them teach the children of Judah [the poem of] the Bow; behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher. 27 How are the warriors fallen, CHAPTER II. AND it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up unto any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said to him, Go up. And David said, 19 The Antelope, O Israel, is slain on Whither shall I go up? And He said, thy high places; Unto Hebron. How are the warriors fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Lest the daughters of the Philis- Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph 21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there Nor rain upon you, nor fields of with oil. 2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelite, and Abigail the wife of Nabal 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 [B. C. 1016]. And some told David, saying, The men of Jabesh in Gilead are they that buried Saul. 5 And David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh in Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6 And now may the LORD shew kindness and truth to you. And I also will requite you this good, because ye have done this thing. 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of valour. 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 ISH-BOSHETH [or Ish-baal] the son of Saul, and brought him over [the Jordan] to Mahanaim; 19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and he turned not to go to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner, 9 And made him king over of foot as one of the antelopes of the Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and field. over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the number of days 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 Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah [David's sister], and the servants of David went out. And they 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. us. 14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and play before And Joab said, Let them arise. 15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, who belonged to Ish-bosheth 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. Therefore that place was called the field of Zurim [or Enemies], which is in Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very sore 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 20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 21 And Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold on one of the young men, and take to thyself his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following 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 before Joab thy brother? 23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, so 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 Ashahel 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 desert of Gibeon, 25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? Knowest thou not that there 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, even if thou hadst not spoken, yet surely in the morning the people had gone up from following every one 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 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 in the house of Saul. all that night through the Barren Val- 7 And Saul had a wife whose name ley, and passed over the Jordan, and was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. went through all the Rugged Country, And [Ish-bosheth] said to Abner, and they came to Mahanaim. Wherefore hast thou taken my fa 30 And Joab returned from follow-ther's wife. ing 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 some of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and sixty men died. 32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the burial-place of his father, which was at Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and day broke upon them in Hebron. CHAPTER III. NOW the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David. And 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 first-born was Amnon, of Abinoam, the Jezrelite; 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 8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head of Judah, who shew kindness this day to 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 on me to-day the wickedness of this woman? 9 So do God Abner, and more also, except as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so will I do to him; 10 To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba. 11 And he could not answer Abner 12 And Abner sent messengers to a word again, because he feared him. 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 turn all Israel unto thee. 13 And he said, It is good; I will make a league with thee. But one thing I require of thee, namely, thou shalt not see my face, except thou, first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face. 15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband Phaltiel the son of Laish. 16 And her husband went with her, going and weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return. And he returned. 17 And Abner talked 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 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 in the eyes of Israel, and in the whole house of Benjamin. 20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made for Abner and for the men that were with him a drinking feast. they and that Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king; and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace. 241 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came to 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 all that thou doest. 26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back again from the Pit of Sirah. But David knew it not. 27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside within the city gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, so that he died, because of the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 And afterwards 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. 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed 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 yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn over Abner. And king David himself followed the bier. 21 And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that may make a league with thee, that thou mayest reign over all thy heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace. 22 And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from an inroad, and brought in a great spoil with 32 And they buried Abner in Hethem. But Abner was not with Da-bron. And the king lifted up his vid 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 voice at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept, 33 And the king sang a lament over Abner, and said, |