2 Samuel 1–3

1After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,

2on the third day, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the earth and showed respect.

3David said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”

4David said to him, “How did it go? Please tell me.” He answered, “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead. Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.”

5David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

6The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him.

7When he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’

8He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

9He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’

10So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”

11Then David took hold on his clothes and tore them; and all the men who were with him did likewise.

12They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”

14David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed?”

15David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and cut him down!” He struck him so that he died.

16David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed.’”

17David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

18(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):

19“Your glory, Israel, was slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!

20Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

21You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain on you, and no fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled and cast away, the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.

22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.

23Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives. In their death, they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

24You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you delicately in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.

25How the mighty have fallen in the middle of the battle! Jonathan was slain on your high places.

26I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.

27How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished!”

1After this, David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” Yahweh said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.”

2So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

3David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.

4The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.”

5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.

6Now may Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.

7Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

8Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

9He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ishbosheth, 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.

11The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s servants went out, and met them 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.

14Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”

15Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.

16They each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.

17The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.

18The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.

19Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”

21Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.

22Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?”

23However, he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there and died in the same place. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. The sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.

26Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”

27Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.”

28So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more.

29Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

30Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing.

31But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died.

32They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.

1Now there was long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.

2Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

3and 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;

4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

6While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house.

7Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”

8Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!

9God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him:

10to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”

11He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.

12Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around to you.”

13David said, “Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”

14David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

15Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.

16Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned.

17Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.

18Now then do it! For Yahweh has 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.’”

19Abner also spoke 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 to the whole house of Benjamin.

20So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

21Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

22Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

23When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”

24Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is already gone?

25You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”

26When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it.

27When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

28Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

29Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”

30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.

32They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept.

33The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?

34Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.

35All the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, until the sun goes down.”

36All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people.

37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

38The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?

39I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”