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2 Samuel 1
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It happened after the death of Saul, when David was returned
from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two
days in Ziklag;
it happened on the third day, that behold, a man came out of the
camp from Saul, with his clothes torn, and earth on his head:
and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth,
and did obeisance.
David said to him, “Where do you come from?”
He said to him, “I have escaped out of the camp of Israel.”
David 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; and Saul and
Jonathan his son are dead also.”
David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that
Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”
The 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 hard after him.
When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I
answered, ‘Here I am.’
He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’
He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me; for anguish
has taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me.’
So I stood beside him, and killed him, because I was sure that
he could not live after that 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.”
Then David took hold on his clothes, and tore them; and likewise
all the men who were with him.
They mourned, and 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 were
fallen by the sword.
David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”
He answered, “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite.”
David said to him, “How were you not afraid to put forth your
hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed?”
David called one of the young men, and said, “Go near, and fall
on him.” He struck him, so that he died.
David said to him, “Your blood be on your head; for your mouth
has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s
anointed.’”
David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan
his son
(and he commanded them to teach the children of Judah the
song of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jashar):
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“Your glory, Israel, is slain on your high places!
- How the mighty have fallen!
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Don’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.
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You mountains of Gilboa,
- let there be no dew nor rain on you, neither fields of
offerings;
- For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away,
- The shield of Saul was not anointed with oil.
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From 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.
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Saul 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.
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You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
- who clothed you in scarlet delicately,
- who put ornaments of gold on your clothing.
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How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
- Jonathan is slain on your high places.
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I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan.
- You have been very pleasant to me.
- Your love to me was wonderful,
- passing the love of women.
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How are the mighty fallen,
- and the weapons of war perished!”
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1:12 “Yahweh” is God’s
proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
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2 Samuel 2 |
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It happened after this, that 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.”
So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his
household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.
The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over
the house of Judah. They told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh
Gilead were those who buried Saul.”
David 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.
Now may Yahweh show loving kindness and truth to you. I also
will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this
thing.
Now 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.”
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken
Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and
over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all
Israel.
Ishbosheth, 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.
The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah
was seven years and six months.
Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, 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.
Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and play
before us!”
Joab said, “Let them arise!”
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin,
and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants
of David.
They caught everyone his fellow by the head, and thrust
his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together:
therefore that place was called Helkath Hazzurim, which is in
Gibeon.
The battle was very severe that day: and Abner was beaten, and
the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he didn’t turn to the
right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, “Is it you, Asahel?”
He answered, “It is I.”
Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your
left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But
Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why
should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my
face to Joab your brother?”
However he refused to turn aside. 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. It happened, that as many as came to the place where
Asahel fell down and died stood still.
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down
when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah
by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after
Abner, and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
Then 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 shall it be then, before you ask the people to
return from following their brothers?”
Joab 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.”
So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still, and
pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
Abner 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.
Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all
the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen
men and Asahel.
But the servants of David had struck of Benjamin, and of Abner’s
men, so that three hundred sixty men died.
They 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.
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2:27 The
Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.”
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2 Samuel 3 |
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Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house
of David: and David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of
Saul grew weaker and weaker.
To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon,
of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
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;
and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth,
Shephatiah the son of Abital;
and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born
to David in Hebron.
It happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and
the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house
of Saul.
Now 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?”
Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said,
“Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness
to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his
friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and
yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman!
God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to
David, I don’t do even so to him;
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
Beersheba.”
He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is
the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold,
my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel around to you.”
He said, “Good; I will make a treaty with you; but one thing I
require of you. That is, you shall not see my face, unless you
first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my
face.”
David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying,
“Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me
for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from
Paltiel the son of Laish.
Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her
to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he
returned.
Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In
times past, you sought for David to be king over you.
Now 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.’”
Abner 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.
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David
made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
Abner 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.
Behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and
brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David
in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told
Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has
sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
Then 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 quite gone?
You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and
to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that
you do.”
When 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.
When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the
midst 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.
Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are
guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of
Ner.
Let 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 an issue,
or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the
sword, or who lacks bread.”
So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had
killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him,
Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and
mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier.
They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice,
and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a
fool dies?
Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters. As a
man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.”
All the people wept again over him.
All the people came to cause 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.”
All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as
whatever the king did pleased all the people.
So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was
not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.
The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that there a
prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons
of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer
according to his wickedness.”
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2 Samuel 4 |
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When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner was dead in
Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were
troubled.
Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, had two men who were
captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name
of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the
children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin:
and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as
foreigners there until this day).
Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame of his feet. He
was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out
of Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it
happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became
lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and
came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he
took his rest at noon.
They came there into the midst of the house, as though they
would have fetched wheat; and they struck him in the body: and
Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his
bedroom, they struck him, and killed him, and beheaded him, and
took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.
They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said
to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul,
your enemy, who sought your life! Yahweh has avenged my lord the
king this day of Saul, and of his seed.”
David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon
the Beerothite, and said to them, “As Yahweh lives, who has
redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
when someone told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have
brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag,
which was the reward I gave him for his news.
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in
his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood of
your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off
their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool
in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it
in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
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2 Samuel 5 |
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Then came all the tribes of Israel to David to Hebron, and
spoke, saying, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.
In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led
out and brought in Israel. Yahweh said to you, ‘You shall be
shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over
Israel.’”
So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king
David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; and
they anointed David king over Israel.
David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned forty years.
In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and
in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and
Judah.
The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites,
the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “Unless
you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in
here;” thinking, “David can’t come in here.”
Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the
city of David.
David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him
get up to the watercourse, and strike the lame and the blind,
who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore they say, “The blind
and the lame can’t come into the house.”
David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David.
David built around from Millo and inward.
David grew greater and greater; for Yahweh, the God of Armies,
was with him.
Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees,
and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over
Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people
Israel’s sake.
David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after
he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters
born to David.
These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem:
Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,
and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king
over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and
David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.
Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley
of Rephaim.
David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the
Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?”
Yahweh said to David, “Go up; for I will certainly deliver
the Philistines into your hand.”
David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there; and he
said, “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach
of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal
Perazim.
They left their images there; and David and his men took them
away.
The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the
valley of Rephaim.
When David inquired of Yahweh, he said, “You shall not go up.
Circle around behind them, and attack them over against the
mulberry trees.
It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of
the mulberry trees, that then you shall stir yourself up; for
then Yahweh has gone out before you to strike the army of the
Philistines.”
David did so, as Yahweh commanded him, and struck the
Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.
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