| 1 | When Ish-bo'sheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. |
| 2 | Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Ba'anah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Be-er'oth (for Be-er'oth also is reckoned to Benjamin; |
| 3 | the Be-er'othites fled to Gitta'im, and have been sojourners there to this day). |
| 4 | Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled; and, as she fled in her haste, he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephib'osheth. |
| 5 | Now the sons of Rimmon the Be-er'othite, Rechab and Ba'anah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bo'sheth, as he was taking his noonday rest. |
| 6 | And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept; so Rechab and Ba'anah his brother slipped in. |
| 7 | When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him. They took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night, |
| 8 | and brought the head of Ish-bo'sheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-bo'sheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring." |
| 9 | But David answered Rechab and Ba'anah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be-er'othite, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, |
| 10 | when one told me, `Behold, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and slew him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. |
| 11 | How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?" |
| 12 | And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bo'sheth, and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. |
| 1 | Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. |
| 2 | In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD said to you, `You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'" |
| 3 | So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron 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 | At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. |
| 6 | And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jeb'usites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off" -- thinking, "David cannot come in here." |
| 7 | Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. |
| 8 | And David said on that day, "Whoever would smite the Jeb'usites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul." Therefore it is said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house." |
| 9 | And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built the city round about from the Millo inward. |
| 10 | And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him. |
| 11 | And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. |
| 12 | And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. |
| 13 | And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. |
| 14 | And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Sham'mu-a, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, |
| 15 | Ibhar, Eli'shu-a, Nepheg, Japhi'a, |
| 16 | Eli'shama, Eli'ada, and Eliph'elet. |
| 17 | When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; but David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. |
| 18 | Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Reph'aim. |
| 19 | And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." |
| 20 | And David came to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a bursting flood." Therefore the name of that place is called Ba'al-pera'zim. |
| 21 | And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away. |
| 22 | And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread out in the valley of Reph'aim. |
| 23 | And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, "You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. |
| 24 | And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then bestir yourself; for then the LORD has gone out before you to smite the army of the Philistines." |
| 25 | And David did as the LORD commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. |
