Ish-Bosheth Murdered

4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner^(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.

⁹ Enjoy life with your wife,^(A) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot^(B) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

⁷ But since you excel in everything^(A)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(B) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁶ And God raised us up with Christ^(A) and seated us with him^(B) in the heavenly realms^(C) in Christ Jesus,

⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(A) him,

⁴ “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath^[a](A) and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.”

⁷ In him we have redemption^(A) through his blood,^(B) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches^(C) of God’s grace

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(A) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock^(A) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands^(B)—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.