4 And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

² And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin.

³ And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

⁵ And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

⁶ And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

⁷ For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

⁹ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

¹⁰ When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

¹² And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

5 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

² Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in 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 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

²³ And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

²⁴ The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.

²⁵ Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

²⁶ Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

²⁷ And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

²⁸ And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house twenty and two captains.

²⁹ And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul.

³⁰ And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valour, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

³¹ And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.

³² And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

³³ Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.

³⁴ And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand.

³⁵ And of the Danites expert in war twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

³⁶ And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

³⁷ And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand.

³⁸ All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

³⁹ And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking: for their brethren had prepared for them.

⁴⁰ Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.

¹⁰ These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

¹¹ And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.

⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

²⁰ And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

²¹ Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three.

²² Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

²³ And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

²⁴ These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties.

²⁵ Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

³¹ Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁶ Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷ Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

³⁸ Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Haggeri,

³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

³⁸ Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,