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“Where have you come from?” David asked him. He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
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They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
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“A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel. How the mighty have fallen!
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“Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
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He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.
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Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David.
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The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David’s men.
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Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”
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So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.
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and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”
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Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”
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Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king.
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Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’”
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Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do.
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Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
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So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
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Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?
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Ish-Bosheth Murdered
When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
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David Becomes King Over Israel
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.
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In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”
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When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
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In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
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Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
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David Defeats the Philistines
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
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The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand.
