²² For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.

Abner Joins David

3 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

¹⁴ And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua ^(A)fell on his face to the earth and worshiped^[a] and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

² And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God's ^(A)camp!” So he called the name of that place ^(B)Mahanaim.^[a]

² So David went up there, and ^(A)his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³ And David brought up ^(B)his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. ⁴ And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David ^(C)king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, ^(D)“It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”