²⁸ Also all that ^(A)Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Kish and Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated—all dedicated gifts were in the care of ^(B)Shelomoth^[a] and his brothers.

⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man ^(A)went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.)

⁹ When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. ¹⁰ The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. ¹¹ And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. ^12 (A)Be of good courage, and ^(B)let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and ^(C)may the Lord do what seems good to him.” ¹³ So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. ¹⁴ And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

⁵⁵ As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, ^(A)the commander of the army, “Abner, ^(B)whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, ^(C)“As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

Saul Fights Israel's Enemies

⁴⁷ When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, ^(A)against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of ^(B)Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. ⁴⁸ And he did valiantly ^(C)and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

^49 (D)Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was ^(E)Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. ⁵⁰ And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. ^(F)And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, ^(G)Saul's uncle. ^51 (H)Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of ^(I)Abiel.