²⁰ Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving^(A) him into your hands.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender^(A) me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

⁵ So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants^(A) and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”

Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. ⁷ When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy^(B) of them. They put their heads^(C) in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.

¹¹ So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast^(A) and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. ¹³ Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.^{(B) 14} Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”

²¹ 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^(A) with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”^(B) So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.