⁷ Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and ^(A)the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Murdered

4 When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, ^(A)his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.

^10 (A)when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, ^(B)I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.

⁸ And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for ^(A)a dead dog such as I?”

^21 (A)Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

²⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.

¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.”

¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

²³ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, ^(A)but he will not return to me.”