Joab Kills Abner

3 Now there was a long ^(A)war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

Sons of David

² Sons were born ^(B)to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon ^(C)by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; ³ his second, ^[a]Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, ^(D)Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king ^(E)of Geshur; ⁴ the fourth, ^(F)Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; ⁵ and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins Forces with David

⁶ Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

⁷ And Saul had a concubine, whose name was ^(G)Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you ^(H)gone in to my father’s concubine?”

⁸ Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I ^(I)a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? ^9 (J)May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David ^(K)as the Lord has sworn to him— ¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the ^[b]house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, ^(L)from Dan to Beersheba.” ¹¹ And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, “Whose is the land?” saying also, “Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

¹³ And David said, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: ^(M)you shall not see my face unless you first bring ^(N)Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” ¹⁴ So David sent messengers to ^(O)Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself ^(P)for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from ^[c]Paltiel the son of Laish. ¹⁶ Then her husband went along with her to ^(Q)Bahurim, ^[d]weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, “Go, return!” And he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, “In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. ¹⁸ Now then, do it! ^(R)For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David, ^[e]I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’ ”

Christ the Power and Wisdom of God^(A)

¹⁸ For the ^[a]message of the cross is ^(B)foolishness to ^(C)those who are perishing, but to us ^(D)who are being saved it is the ^(E)power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

^20 (G)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the ^[b]disputer of this age? ^(H)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the ^(I)wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For ^(J)Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, ^(K)to the Jews a ^[c]stumbling block and to the ^[d]Greeks ^(L)foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(M)the power of God and ^(N)the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Glory Only in the Lord

²⁶ For ^[e]you see your calling, brethren, ^(O)that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many ^[f]noble, are called. ²⁷ But ^(P)God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the ^[g]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence. ³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and ^(Q)righteousness and sanctification and redemption— ³¹ that, as it is written, ^(R)“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

² To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who ^(A)are ^[a]sanctified in Christ Jesus, ^(B)called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ ^(C)our Lord, ^(D)both theirs and ours: