Abner Defects to David

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

² Sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;^{(A) 3} his second was Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;^{(B) 4} the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital;^{(C) 5} and the sixth was Ithream, of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. ⁷ Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal^[a] said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”^{(D) 8} The words of Ishbaal^[b] made Abner very angry; he said, “Am I a dog’s head for Judah? Today I keep showing loyalty to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and have not given you into the hand of David, yet you charge me now with a crime concerning this woman.^{(E) 9} So may God do to Abner and so may he add to it! For just what the Lord has sworn to David, that will I accomplish for him:^{(F) 10} to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.”^{(G) 11} And Ishbaal^[c] could not answer Abner another word because he feared him.

¹² Abner sent messengers to David where he was,^[d] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and I will give you my support to bring all Israel over to you.” ¹³ He said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall never appear in my presence unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”^{(H) 14} Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbaal,^[e] saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I became engaged at the price of one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”^{(I) 15} Ishbaal^[f] sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.^{(J) 16} But her husband went with her, weeping as he walked behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.^(K)

¹⁷ Abner sent word to the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. ¹⁸ Now then bring it about, for the Lord has promised David: Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from all their enemies.”^{(L) 19} Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites; then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin were ready to do.^(M)

²⁰ When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. ²¹ Abner said to David, “Let me go and rally all Israel to my lord the king, in order that they may make a covenant with you and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went away in peace.^(N)

Abner Is Killed by Joab

²² Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for David^[g] had dismissed him, and he had gone away in peace.^{(O) 23} When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told to Joab, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has dismissed him, and he has gone away in peace.” ²⁴ Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you; why did you dismiss him, so that he got away? ²⁵ You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to learn your comings and goings and to learn all that you are doing.”^(P)

²⁶ When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, but David did not know about it. ²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died on account of the blood of Asahel, Joab’s^[h] brother.^{(Q) 28} Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May the bloodguilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who has a defiling skin disease, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food!”^{(R) 30} So Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.^(S)

³¹ Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David followed the bier.^{(T) 32} They buried Abner at Hebron. The king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ The king lamented for Abner, saying,

And all the people wept over him again. ³⁵ Then all the people came to persuade David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, saying, “So may God do to me and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!”^{(V) 36} All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner. ³⁸ And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ Today I am powerless, even though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too violent for me. The Lord pay back the one who does wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!”^(W)

Ishbaal Assassinated

4 When Saul’s son Ishbaal^[i] heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.^{(X) 2} Saul’s son had two captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon, a Benjaminite from Beeroth, for Beeroth is considered to belong to Benjamin.^{(Y) 3} (Now the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim and are there as resident aliens to this day.)^(Z)

⁴ Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, and in her haste to flee it happened that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.^(AA)

⁵ Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishbaal^[j] while he was taking his noonday rest.^{(AB) 6} They came inside the house as though to take wheat,^[k] and they struck him in the stomach; then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.^{(AC) 7} Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch in his bedchamber; they attacked him, killed him, and beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night long. ⁸ They brought the head of Ishbaal^[l] to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbaal^[m] son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.”^(AD)

⁹ David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity,^{(AE) 10} when the one who told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag—this was the reward I gave him for his news.^{(AF) 11} How much more, then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?”^{(AG) 12} So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal^[n] they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.^(AH)

David Anointed King of All Israel

5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh.^{(AI) 2} For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you, ‘It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ ”^{(AJ) 3} So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.^{(AK) 4} David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.^{(AL) 5} At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.^(AM)

Jerusalem Made Capital of the United Kingdom

⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here; even the blind and the lame will turn you back,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.”^{(AN) 7} Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David. ⁸ David had said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates.”^[o] Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”^{(AO) 9} David occupied the stronghold and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward.^{(AP) 10} And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts^[p] was with him.^(AQ)

¹¹ King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar trees and carpenters and masons who built David a house.^{(AR) 12} David then perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

¹³ In Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives, and more sons and daughters were born to David.^{(AS) 14} These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,^{(AT) 15} Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, ¹⁶ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Philistine Attack Repulsed

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.^{(AU) 18} Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.^{(AV) 19} David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” The Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”^{(AW) 20} So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. He said, “The Lord has burst forth against my enemies before me like a bursting flood.” Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim.^{[q](AX) 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.^(AY)

²² Once again the Philistines came up and were spread out in the valley of Rephaim.^{(AZ) 23} When David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.^{(BA) 24} When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be on the alert, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”^{(BB) 25} David did just as the Lord had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.^(BC)

David’s Followers in the Wilderness

12 The following are those who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul son of Kish; they were among the mighty warriors who helped him in war.^{(A) 2} They were archers and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right hand or the left; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kindred.^{(B) 3} The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth, ⁴ Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a warrior among the Thirty and a leader over the Thirty; Jeremiah,^[a] Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah, ⁵ Eluzai,^[b] Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite; ⁶ Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; ⁷ and Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸ From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains:^{(C) 9} Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third, ¹⁰ Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth, ¹¹ Attai sixth, Eliel seventh, ¹² Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth, ¹³ Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh. ¹⁴ These Gadites were officers of the army, the least equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand. ¹⁵ These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.^(D)

¹⁶ Some Benjaminites and Judahites came to the stronghold to David. ¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship, to help me, then my heart will be knit to you, but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, though my hands have done no wrong, then may the God of our ancestors see and give judgment.” ¹⁸ Then the spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said,^[c]

Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.^(E)

¹⁹ Some of the Manassites deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “He will desert to his master Saul at the cost of our heads.”)^{(F) 20} As he went to Ziklag these Manassites deserted to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the thousands in Manasseh. ²¹ They helped David against the band of raiders,^[d] for they were all warriors and commanders in the army.^{(G) 22} Indeed, from day to day people kept coming to David to help him until there was a great army, like an army of God.

David’s Army at Hebron

²³ These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord.^{(H) 24} The people of Judah bearing shield and spear numbered six thousand eight hundred armed troops. ²⁵ Of the Simeonites, mighty warriors, seven thousand one hundred. ²⁶ Of the Levites four thousand six hundred. ²⁷ Jehoiada, leader of the house of^[e] Aaron, and with him three thousand seven hundred. ²⁸ Zadok, a young warrior, and twenty-two commanders from his own ancestral house.^{(I) 29} Of the Benjaminites, the kindred of Saul, three thousand, of whom the majority had continued to keep their allegiance to the house of Saul.^{(J) 30} Of the Ephraimites, twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty warriors, notables in their ancestral houses. ³¹ Of the half-tribe of Manasseh, eighteen thousand, who were expressly named to come and make David king. ³² Of Issachar, those who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, two hundred chiefs, and all their kindred under their command.^{(K) 33} Of Zebulun, fifty thousand seasoned troops equipped for battle with all the weapons of war to help David^[f] with singleness of purpose.^{(L) 34} Of Naphtali, a thousand commanders, with whom there were thirty-seven thousand armed with shield and spear. ³⁵ Of the Danites, twenty-eight thousand six hundred equipped for battle. ³⁶ Of Asher, forty thousand seasoned troops ready for battle. ³⁷ Of the Reubenites and Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh from beyond the Jordan, one hundred twenty thousand armed with all the weapons of war.

³⁸ All these, warriors arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with full intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king.^{(M) 39} They were there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kindred had provided for them. ⁴⁰ And also their neighbors from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.^(N)

Psalm 122

Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

22 “Brothers^[a] and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”^(A)

² When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew,^[b] they became even more quiet. Then he said:^(B)

³ “I am a Jew born in Tarsus in Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today.^{(C) 4} I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison,^{(D) 5} as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.^(E)

Paul Tells of His Conversion

⁶ “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.^{(F) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth^[c] whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.^{(G) 10} I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’^{(H) 11} Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.^(I)

¹² “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there,^{(J) 13} came to me, and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice,^{(K) 15} for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.^{(L) 16} And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’^(M)

Paul Sent to the Gentiles

¹⁷ “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance^{(N) 18} and saw Jesus^[d] saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.^{(O) 20} And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.’^{(P) 21} Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the gentiles.’ ”^(Q)

Paul and the Roman Tribune

²² Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” ²³ And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air,^{(R) 24} the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. ²⁵ But when they had tied him up with straps,^[e] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman person who is uncondemned?”^{(S) 26} When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? This man is a Roman.” ²⁷ The tribune came and asked Paul,^[f] “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.” ²⁹ Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman and that he had bound him.

Paul before the Council

³⁰ Since he wanted to find out what Paul^[g] was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.^(T)