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David Hears of Saul's Death
After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.
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And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.
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David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”
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And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”
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Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
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Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
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And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.”
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David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?”
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Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died.
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And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’”
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David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan
And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son,
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David Anointed King of Judah
After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.”
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So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
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And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron.
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And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,”
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David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.
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Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
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And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
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And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
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Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
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And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
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Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel.
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But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men.
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Abner Joins David
There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
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And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
