Old/New Testament
The House of David Strengthened
3 Now (A)the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long; and David grew steadily stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker continually.
2 (B)And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by (C)Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of (D)Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of (E)Geshur; 4 and the fourth, (F)Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron.
Abner Cuts a Covenant with David
6 Now it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that (G)Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was (H)Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and [a]Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “(I)Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show lovingkindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. 9 (J)May God do so to Abner, and more also, if (K)as Yahweh has sworn to David, I do not do this for him, 10 (L)to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, (M)from Dan even to Beersheba.” 11 And he could no longer respond a word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Cut your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to turn all Israel over to you.” 13 And he said, “Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but I ask one thing of you, [b]namely, (N)you shall not see my face unless you (O)first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed (P)for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from [c]Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as (Q)Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.
17 Now Abner had [d]consultation with (R)the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 So now, do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘(S)By the hand of My servant David [e]I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that was good in the sight of Israel and in the sight of (T)the whole house of Benjamin.
20 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and (U)gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may cut a covenant with you, and that (V)you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22 And behold, (W)the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 Now Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, and they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? 25 You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to know of (X)your going out and your coming in and to know all that you are doing.”
Joab Strikes Abner
26 Then Joab came out from David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there (Y)he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward David heard it, so he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 (Z)May it whirl on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may (AA)one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread not be cut off from the house of Joab.” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner (AB)because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
David’s Lament for Abner
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “(AC)Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32 Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at (AD)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 (AE)And the king chanted a lament for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a wicked fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters;
As one falls before the [f]unrighteous, you have fallen.”
And all the people continued to weep over him. 35 Then all the people came (AF)to [g]persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David swore an oath, saying, “(AG)May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else (AH)before the sun goes down.” 36 Now all the people took note of it, and it was good in their sight, just as everything the king did was good in the sight of all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel knew that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 Thus I am (AI)weak today, though anointed king; and these men (AJ)the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. (AK)May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil.”
Ish-bosheth Put to Death
4 Then [h]Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son heard that (AL)Abner had died in Hebron. And [i](AM)he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for (AN)Beeroth is also considered (AO)part of Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to (AP)Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day).
4 Now (AQ)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the (AR)report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was [j](AS)Mephibosheth.
5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went forth and came to the house of (AT)Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. 6 [k]They came to the middle of the house as [l]if to get wheat, and (AU)they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 Thus they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, and they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. And they took his head and (AV)went on the way leading to the Arabah all night. 8 Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth (AW)the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus Yahweh has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his seed.”
9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As Yahweh lives, (AX)who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10 (AY)when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and [m]thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now (AZ)require his blood from your hand and purge you from the earth?” 12 Then (BA)David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth (BB)and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
David Anointed King over All Israel
5 (BC)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and [n]said, “Behold, we are (BD)your bone and your flesh. 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, (BE)you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and Yahweh said to you, ‘(BF)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be (BG)a ruler over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David (BH)cut a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh; then (BI)they anointed David king over Israel. 4 Now David was (BJ)thirty years old when he became king, and (BK)he reigned forty years. 5 At Hebron (BL)he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 (BM)Then the king and his men went to (BN)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to [o]David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; [p]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, that is (BO)the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” Therefore they say, “The blind or the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 Then David lived in the fortress and called it (BP)the city of David. And David built all around from the [q](BQ)Millo and inward. 10 (BR)And David became greater and greater, and Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.
11 (BS)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and craftsmen of wood and craftsmen of stone walls; and (BT)they built a house for David. 12 Thus David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that He had lifted up his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
Children Born to David in Jerusalem
13 And (BU)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now (BV)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
David Goes Up Against the Philistines
17 Then the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, so (BW)all the Philistines went up to seek out David. And David heard of it and went down to the (BX)fortress. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves out in (BY)the valley of Rephaim. 19 Then (BZ)David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And (CA)Yahweh said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 So David came to (CB)Baal-perazim, and there David struck them down; and he said, “Yahweh has broken through my enemies before me, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place [r]Baal-perazim. 21 And they forsook their idols there; so (CC)David and his men carried them away.
22 Then (CD)the Philistines yet again came up and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 23 So (CE)David asked of Yahweh, and He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the [s]balsam trees. 24 And it will be that when (CF)you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the [t]balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then (CG)Yahweh will have gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 25 Then David did so, just as Yahweh had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from [u](CH)Geba [v]as far as (CI)Gezer.
The Cost of Discipleship
25 Now many crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 “(A)If anyone comes to Me, and does not [a]hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not (B)carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Lest, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and (C)consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends [b]a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who (D)does not give up all his own possessions.
34 “Therefore, salt is good, but (E)if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. (F)He who has ears to hear, [c]let him hear.”
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