[11] And they find an Egyptian in the field, and they take him, and bring him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they caused him to drink water. [12] And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and he ate, and his spirit was restored in him; for he had not eaten bread, and had not drunk water three days and three nights. [13] And David said to him, Whose art thou? and whence art thou? and the young man the Egyptian said, I am the servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because I was taken ill three days ago. [14] And we made an incursion on the south of the Chelethite, and on the parts of Judea, and on the south of Chelub, and we burnt Sekelac with fire. [15] And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear now to me by God, that thou wilt not kill me, and that thou wilt not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down upon this troop.
[16] So be brought him down thither, and behold, they were scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole land, eating and drinking, and feasting by reason of all the great spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Juda. [17] And David came upon them, and smote them from the morning till the evening, and on the next day; and not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who were mounted on camels, and fled. [18] And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued both his wives. [19] And nothing was wanting to them of great or small, either of the spoils, or the sons and daughters, or anything that they had taken of theirs; and David recovered all. [20] And he took all the flocks, and the herds, and led them away before the spoils: and it was said of these spoils, These are the spoils of David.
[21] And David comes to the two hundred men who were left behind that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Bosor; and they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him: and David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did.
[22] Then every ill-disposed and bad man of the soldiers who had gone with David, answered and said, Because they did not pursue together with us, we will not give them of the spoils which we have recovered, only let each one lead away with him his wife and his children, and let them return. [23] And David said, Ye shall not do so, after the Lord has delivered the enemy to us, and guarded us, and the Lord has delivered into our hands the troop that came against u. [24] And who will hearken to these your words? for they are not inferior to us; for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike. [25] And it came to pass from that day forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Israel until this day.
[26] And David came to Sekelac, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Juda, and to his friends, saying, Behold some of the spoils of the enemies of the Lord; [27] to those in Baethsur, and to those in Rama of the south, and to those in Gethor. [28] And to those in Aroer, and to those in Ammadi, and to those in Saphi, and to those in Esthie, [29] and to those in Geth, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Themath, and to those in Carmel, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenezite; [30] and to those in Jerimuth, and to those in Bersabee, and to those in Nombe, [31] and to those in Chebron, and to all the places which David and his men had passed through.
Chapter 31
[1] And the Philistines fought with Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and they fall down wounded in the mountain in Gelbue. [2] And the Philistines press closely on Saul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Jonathan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Saul. [3] And the battle prevails against Saul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs. [4] And Saul said to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he feared greatly: so Saul took his sword and fell upon it. [5] And his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, and he fell also himself upon his sword, and died with him. [6] So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, in that day together.
[7] And the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead; and they leave their cities and flee: and the Philistines come and dwell in them.
[8] And it came to pass on the morrow that the Philistines come to strip the dead, and they find Saul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gelbue.
[9] And they turned him, and stripped off his armour, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people. [10] And they set up his armour at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Baethsam.
[11] And the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad hear what the Philistines did to Saul. [12] And they rose up, even every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Saul and the body of Jonathan his son from the wall of Baethsam; and they bring them to Jabis, and burn them there. [13] And they take their bones, and bury them in the field that is in Jabis, and fast seven days.
II Kings
Chapter 1
[1] And it came to pass after Saul was dead, that David returned from smiting Amalec, and David abode two days in Sekelac. [2] And it came to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came from the camp, from the people of Saul, and his garments were rent, and earth was upon his head: and it came to pass when he went in to David, that he fell upon the earth, and did obeisance to him.
[3] And David said to him, Whence comest thou? and he said to him, I have escaped out of the camp of Israel. [4] And David said to him, What is the matter? tell me. And he said, The people fled out of the battle, and many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead.
[5] And David said to the young man who brought him the tidings, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? [6] And the young man that brought the tidings, said to him, I happened accidentally to be upon mount Gelbue; and, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear, and, behold, the chariots and captains of horse pressed hard upon him. [7] And he looked behind him, and saw me, and called me; and I said, Behold, here am I. [8] And he said to me, Who art thou? and I said, I am an Amalekite. [9] And he said to me, Stand, I pray thee, over me, and slay me, for a dreadful darkness has come upon me, for all my life is in me. [10] So I stood over him and slew him, because I knew he would not live after he was fallen; and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and I have brought them hither to my lord.
[11] And David laid hold of his garments, and rent them; and all the men who were with him rent their garments. [12] And they lamented, and wept, and fasted till evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Juda, and for the house of Israel, because they were smitten with the sword.
[13] And David said to the young man who brought the tidings to him, Whence art thou? and he said, I am the son of an Amalekite sojourner.
[14] And David said to him, How was it thou wast not afraid to lift thy hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord? [15] And David called one of his young men, and said, Go and fall upon him: and he smote him, and he died. [16] And David said to him, Thy blood be upon thine own head; for thy mouth has testified against thee, saying, I have slain the anointed of the Lord.
[17] And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. [18] And he gave orders to teach it the sons of Juda: behold, it is written in the book of Right.
[19] Set up a pillar, O Israel, for the slain that died upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! [20] Tell it not in Geth, and tell it not as glad tidings in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. [21] Ye mountains of Gelbue, let not dew no rain descend upon you, nor fields of first-fruits be upon you, for there the shield of the mighty ones has been grievously
assailed; the shield of Saul was not anointed with oil. [22] From the blood of the slain, and from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan returned not empty; and the sword of Saul turned not back empty. [23] Saul and Jonathan, the beloved and the beautiful, were not divided: comely were they in their life, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, and they were stronger than lions. [24] Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you with scarlet together with your adorning, who added golden ornaments to your apparel. [25] How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, even the slain ones upon thy high places! [26] I am grieved for thee, my brother Jonathan; thou wast very lovely to me; thy love to me was wonderful beyond the love of women. [27] How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
Chapter 2
[1] And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he said, To Chebron. [2] And David went up thither to Chebron, he and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite, [3] and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they dwelt in the cities of Chebron.
[4] And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul. [5] And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, because ye have wrought this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and ye have buried him and Jonathan his son. [6] And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because ye have done this. [7] And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
[8] But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul’s army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem [9] and made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. [10] Jebosthe, Saul’s son was forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.
[11] And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
[12] And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon. [13] And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side. [14] And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. [15] And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. [16] And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword was thrust into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon. [17] And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David. [18] And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.
[19] And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner. [20] And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asael himself? and he said, I am. [21] And Abenner said to him, Turn thou to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for thyself on one of the young men, and take to thyself his armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him. [22] And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from me, lest I smite thee to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab? [23] And what does this mean? return to Joab thy brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still. [24] And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of Gai, by the desert way of Gabaon.
[25] And the children of Benjamin who followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill. [26] And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? knowest thou not that it will be bitter at last? How long then wilt thou refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren? [27] And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if thou hadst not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. [28] And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.
[29] And Abenner and his men departed at evening, and went all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent country, and they come to the camp. [30] And Joab returned from following Abenner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asael. [31] And the servants of David smote of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
[32] And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.
Chapter 3
[1] And there was war for a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David grew continually stronger; but the house of Saul grew continually weaker. [2] And sons were born to David in Chebron: and his first-born was Ammon the son of Achinoom the Jezraelitess. [3] And his second son was Daluia, the son of Abigaia the Carmelitess; and the third, Abessalom the son of Maacha the daughter of Tholmi the king of Gessir. [4] And the fourth was Ornia, the son of Aggith, and the fifth was Saphatia, the son of Abital. [5] And the sixth was Jetheraam, the son of Ægal the wife of David. These were born to David in Chebron.
[6] And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abenner was governing the house of Saul. [7] And Saul had a concubine, Respha, the daughter of Jol; and Jebosthe the son of Saul said to Abenner, Why hast thou gone in to my father’s concubine? [8] And Abenner was very angry with Jebosthe for this saying; and Abenner said to him, Am I a dog’s head? I have this day wrought kindness with the house of Saul thy father, and with his brethren and friends, and have not gone over to the house of David, and dost thou this day seek a charge against me concerning injury to a woman? [9] God do thus and more also to Abenner, if as the Lord swore to David, so do I not to him this day; [10] to take away the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel and over Juda from Dan to Bersabee. [11] And Jebosthe could not any longer answer Abenner a word, because he feared him.
[12] And Abenner sent messengers to David to Thaelam where he was, immediately, saying, Make thy covenant with me, and, behold, my hand is with thee to bring back to thee all the house of Israel. [13] And David said, With a good will I will make with thee a covenant: only I demand one condition of thee, saying, Thou shalt not see my face, unless thou bring Melchol the daughter of Saul, when thou comest to see my face. [14] And David sent messengers to Jebosthe the son of Saul, saying, Restore me my wife Melchol, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. [15] And Jebosthe sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Selle. [16] And her husband went with her weeping behind her as far as Barakim. And Abenner said to him, Go, return; and he returned.
[17] And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, In former days ye sought David to reign over you; [18] and now perform it: for the Lord has spoken concerning David, saying, By the hand of my
servant David I will save Israel out of the hand of all their enemies. [19] And Abenner spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abenner went to speak in the ears of David at Chebron, all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the house of Benjamin. [20] And Abenner came to David to Chebron, and with him twenty men: and David made for Abenner and his men with him a banquet of wine. [21] And Abenner said to David, I will arise now, and go, and gather to my lord the king all Israel; and I will make with him a covenant, and thou shalt reign over all whom thy soul desires. And David sent away Abenner, and he departed in peace.
[22] And, behold, the servants of David and Joab arrived from their expedition, and they brought much spoil with them: and Abenner was not with David in Chebron, because he had sent him away, and he had departed in peace. [23] And Joab and all his army came, and it was reported to Joab, saying, Abenner the son of Ner is come to David, and David has let him go, and he has departed in peace. [24] And Joab went in to the king, and said, What is this that thou hast done? behold, Abenner came to thee; and why hast thou let him go, and he has departed in peace? [25] Knowest thou not the mischief of Abenner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all things that thou doest?
[26] And Joab returned from David, and sent messengers to Abenner after him; and they bring him back from the well of Seiram: but David knew it not. [27] And he brought back Abenner to Chebron, and Joab caused him to turn aside from the gate to speak to him, laying wait for him: and he smote him there in the loins, and he died for the blood of Asael the brother of Joab.
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