stood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of

Ner.

And the king said unto his servants, "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: Yahweh reward the wicked doer according to his wickedness."

And when Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled. And Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, had two men that were captains of hands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth, also, is reckoned to Benjamin: and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day).

Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he took his rest at noon. And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat: and they smote him in the belly: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night. And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, "Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and Yahweh hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed."

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, "As Yahweh liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one told me, saying, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his tidings. How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?"

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, "Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and Yahweh said to thee, "Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel." So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh: and they anointed David king over Israel.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, "Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither": thinking, "David cannot come in hither." Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, "Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and smite the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul." Wherefore they say, "There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house." And David dwelt in the strong hold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. And David waxed greater and greater; for Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

And Hiram, king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house. And David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.

And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.

Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into mine hand?" And Yahweh said unto David, "Go up: for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thine hand."

And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, "Yahweh hath broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim. And they left their images there, and David and his men took them away.

And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of Yahweh, he said, "Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then is Yahweh gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines." And David did so, as Yahweh commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gezer.

And David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of the Lord of hosts that sitteth upon the cherubim. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before Yahweh with all manner of instruments made of fir wood, and with harps, and with psaltries, and with timbrels, and with castanets, and with cymbals.

And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error: and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken forth upon Uzzah: and he called that place Perez-uzzah, unto this day.

And David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, "How shall the ark of Yahweh come unto me?" So David would not remove the ark of Yahweh unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Yahweh blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.

And it was told king David, saying, "Yahweh hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God."

And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

And it was so, as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that Michal, the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.

And they brought in the ark of Yahweh, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh. And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh, the Lord of hosts.

And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion of flesh, and a cake of raisins. So all departed every one to his house.

Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal, the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! " And David said unto Michal, "It was before Yahweh, which chose me above thy father, and above all his home, to appoint me prince over the people of Yahweh, over Israel: therefore will I play before Yahweh. And I will be yet more vile than thus, and will be base to mine own sight: but of the handmaids which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour." And Michal, the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

And David said, "Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba, and they called him unto David; and the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is he."

And the king said, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet." And the king said unto him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."

Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came unto David, and fell on his face, and did obeisance. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Behold thy servant!" And David said unto him, "Fear not; for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually." And he did obeisance, and said, "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, "All that pertained to Saul and to all his house have I given unto thy master's son. And thou shalt till the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants; and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have bread to eat: but Mephibosheth, thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table."

Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then said Ziba unto the king, "According to all that my lord, the king, commandeth his servant, so shall thy servant do." "As for Mephibosheth," said the king, " he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons." And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were