of Saul and the house of David, yet the house of David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and 2 weaker. For David had sons born to him in Chebron. His first born was Amnon, the son of Achinaam, the Jezraelitess; 3 and his second, Daluia, the son of Abigaia, the Carmelite, and his third, Abessalom, the son of Maacha, a daughter of Thol4 mi, king of Gessir, and his fourth, Ornia, the son of Aggith, 5 and the fifth, Saphatia, the son of Abital, and the sixth Je6 theraam, the son of Aigal, a wife of David. These were born to David at Chebron. But while the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abenner got a 7 mastery over the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine named Respha, a daughter of Jol. And Jebosthe the son of Saul, said to Abenner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's 8 concubine? For this Abenner was exceedingly enraged at Jebosthe, and said to him, Am I a dog's head? Have I now dealt kindly with the house of Saul, thy father, and with his brethren, and relations, and not gone over to the house of David, and dost thou question me now respecting an injury done 9 to a woman? God do so to Abenner and more also, if, as the 10 Lord hath sworn to David, I do not do so to him, to take the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of 11 David over Israel and over Juda, from Dan to Bersabee. So Jebosthe could no more controul Abenner in any thing, be 12 cause he was afraid of him. Then Abenner sent messengers to David at Thailam where he was, in all haste, saying, Make a covenant with me, and behold my hand shall be with thee, to 13 bring over all the house of Israel to thee. On which David said, Well. I will make a covenant with thee. But one thing I require of thee, and declare that thou shalt not see my face, unless thou bring Melchol the daughter of Saul, when thou 14 comest to see me. Then David sent messengers to Jebosthe, son of Saul, saying, Restore me my wife Melchol, whom I espoused at the price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. 15 And Jebosthe sent, and took her from her husband, from Phal16 tiel son of Sella; and her husband came with her, weeping be17 hind her, till they came to Barakim, Then Abenner said to him, Go, return. So he returned. And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, Heretofore you sought to make David king 18 over you; now therefore do it; for the Lord hath spoken con cerning David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of 19 the hand of all their enemies. Abenner spoke also in the ears of Benjamin. And Abenner came to Chebron, to communicate to David what seemed good in the sight of Israel, and in the sight 20 of the house of Benjamin. And when Abenner came to David at Chebron, and twenty men with him, David made an entertain21 ment for Abenner, and the men with him. Then Abenner said to David, Let me, I pray thee, arise and go, and I will assemble all Israel before my lord the king, and make a covenant with him, and thou shalt reign over all that thy heart desireth. 22 So David dismissed Abenner, and he departed in peace. Now behold David's servants, and Joab, were returning from an expedition, and bringing with them a great spoil; and Abenner was not with David at Chebron, for David had sent him away, 23 and he was gone in peace. So when Joab and all his army ar rived, and they told Joab, saying, Abenner, son of Ner, came 24 to David, and he hath sent him away, and he has gone in peace, Joab went to the king, and said, What is this thou hast done? 25 Behold Abenner came to thee! Why then hast thou sent him away? And he is gone in peace? Dost thou not know the wickedness of Abenner son of Ner-that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in-and to 26 know all that thou art doing? Then Joab went out from David, and sent messengers after Abenner, and they brought him 27 back from the well of Seeiram, but David knew it not. And when Abenner returned to Chebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak to him, and watching an opportunity, smote him there in the groin, and he died, for the blood of Asac; the brother 28 of Joab. And when David afterward heard, he said, Guiltless am I and my kingdom, before the Lord for ever, from the blood 29 of Abenner, son of Ner. Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house! And may there never be wanting of the house of Joab, a person afflicted with a gonorrhea, or a leprosy, or one leaning on a staff, or falling by the sword, or lacking 30 bread! Now Joab and his brother Abessa, bore a grudge against Abenner, because he had slain their brother Asael in 31 the battle at Gabaon. Then David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Rend your garments and gird on sackcloth, and utter lamentations before Abenner. And king David walked after the bier, and they buried Abenner at Chebron. 32 And the king wept aloud over his grave, and all the people wept 33 over Abenner. And the king chanted a funeral song over Abenner, and said, 35 As dieth a criminal should Abenner die? Thy hands were not bound with chains; He did not bring thee forth as a criminal; Before sons of wickedness thou hast fallen Now all the people had been assembled to bewail him; and when all the people came to induce David to eat the funeral bread while it was yet day, David swore, saying, God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread, or any thing else, till the sun is 36 set. And when the people knew this, they were well pleased 37 with all that the king did before the people. And all the peo ple, and all Israel, that day perceived that the putting Abenner 38 son of Ner to death, did not proceed from the king. For the king said to his servants, Do you not know that a great leader 39 hath this day fallen in Israel; and that though I am a relation, and constituted a king, yet these sons of Saruia are too hard for me? The Lord retribute to the doer of evil according to his wickedness! IV. When Jebosthe son of Saul, heard that Abenner, son of Ner, was dead at Chebron, his hands were enfeebled, and 2 all the men of Israel were dismayed. Now Jebosthe, son of Saul, had two captains of bands. The name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab. They were sons of 3 Remmon, the Berothite, of the children of Benjamin, for Beroth had been assigned to the Benjaminites, and the Berothites had fled to Gothaim, and have continued to sojourn there even 4 to this day. And Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son, who was lame in both his feet. He was five years old when the news of Saul and of his son Jonathan came from Jezrael, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she was hasting to carry him off, he happened to fall, and became lame, so he was called Memphibosthe. 5 And the sons of Remmon, the Berothite, Rechab, and Baana, set out, and came in the heat of the day to the house of Jebosthe, while he was sleeping on his couch at noon. 6 Now behold the door keeper of his house had been cleaning wheat, and being drowsy, had fallen asleep. So Rechab and 7 Baana, the brothers, escaped notice, and went into the house, while Jebosthe was asleep on his couch in his bed chamber. And they smote him, and killed him, and cut off his head. And they took his head, and travelled all night, by the way leading westward, and brought the head of Jebosthe to David at Che8 bron, and said to the king, Behold here is the head of Jebosthe son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; but the Lord hath executed vengeance for our lord the king on his enemies as at 9 this day-on Saul thine enemy, and on his seed. Whereupon David answered Rechab, and Baana his brother, the sons of 10 Remmon, the Berothite, and said to them, As the Lord liveth who hath redeemed my soul from all affliction, when one told me that Saul was dead, and thought himself a messenger of good news to me, I apprehended him, and slew him at Sekelak, though he thought himself entitled to a reward from me 11 for his good news. But now wicked men have slain a righteaus person, in his house, upon his bed. Now therefore I will avenge his blood on you and cut you off from the 12 earth. Then David gave orders to his servants, and they instantly slew them, and cut off their hands, and their feet, and hanged them up by the pool of Chebron. And they buried the head of Jebosthe in the grave of Abenner son of Ner. V. Then all the tribes of Israel came to David to Chebron 2 and said to him, Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh. Here. tofore, while Saul was king over us, It was thou who didst lead out and bring in Israel; and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my 3 people Israel. And when all the elders of Israel came to Da 4 vid to Chebron, king David made a covenant with them at Chebron, before the Lord, and they anointed David to be king over all Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and 5 he reigned forty years. Seven years and six months he reigned at Chebron over Juda, and he reigned thirty three years. over all Israel and Juda, at Jerusalem. 6 When David and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites who inhabited that land, it was said to David, Thou shalt not come here; for the blind and the lame are opposed to it, saying, 7 David shall not come here. So when David took the fortress, Zi8 on, the same is the city of David, on that day David said, Whoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him also dispatch with a dagger those lame and those blind, even them who hate the soul of David: for this cause they say, The blind and the lame shall 9 not come into the house of the Lord. And David made his abode in the fort, so it was called the city of David. And Da10 vid built the city, around the citadel and his own house. And David advanced in prosperity, and grandeur, and the Lord 11 Almighty was with him. And Chiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David, with cedar timber, and carpenters, and masons, and they built a house for David. 12 When David perceived that the Lord had prepared him to be king over Israel, and that his kingdom was exalted for 13 the sake of his people Israel, David took still more wives and concubines out of Jerusalem, after he came from Chebron. And David had still more sons and daughters born to him. 14 Now these are the names of those who were born to him in 17 Jerusalem. Sammus, and Sobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, and Ebear, and Elisue, and Naphek, and Jephies, and Elisama, and Elidae, and Eliphalath, Samae, Jesibath, Nathan, Galamaan, Jebar, Theesus, Eliphalat, Naged, Naphek, Jonathan, Leasamus, Baalimath, Eliphaath. When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and when 18 David heard he went down to the fort. And the Philistines came, and made an irruption into the valley of the Titans. 19 Whereupon David inquired of the Lord saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hands? And the Lord said to David, Go up; for I will assuredly 20 deliver the Philistines into thy hands. So David went out through Upper breaks, and smote the Philistines there. Whereupon David said, The Lord broke through the Philistine enemies before me, as waters burst through mounds. For this 21 cause the name of that place, was called Upper breaks. And |