3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.b David grew stronger and stronger,c while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.d

2 Sons were born to David in Hebron:

His firstborn was Amnone the son of Ahinoamf of Jezreel;

3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigailg the widow of Nabal of Carmel;

the third, Absalomh the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;i

4 the fourth, Adonijahj the son of Haggith;

the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.

These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Goes Over to David

6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abnerk had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubinel named Rizpahm daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s headn—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promisedo him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”p 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

13 “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”q 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,r whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husbands Paltielt son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.u Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

17 Abner conferred with the eldersv of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistinesw and from the hand of all their enemies.x’ ”

19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjaminy wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feastz for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenanta with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”b So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he…

Ish-Bosheth Murdered

4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abnerw had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beerothx is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaimy and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

4 (Jonathanz son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the newsa about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.b His name was Mephibosheth.)c

5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth,d and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.e 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbedf him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.g 8 They brought the headh of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul,i your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avengedj my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has deliveredk me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.l That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his bloodm from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.n They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

David Becomes King Over Israel

5:1–3pp—1Ch 11:1–3

5 All the tribes of Israelo came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.p 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.q And the Lord saidr to you, ‘You will shepherds my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.t’ ”

3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenantu with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointedv David king over Israel.

4 David was thirty years oldw when he became king, and he reignedx fortyy years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,z and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David Conquers Jerusalem

5:6–10pp—1Ch 11:4–9
5:11–16pp—1Ch 3:5–9; 14:1–7

6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalema to attack the Jebusites,b who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zionc—which is the City of David.d

8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shafte to reach those ‘lame and blind’f who are David’s enemies.a” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terracesb g inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,h because the Lord God Almightyi was with him.j

11 Now Hiramk king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdoml for the sake of his people Israel.

13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wivesm in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there:n Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,o Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

5:17–25pp—1Ch 14:8–17

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.p 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;q 19 so David inquiredr of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.c s 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.t

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the soundu of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in frontv of you to strike …