2 Samuel 2:1–11
1 Then it came about afterwards that aDavid inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “bTo Hebron.”
2 So David went up there, and ahis two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the 1widow of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 And aDavid brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came and there aanointed David king over the house of Judah.
And they told David, saying, “It was bthe men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “aMay you be blessed of the Lord because you have 1shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him.
6 “Now amay the Lord 1show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will 1show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing.
7 “Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be 1valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Ish-bosheth Made King over Israel
8 But aAbner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken 1Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to bMahanaim.
9 He made him king over aGilead, over the bAshurites, over cJezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.
11 aThe 1time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.