So Saul assembled the army and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Saul said, “They were brought from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded and what you said as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes.

Saul again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.”

Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before.

So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

Then David and the men who were with him wept loudly until they could weep no more.

They cut off Saul’s head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines.

Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers!”

Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting.

Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel.

So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put into irons. You fell the way one falls before criminals.” All the people wept over him again.

All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation.

David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

So now assemble the rest of the army and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”

In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill.

The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished.