The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.

The king asked him, “Where is he?” Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.

So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

This seemed like a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders of Israel.

Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)

Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha.

So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”

But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.

Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled, they too joined him.

All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.

From Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.

Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The men of Israel are loyal to Absalom!”

When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done,

How the warriors have fallen! The weapons of war are destroyed!

Now the Philistines had arrived and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

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.