<p class="bodytext">The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

<t /><p class="bodytext">David again assembled<n id="1" /> all the best<n id="2" /> men in Israel, thirty thousand in number.

What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition,<n id="1" /> O <sc>Lordsc> God!

<p class="bodytext">The king said, &#8220;Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won&#8217;t bother you again!&#8221;

So Abner spoke again to Asahel, &#8220;Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground.<n id="1" /> How then could I show<n id="2" /> my face in the presence of Joab your brother?&#8221;

Then Joab blew the ram&#8217;s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks.<n id="1" /> They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting.<n id="2" />

God will severely judge Abner<n id="1" /> if I do not do for David exactly what the <sc>Lordsc> has promised him,<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">Your hands<n id="1" /> were not bound,p> <p class="poetry">and your feet were not put into irons.p> <p class="poetry">You fell the way one falls before criminals.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">All the people<n id="2" /> wept over him again.

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle<n id="1" /> them there; they will live there and not be disturbed<n id="2" /> any more. Violent men<n id="3" /> will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anger again raged against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, &#8220;Go count Israel and Judah.&#8221;<n id="1" />

Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, &#8220;God will punish me severely<n id="1" /> if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!&#8221;p>

I gave you your master&#8217;s house, and put your master&#8217;s wives into your arms.<n id="1" /> I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!

Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again spoke to Joab, &#8220;Whatever happens, let me go after the Cushite.&#8221; But Joab said, &#8220;Why is it that you want to go, my son? You have no good news that will bring you a reward.&#8221;

Say to Amasa, &#8216;Are you not my flesh and blood?<n id="1" /> God will punish me severely,<n id="2" /> if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Joab replied to the king, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> your God make the army a hundred times larger right before the eyes of my lord the king! But why does my master the king want to do this?&#8221;p>