David&#8217;s power grew steadily, for the <sc>Lordsc> God<n id="1" /> who commands armies<n id="2" /> was with him.<n id="3" />p>

David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities<n id="1" /> of Hebron.

David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So Joab and his men<n id="1" /> marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him.

<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River.

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

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Then David asked, &#8220;Is anyone still left from the family<n id="2" /> of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,<n id="1" /> and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him.

When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham<n id="1" /> crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers<n id="2" /> of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers<n id="1" /> and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted.

The king asked, &#8220;Is there not someone left from Saul&#8217;s family,<n id="1" /> that I may extend God&#8217;s kindness to him?&#8221; Ziba said to the king, &#8220;One of Jonathan&#8217;s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the spring of the year, at the time when kings<n id="1" /> normally conduct wars,<n id="2" /> David sent out Joab with his officers<n id="3" /> and the entire Israelite army.<n id="4" /> They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.<n id="5" />

But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.<n id="1" /> It used to<n id="2" /> eat his food,<n id="3" /> drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.<n id="4" /> It was just like a daughter to him.p>

There were a thousand men from Benjamin with him, along with Ziba the servant<n id="1" /> of Saul&#8217;s household, and with him his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They hurriedly crossed<n id="2" /> the Jordan within sight of the king.

<p class="bodytext">Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, &#8220;Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan &#8211; and not only him but all of David&#8217;s men as well?&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">