He said to me, &#8216;Stand over me and finish me off!<n id="1" /> I&#8217;m very dizzy,<n id="2" /> even though I&#8217;m still alive.&#8217;<n id="3" />

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;

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

And you didn&#8217;t stop there, O <sc>Lordsc> God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant&#8217;s family.<n id="1" /> Is this your usual way of dealing with men,<n id="2" /> O <sc>Lordsc> God?

<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>

He replied, &#8220;While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Perhaps<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> will show pity and the child will live.

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!&#8217;&#8221;p>

Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come.

<p class="bodytext">Joab replied, &#8220;I will not wait around like this for you!&#8221; He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the king replied to him, &#8220;Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.&#8221;

<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.

<p class="bodytext">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.

As he was still speaking, Jonathan<n id="1" /> son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, &#8220;Come in, for<n id="2" /> an important man like you must be bringing good news.&#8221;<n id="3" />

the food in his banquet hall,<n id="1" /> his servants and attendants,<n id="2" /> their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple, she was amazed.<n id="3" />

<n id="1" /> When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.<n id="2" />

While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, &#8220;My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!&#8221;<n id="1" /> Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two.

So he threw a big banquet<n id="1" /> for them and they ate and drank. Then he sent them back<n id="2" /> to their master. After that no Syrian raiding parties again invaded the land of Israel.p>

But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. He built the Upper Gate to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished<n id="1" /> from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who assisted him in battle.

So David again asked God what he should do.<n id="1" /> This time<n id="2" /> God told him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t march up after them; circle around them and come against them in front of the trees.<n id="3" />