<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.

They lamented and wept and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s people, and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now David&#8217;s soldiers<n id="1" /> and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David<n id="2" /> had sent him away and he had left in peace.

<p class="bodytext">David replied to Michal, &#8220;It was before the <sc>Lordsc>! I was celebrating before the <sc>Lord,sc> who chose me over your father and his entire family<n id="1" /> and appointed me as leader over the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s people Israel.

David said, &#8220;I will express my loyalty<n id="1" /> to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal<n id="2" /> to me.&#8221; So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father&#8217;s death.<n id="3" /> When David&#8217;s servants entered the land of the Ammonites,

This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8216;I am about to bring disaster on you<n id="1" /> from inside your own household!<n id="2" /> Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.<n id="3" /> He will have sexual relations with<n id="4" /> your wives in broad daylight!<n id="5" />

But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, &#8220;Why should you come with us? Go back and stay with the new<n id="1" /> king, for you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The Gibeonites said to him, &#8220;We<n id="1" /> have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family,<n id="2" /> nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.&#8221; David asked,<n id="3" /> &#8220;What then are you asking me to do for you?&#8221;

Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair<n id="1" /> the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,<n id="2" /> the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver&#8217;s beam.

<p class="poetry">My dynasty is approved by God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for he has made a perpetual covenant with me,p> <p class="poetry">arranged in all its particulars and secured.p> <p class="poetry">He always delivers me,p> <p class="poetry">and brings all I desire to fruition.<n id="2" />p>

Next in command<n id="1" /> was Eleazar son of Dodo,<n id="2" /> the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three warriors who were with David when they defied the Philistines who were assembled there for battle. When the men of Israel retreated,<n id="3" />

When the angel<n id="1" /> extended his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the <sc>Lordsc> relented from his judgment.<n id="2" /> He told the angel who was killing the people, &#8220;That&#8217;s enough! Stop now!&#8221;<n id="3" /> (Now the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s angel was near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.)p>

<p class="bodytext">These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, &#8220;Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating<n id="1" /> loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives<n id="2" /> and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!<n id="3" />

Uriah replied to David, &#8220;The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord&#8217;s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations<n id="1" /> with my wife? As surely as you are alive,<n id="2" /> I will not do this thing!&#8221;