Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers ¹  and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.

David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family ¹  and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel.

“So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd ¹  to make you leader of my people Israel.

All his servants were leaving with him, ¹  along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites – some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were leaving with ²  the king.

But Joab said to him, “You will not be a bearer of good news today. You will bear good news some other day, but not today, ¹  for the king’s son is dead.”

All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense? ¹  Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?”

The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

The young man who was telling him this ¹  said, “I just happened to be on Mount Gilboa and came across Saul leaning on his spear for support. The chariots and leaders of the horsemen were in hot pursuit of him.

David said to him, “Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying ‘I have put the Lord’s anointed to death.’”

O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet ¹  as well as jewelry, who put gold jewelry on your clothes.

David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven and a half years. ¹ 

Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.

The Benjaminites formed their ranks ¹  behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.

namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!”

So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.

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

The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, ¹  he ²  killed him on the spot ³  for his negligence. ⁴  He died right there beside the ark of God.

David was angry because the Lord attacked ¹  Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, ²  which remains its name to this very day.

So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true! ¹