<p class="bodytext">Then Abner spoke privately<n id="1" /> with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately<n id="2" /> of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.<n id="3" />

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>

Ahithophel replied to Absalom, &#8220;Have sex with<n id="1" /> your father&#8217;s concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your followers will be motivated to support you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa<n id="1" /> stopped, the man<n id="2" /> pulled him<n id="3" /> away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him.

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" />

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" />

<p class="bodytext">Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David&#8217;s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel.

They took Asahel&#8217;s body and buried him in his father&#8217;s tomb at Bethlehem.<n id="1" /> Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.

So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly<n id="1" /> over Abner&#8217;s grave and all the people wept too.

<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.

<p class="bodytext">All the people noticed this and it pleased them.<n id="1" /> In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.

All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king&#8217;s instigation.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, &#8220;Look, we are your very flesh and blood!<n id="1" />

In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem<n id="1" /> he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.p>

The ark of the <sc>Lordsc> remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The <sc>Lordsc> blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.<n id="1" />

I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated<n id="1" /> all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul&#8217;s attendant, and said to him, &#8220;Everything that belonged to Saul and to his entire house I hereby give to your master&#8217;s grandson.

<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.

But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all<n id="1" /> the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.p>

Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>