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>

The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people<n id="1" /> of Judah.p> <p class="bodytext">David was told,<n id="2" /> &#8220;The people<n id="3" /> of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.&#8221;

Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people<n id="1" /> of Judah followed David.

<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" />

May his blood whirl over<n id="1" /> the head of Joab and the entire house of his father!<n id="2" /> May the males of Joab&#8217;s house<n id="3" /> never cease to have<n id="4" /> someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle<n id="5" /> or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!&#8221;p>

David was told,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.&#8221; So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David.

Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say<n id="1" /> to any of the leaders<n id="2" /> whom I appointed to care for<n id="3" /> my people Israel, &#8220;Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?&#8221;&#8217;p>

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief<n id="1" /> from all your enemies. The <sc>Lordsc> declares<n id="2" /> to you that he himself<n id="3" /> will build a dynastic house<n id="4" /> for you.

for you, O <sc>Lordsc> of hosts, the God of Israel, have told<n id="1" /> your servant, &#8216;I will build you a dynastic house.&#8217;<n id="2" /> That is why your servant has had the courage<n id="3" /> to pray this prayer to you.

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace.<n id="1" /> From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive.<n id="2" />

So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the <sc>Lordsc> and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.p>

<p class="bodytext">Her brother Absalom said to her, &#8220;Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don&#8217;t take it so seriously!&#8221;<n id="1" /> Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom.p>

The king asked, &#8220;Where is your master&#8217;s grandson?&#8221;<n id="1" /> Ziba replied to the king, &#8220;He remains in Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> for he said, &#8216;Today the house of Israel will give back to me my grandfather&#8217;s<n id="3" /> kingdom.&#8217;&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then King David reached<n id="1" /> Bahurim. There a man from Saul&#8217;s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached.<n id="2" />

The <sc>Lordsc> has punished you for<n id="1" /> all the spilled blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you rule. Now the <sc>Lordsc> has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. Disaster has overtaken you, for you are a man of bloodshed!&#8221;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.

They crossed at the ford in order to help the king&#8217;s household cross and to do whatever he thought appropriate.p> <p class="bodytext">Now after he had crossed the Jordan, Shimei son of Gera threw himself down before the king.

For I, your servant,<n id="1" /> know that I sinned, and I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.&#8221;p>

After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather<n id="1" /> who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table!<n id="2" /> What further claim do I have to ask<n id="3" /> the king for anything?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then David went to his palace<n id="1" /> in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement.<n id="2" /> Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them.<n id="3" /> They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows.p>