<p class="bodytext">David said to the young man who told this to him, &#8220;Where are you from?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;I am an Amalekite, the son of a resident foreigner.&#8221;<n id="1" />

Now be courageous<n id="1" /> and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there &#8211; Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)

The Benjaminites formed their ranks<n id="1" /> behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.p>

His second son<n id="1" /> was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow<n id="2" /> of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur.

When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: &#8220;Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When David later heard about this, he said, &#8220;I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the <sc>Lordsc> of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!

<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.

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>

Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear!<n id="1" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite &#8211; Recab and Baanah &#8211; went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest.

David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he arrived from Hebron. Even more sons and daughters were born to David.

I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.<n id="1" />

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

David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish<n id="1" /> his authority<n id="2" /> over the Euphrates<n id="3" /> River.

The king asked him, &#8220;Where is he?&#8221; Ziba told the king, &#8220;He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.p>

<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.

The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.p>

Joab<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;If the Arameans start to overpower me,<n id="2" /> you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,<n id="3" /> I will come to your rescue.