All the people throughout all the tribes of Israel were arguing among themselves saying, “The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies. He rescued us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land because of Absalom.

<p class="bodytext">Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, &#8220;Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan &#8211; and not only him but all of David&#8217;s men as well?&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">

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" />

He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites,<n id="1" /> Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.

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.

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>

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.

<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" />

Therefore you are great, O <sc>Lordsc> God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true!<n id="1" />

David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David&#8217;s subjects and brought tribute. The <sc>Lordsc> protected<n id="1" /> David wherever he campaigned.<n id="2" />

King David dedicated these things to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from<n id="2" /> all the nations that he had subdued,

<p class="bodytext">When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel&#8217;s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.<n id="1" />

<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>