Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. ¹  They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. ² 

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

The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

Ish-bosheth ¹  was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.

David again assembled ¹  all the best ²  men in Israel, thirty thousand in number.

I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! ¹  But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!”

What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, ¹  O Lord God!

The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!”

The king asked, “Is there not someone left from Saul’s family, ¹  that I may extend God’s kindness to him?” Ziba said to the king, “One of Jonathan’s sons is left; both of his feet are crippled.”

After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather ¹  who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table! ²  What further claim do I have to ask ³  the king for anything?”

He said to me, ‘Stand over me and finish me off! ¹  I’m very dizzy, ²  even though I’m still alive.’ ³ 

So Abner spoke again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. ¹  How then could I show ²  my face in the presence of Joab your brother?”

I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle ¹  them there; they will live there and not be disturbed ²  any more. Violent men ³  will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. ¹  Is this your usual way of dealing with men, ²  O Lord God?

¹ Then David asked, “Is anyone still left from the family ²  of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”

He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ¹  ‘Perhaps ²  the Lord will show pity and the child will live.

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’”

Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come.

Joab replied, “I will not wait around like this for you!” He took three spears in his hand and thrust them into the middle of Absalom while he was still alive in the middle of the oak tree. ¹ 

Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.”