The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And Dauid came to the two hundreth men that were too wearie for to follow Dauid: whome they had made also to abide at the riuer Besor: and they came to meete Dauid, and to meete the people that were with him: so when Dauid came neere to the people, hee saluted them.

Then answered all the euill and wicked of the men that went with Dauid, and saide, Because they went not with vs, therefore will wee giue them none of the pray that wee haue recouered, saue to euery man his wife and his children: therefore let them carie them away and depart.

Then saide Dauid, Yee shall not doe so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath giuen vs, who hath preserued vs, and deliuered the companie that came against vs, into our handes.

For who will obey you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth downe to the battel, so shall his part be, that tarieth by the stuffe: they shall part alike.

So from that day forward hee made it a statute and a lawe in Israel, vntill this day.

When Dauid therefore came to Ziklag, he sent of the pray vnto the Elders of Iudah and to his friends, saying, See there is a blessing for you of the spoyle of the enemies of the Lord.

Hee sent to them of Beth-el, and to them of South Ramoth, and to them of Iattir,

And to them of Aroer, and to them of Siphmoth, and to them of Eshtemoa,

And to them of Rachal, and to them of the cities of the Ierahmeelites, and to them of the cities of the Kenites,

And to them of Hormah, and to them of Chor-ashan, and to them of Athach,

And to them of Hebron, and to all the places where Dauid and his men had hanted.

Now the Philistims fought against Israel, and the me of Israel fled away from ye Philistims, and they fell downe wounded in mount Gilboa.

And the Philistims preassed sore vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua Sauls sonnes.

And when the battel went sore against Saul, the archers and bowmen hit him, and hee was sore wounded of the archers.

Then saide Saul vnto his armour bearer, Drawe out thy sworde, and thrust mee through therewith, lest the vncircumcised come and thrust me through and mocke me: but his armour bearer would not, for hee was sore afraid. Therefore Saul tooke a sworde and fell vpon it.

And when his armour bearer sawe that Saul was dead, he fell likewise vpon his sword, and dyed with him.

So Saul dyed, and his three sonnes, and his armour bearer, and all his men that same day together.

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they of the other side Iorden saw that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sonnes were dead, then they left the cities, and ran away: and the Philistims came and dwelt in them.

And on the morowe when the Philistims were come to spoyle them that were slaine, they founde Saul and his three sonnes lying in mount Gilboa,

And they cut off his head, and stripped him out of his armour, and sent into the land of ye Philistims on euery side, that they should publish it in the temple of their idoles, and among the people.

And they layed vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth, but they hanged vp his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

When the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead heard, what the Philistims had done to Saul,

Then they arose (as many as were strong men) and went all night, and tooke the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes, from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Iabesh, and burnt them there,

And tooke their bones and buried them vnder a tree at Iabesh, and fasted seuen dayes.

After the death of Saul, when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had beene two dayes in Ziklag,

Behold, a man came the third day out of the host from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head: and when hee came to Dauid, he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

Then Dauid saide vnto him, Whence commest thou? And he said vnto him, Out of the host of Israel I am escaped.

And Dauid saide vnto him, What is done? I pray thee, tell me. Then he said, that the people is fled from the battel, and many of the people are ouerthrowen, and dead, and also Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead.

And Dauid saide vnto the yong man that tolde it him, Howe knowest thou that Saul and Ionathan his sonne be dead?

Then the yong man that tolde him, answered, As I came to mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned vpon his speare, and loe, the charets and horsemen followed hard after him.

And when he looked backe, he saw me, and called me. And I answered, Here am I.

And he said vnto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

Then saide hee vnto me, I pray thee come vpon mee, and slay me: for anguish is come vpon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

So I came vpon him, and slewe him, and because I was sure that hee coulde not liue, after that hee had fallen, I tooke the crowne that was vpon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arme, and brought them hither vnto my lord.

Then Dauid tooke hold on his clothes, and rent them, and likewise al the men that were with him.

And they mourned and wept, and fasted vntil euen, for Saul and for Ionathan his sonne, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were slaine with the sword.

Afterward Dauid saide vnto the yong man that tolde it him, Whence art thou? And hee answered, I am the sonne of a stranger an Amalekite.

And Dauid said vnto him, How wast thou not afrayd, to put forth thine hand to destroy the Anoynted of the Lord?

Then Dauid called one of his yong men, and said, Goe neere, and fall vpon him. And hee smote him that he dyed.

Then said Dauid vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thine owne head: for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slaine the Lords Anoynted.

Then Dauid mourned with this lamentation ouer Saul, and ouer Ionathan his sonne,

(Also he bade them teach the children of Iudah to shoote, as it is written in the booke of Iasher)

O noble Israel, hee is slane vpon thy hie places: how are the mightie ouerthrowen!

Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streetes of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce, lest the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph.

Ye mountaines of Gilboa, vpon you be neither dewe nor raine, nor be there fieldes of offrings: for there the shielde of the mightie is cast downe, the shielde of Saul, as though he had not bene anointed with oyle.

The bow of Ionathan neuer turned backe, neither did the sword of Saul returne emptie from the blood of the slaine, and from the fatte of the mightie.

Saul and Ionathan were louely and pleasant in their liues, and in their deaths they were not deuided: they were swifter then eagles, they were stronger then lions.

Yee daughters of Israel, weepe for Saul, which clothed you in skarlet, with pleasures, and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparel.

Howe were the mightie slaine in the mids of the battel! O Ionathan, thou wast slaine in thine hie places.

Wo is me for thee, my brother Ionathan: very kinde hast thou bene vnto me: thy loue to me was wonderfull, passing the loue of women: howe are the mightie ouerthrowen, and the weapons of warre destroyed!

After this, Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go vp into any of the cities of Iudah? And the Lord sayd vnto him, Goe vp. And Dauid sayd Whither shall I goe? Hee then answered, Vnto Hebron.

So Dauid went vp thither, and his two wiues also, Ahinoam the Izreelite, and Abigail Nabals wife the Carmelite.

And Dauid brought vp the men that were with him, euery man with his houshold, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

Then the men of Iudah came, and there they anoynted Dauid King ouer the house of Iudah. And they tolde Dauid, saying, that the men of Iabesh Gilead buried Saul.

And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men of Iabesh Gilead, and said vnto them, Blessed are ye of the Lord, that yee haue shewed such kindenes vnto your lord Saul, that you haue buried him.

Therefore now the Lord shewe mercie and trueth vnto you: and I will recompence you this benefite, because ye haue done this thing.

Therefore nowe let your handes be strong, and be you valiant: albeit your master Saul bee dead, yet neuerthelesse the house of Iudah hath anoynted me King ouer them.

But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,

And made him King ouer Gilead, and ouer the Ashurites, and ouer Izreel, and ouer Ephraim, and ouer Beniamin, and ouer al Israel.

Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne was fourtie yeere olde when he began to reigne ouer Israel, and reigned two yeere: but the house of Iudah followed Dauid.

(And the time which Dauid reigned in Hebron ouer the house of Iudah, was seuen yeere and sixe moneths)

And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.

And Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah, and the seruants of Dauid went out and met one another by the poole of Gibeon: and they sate downe, the one on the one side of the poole, and the other on the otherside of the poole.

Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise.

Then there arose and went ouer twelue of Beniamin by number, which perteined to Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and twelue of the seruants of Dauid.

And euery one caught his fellowe by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellowes side, so they fell downe together: wherefore ye place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

And the battel was exceeding sore that same day: for Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruants of Dauid.

And there were three sonnes of Zeruiah there, Ioab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as light on foote as a wilde roe.

And Asahel followed after Abner, and in going he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from Abner.

Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.

Then Abner said, Turne thee either to the right hande, or to the left, and take one of the yong men, and take thee his weapons: and Asahel would not depart from him.

And Abner saide to Asahel, Depart from me: wherefore shoulde I smite thee to the grounde? howe then shoulde I be able to holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother?

And when he woulde not depart, Abner with the hinder ende of the speare smote him vnder the fift ryb, that the speare came out behind him: and he fell downe there, and dyed in his place. And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell downe and dyed, stoode still.

Ioab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sunne went downe, when they were come to the hill Ammah, that lieth before Giah, by the way of the wildernesse of Gibeon.

And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, and were on an heape and stoode on the top of an hill.

Then Abner called to Ioab, and said, Shall the sworde deuoure for euer? knowest thou not, that it will be bitternesse in the latter ende? howe long then shall it be, or thou bid the people returne from following their brethren?

And Ioab sayde, As God liueth, if thou haddest not spoken, surely euen in the morning the people had departed euery one backe from his brother.

So Ioab blew a trumpet, and all the people stoode still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plaine, and went ouer Iorden, and past through all Bithron till they came to Mahanaim.

Ioab also returned backe from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruants nineteene men and Asahel.

But the seruants of Dauid had smitten of Beniamin, and of Abners men, so that three hundreth and threescore men dyed.

And they tooke vp Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem: and Ioab and his men went all night, and when they came to Hebron, the day arose.

There was then long warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid: but Dauid waxed stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker.

And vnto Dauid were children borne in Hebron: and his eldest sonne was Amnon of Ahinoam the Izreelite,

And his seconde, was Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite: and the third, Absalom the sonne of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the King of Geshur,

And the fourth, Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith, and the fifth, Shephatiah the sonne of Abital,

And the sixt, Ithream by Eglah Dauids wife: these were borne to Dauid in Hebron.

Nowe while there was warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.

And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiiah. And Ish-bosheth sayde to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in to my fathers concubine?

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dogges head, which against Iudah do shew mercie this day vnto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his neighbours, and haue not deliuered thee into the hande of Dauid, that thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman?

So doe God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworne to Dauid, euen so I doe to him,

To remoue the kingdome from the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid may be stablished ouer Israel, and ouer Iudah, euen from Dan to Beer-sheba.

And he durst no more answere to Abner: for he feared him.

Then Abner sent messengers to Dauid on his behalfe, saying, Whose is the lande? who should also say, Make couenant with me, and beholde, mine hande shalbe with thee, to bring all Israel vnto thee.

Who saide, Well, I will make a couenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face except thou bring Michal Sauls daughter when thou commest to see me.

Then Dauid sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne, saying, Deliuer me my wife Michal, which I marryed for an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistims.

And Ish-bosheth sent, and tooke her from her husband Phaltiel the sonne of Laish.

And her husband went with her, and came weeping behinde her, vnto Bahurim: then saide Abner vnto him, Go, and returne. So he returned.

And Abner had communication with the Elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for Dauid in times past, that he might be your King.

Nowe then doe it: for the Lord hath spoken of Dauid, saying, By the hand of my seruant Dauid I will saue my people Israel out of the handes of the Philistims, and out of the handes of all their enemies.