The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Also Abner spake to Beniamin, and afterward Abner went to speake with Dauid in Hebron, concerning all that Israel was content with, and the whole house of Beniamin.

So Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him, and Dauid made a feast vnto Abner, and to the men that were with him.

Then Abner sayde vnto Dauid, I will rise vp, and goe gather all Israel vnto my lorde the King, that they may make a couenant with thee, and that thou mayest reigne ouer all that thine heart desireth. Then Dauid let Abner depart, who went in peace.

And beholde, the seruants of Dauid and Ioab came from the campe, and brought a great pray with them (but Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron: for he had sent him away, and he departed in peace)

When Ioab, and all the hoste that was with him were come, men tolde Ioab, saying, Abner the sonne of Ner came to the King, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

Then Ioab came to the King, and saide, What hast thou done? beholde, Abner came vnto thee, why hast thou sent him away, and he is departed?

Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner: for he came to deceiue thee, and to knowe thy outgoing and ingoing, and to knowe all that thou doest.

And when Ioab was gone out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him againe from the well of Siriah vnknowing to Dauid.

And when Abner was come againe to Hebron, Ioab tooke him aside in the gate to speake with him peaceably, and smote him vnder the fift ryb, that he dyed, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

And when afterwarde it came to Dauids eare, he saide, I and my kingdome are giltlesse before the Lord for euer, concerning the blood of Abner the sonne of Ner.

Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab, and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without some that haue running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doeth fall on the sworde, or that lacketh bread.

(So Ioab and Abishai his brother slewe Abner, because he had slaine their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battel)

And Dauid said to Ioab, and to al the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and put on sackecloth, and mourne before Abner: and King Dauid him selfe followed the beare.

And when they had buryed Abner in Hebron, the King lift vp his voyce, and wept beside the sepulchre of Abner, and all the people wept.

And the King lamented ouer Abner, and sayde, Dyed Abner as a foole dyeth?

Thine handes were not bounde, nor thy feete tyed in fetters of brasse: but as a man falleth before wicked men, so diddest thou fall. And all the people wept againe for him.

Afterwarde all the people came to cause Dauid eate meate while it was yet day, but Dauid sware, saying, So doe God to me and more also, if I taste bread, or ought els till the sunne be downe.

And all the people knewe it, and it pleased them: as whatsoeuer the King did, pleased all the people.

For all the people and all Israel vnderstoode that day, howe that it was not the Kings deede that Abner the sonne of Ner was slaine.

And the King said vnto his seruants, Know ye not, that there is a prince and a great man falle this day in Israel?

And I am this day weake and newly anoynted King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too harde for me: the Lord rewarde the doer of euill according to his wickednesse.

And when Sauls sonne heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, then his handes were feeble, and all Israel was afraide,

And Sauls sonne had two men that were captaines of bandes: the one called Baanah, and the other called Rechab, the sonnes of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Beniamin. (for Beeroth was reckened to Beniamin,

Because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and soiourned there, vnto this day).

And Ionathan Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete: he was fiue yere olde when the tydings came of Saul and Ionathan out of Israel: then his nourse tooke him, and fledde away. And as she made haste to flee, the childe fell, and beganne to halte, and his name was Mephibosheth.

And the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth (who slept on a bed at noone)

And beholde, Rechab and Baanah his brother came into the middes of the house as they would haue wheate, and they smote him vnder the fift ryb, and fled.

For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him, and slewe him, and beheaded him, and tooke his head, and gate them away through the plaine all the night.

And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth vnto Dauid to Hebron, and saide to the King, Beholde the head of Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne thine enemie, who sought after thy life: and the Lord hath auenged my lorde the King this day of Saul, and of his seede.

Then Dauid answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saide vnto them, As the Lord liueth, who hath deliuered my soule out of al aduersity,

When one tolde me, and sayde that Saul was dead, (thinking to haue brought good tydings) I tooke him and slewe him in Ziklag, who thought that I woulde haue giuen him a rewarde for his tidings:

How much more, when wicked men haue slaine a righteous person in his owne house, and vpon his bed? shall I not now therfore require his blood at your hand, and take you from the earth?

Then Dauid commanded his yong men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron: but they tooke the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Then came all the tribes of Israel to Dauid vnto Hebron, and said thus, Beholde, we are thy bones and thy flesh.

And in time past when Saul was our King, thou leddest Israel in and out: and the Lord hath sayde to thee, Thou shalt feede my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captaine ouer Israel.

So all the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron: and King Dauid made a couenant with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel.

Dauid was thirtie yeere olde when he began to reigne: and hee reigned fortie yeere.

In Hebron hee reigned ouer Iudah seuen yeere, and sixe moneths: and in Ierusalem hee reigned thirtie and three yeeres ouer all Israel and Iudah.

The King also and his men went to Ierusalem vnto the Iebusites, the inhabitants of the land: who spake vnto Dauid, saying, Except thou take away the blinde and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking that Dauid coulde not come thither.

But Dauid tooke the fort of Zion: this is the citie of Dauid.

Nowe Dauid had sayd the same day, Whosoeuer smiteth the Iebusites, and getteth vp to the gutters and smiteth the lame and blinde, which Dauids soule hateth, I will preferre him: therefore they saide, The blinde and the lame shall not come into that house.

So Dauid dwelt in that forte, and called it the citie of Dauid, and Dauid built rounde about it, from Millo, and inward.

And Dauid prospered and grewe: for the Lord God of hostes was with him.

Hiram also king of Tyrus sent messengers to Dauid, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons for walles: and they built Dauid an house.

Then Dauid knewe that the Lord had stablished him King ouer Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdome for his people Israels sake.

And Dauid tooke him more concubines and wiues out of Ierusalem, after hee was come from Hebron, and more sonnes and daughters were borne to Dauid.

And these bee the names of the sonnes that were borne vnto him in Ierusale: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Salomon,

And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Iaphia,

And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphalet.

But when the Philistims hearde that they had anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel, all the Philistims came vp to seeke Dauid: and when Dauid heard, he went downe to a fort.

But the Philistims came, and spred themselues in the valley of Rephaim.

Then Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I goe vp to the Philistims? wilt thou deliuer them into mine handes? And the Lord answered Dauid, Goe vp: for I will doubtlesse deliuer the Philistims into thine handes.

Then Dauid came to Baal-perazim, and smote them there, and sayde, The Lord hath deuided mine enemies asunder before mee, as waters be deuided asunder: therefore he called the name of that place, Baal-perazim.

And there they left their images, and Dauid and his men burnt them.

Againe the Philistims came vp, and spred themselues in the valley of Rephaim.

And when Dauid asked counsell of the Lord, hee answered, Thou shalt not goe vp, but turne about behinde them, and come vpon them ouer against the mulberie trees.

And when thou hearest the noyse of one going in the toppes of the mulberie trees, then remoue: for then shall the Lord goe out before thee, to smite the hoste of the Philistims.

Then Dauid did so as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistims from Geba, vntil thou come to Gazer.

Againe Dauid gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, euen thirtie thousand,

And Dauid arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Iudah to bring vp from thence the Arke of God, whose name is called by the Name of the Lord, of hostes, that dwelleth vpon it betweene the Cherubims.

And they put the Arke of God vpon a newe cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah. And Vzzah and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab did driue the newe carte.

And when they brought the Arke of God out of the house of Abinadab, that was at Gibeah, Ahio went before the Arke,

And Dauid and al the house of Israel played before the Lord on all instruments made of firre, and on harpes, and on Psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

And when they came to Nachons threshing floore, Vzzah put his hande to the Arke of God, and helde it: for the oxen did shake it.

And the Lord was verie wroth with Vzzah, and God smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he dyed by the Arke of God.

And Dauid was displeased, because the Lord had smitten Vzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez Vzzah vntill this day.

Therefore Dauid that day feared the Lord, and sayd, How shall the Arke of the Lord come to mee?

So Dauid would not bring the Arke of the Lord vnto him into the citie of Dauid, but Dauid caried it into ye house of Obed-edom a Gittite.

And the Arke of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, three moneths, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his houshold.

And one told King Dauid, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that hee hath, because of the Arke of God: therefore Dauid went and brought the Arke of God from the house of Obed-edom, into the citie of Dauid with gladnesse.

And when they that bare the Arke of the Lord had gone sixe paces, he offred an oxe, and a fatte beast.

And Dauid danced before the Lord with al his might, and was girded with a linnen Ephod.

So Dauid and all the house of Israel, brought the Arke of the Lord with shouting, and sound of trumpet.

And as the Arke of the Lord came into the citie of Dauid, Michal Sauls daughter looked through a windowe, and sawe King Dauid leape, and dance before the Lord, and shee despised him in her heart.

And when they had brought in the Arke of the Lord, they set it in his place, in the mids of the tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it: then Dauid offred burnt offrings, and peace offrings before the Lord.

And assoone as Dauid had made an ende of offring burnt offrings and peace offrings, hee blessed the people in the Name of the Lord of hostes,

And gaue among all the people, euen among the whole multitude of Israel, aswel to the women as men, to euerie one a cake of bread, and a piece of flesh, and a bottell of wine: so all the people departed euerie one to his house.

The Dauid returned to blesse his house, and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meete Dauid, and sayde, O howe glorious was the King of Israel this day, which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the maidens of his seruantes, as a foole vncouereth himselfe.

Then Dauid sayd vnto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me rather then thy father, and all his house, and commanded me to bee ruler ouer the people of the Lord, euen ouer Israel: and therefore will I play before the Lord,

And will yet be more vile then thus, and will be low in mine owne sight, and of the verie same maidseruants, which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour.

Therfore Michal the daughter of Saul had no childe vnto the day of her death.

Afterwarde when the King sate in his house and the Lord had giuen him rest rounde about from all his enemies,

The King saide vnto Nathan the Prophet, Beholde, nowe I dwel in an house of cedar trees, and the Arke of God remayneth within the curtaines.

Then Nathan sayde vnto the King, Go, and doe all that is in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee.

And the same night the worde of the Lord came vnto Nathan, saying,

Goe and tell my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord, Shalt thou buylde me an house for my dwelling?

For I haue dwelt in no house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt vnto this day, but haue walked in a tent and tabernacle.

In al the places wherein I haue walked with all the children of Israel, spake I one worde with any of the tribes of Israel when I commanded the iudges to feede my people Israel? or sayde I, Why build ye not me an house of cedar trees?

Nowe therefore so say vnto my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord of hostes, I tooke thee from the sheepecote following the sheepe, that thou mightest bee ruler ouer my people, ouer Israel.

And I was with thee wheresoeuer thou hast walked, and haue destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and haue made thee a great name, like vnto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

(Also I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in a place of their owne, and moue no more, neither shall wicked people trouble them any more as before time,

And since the time that I set Iudges ouer my people of Israel) and I will giue thee rest from al thine enemies: also the Lord telleth thee, that he will make thee an house.

And when thy daies bee fulfilled, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and I wil set vp thy seede after thee, which shall proceede out of thy body, and will stablish his kingdome.

He shall buyld an house for my Name, and I will stablish ye throne of his kingdome for euer.

I will be his father, and hee shall bee my sonne: and if he sinne, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men.

But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I tooke it from Saul whome I haue put away before thee.

And thine house shall be stablished and thy kingdome for euer before thee, euen thy throne shalbe stablished for euer.

According to all these wordes, and according to all this vision, Nathan spake thus vnto Dauid.

Then King Dauid went in, and sate before the Lord, and sayde, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, therefore thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while: but doth this appertaine to man, O Lord God?