1 Samuel 30 - 2 Samuel 3

Lexham English Bible

David Recovers His Loved Ones

30 Now^[a] when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. When they attacked Ziklag, they burned it with fire. ² They took captive the women^[b] who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest.^[c] They did not kill anyone, but carried them off and went on their way. ³ When David and his men came to the city, they saw,^[d] and it was burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until there was not enough strength in them to weep. ⁵ Two of David’s wives had been taken captive. Ahinoam from Jezreel^[e] and Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁶ And David was in a very precarious situation,^[f] for the people spoke of stoning him, for the souls of all the people were bitter, each one over his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here for me.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. ⁸ And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should I pursue after this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue them.” ⁹ So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the Wadi^[g] Besor, but the rest remained. ¹⁰ David pursued, he and four hundred men; but two hundred men stayed because they were too exhausted to pass over the Wadi Besor.

¹¹ Then they found an Egyptian man in the open country and brought him to David, and they gave him food and he ate; they also gave him water. ¹² They gave him a slice of fig cake and two raisin cakes; he ate and this revived him,^[h] because he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights. ¹³ Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong,^[i] and from where are you? The young man said, “I am an Egyptian young man, a servant of an Amalekite man, but my master abandoned me because I became ill three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites and that which belongs to Judah and then the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” ¹⁵ So David asked him, “Will you take me down to this band of raiders?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and that you will not deliver me into my master’s hand! Then I will take you down to this band.” ¹⁶ So he took him down, and there they were,^[j] spread out over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all of the abundant plunder which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. ¹⁷ Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped except^[k] four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. ¹⁸ So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; David also rescued his two wives. ¹⁹ None of theirs was missing from the smallest to the greatest,^[l] even sons and daughters, from the plunder up to everything they had taken for themselves; David brought back everything. ²⁰ And David took all of the sheep,^[m] and the cattle they drove along in front of that livestock, and they said, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹ Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow^[n] David; they had left them behind at the Wadi^[o] Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. David came near with the people and asked them how they were doing.^{[p] 22} Then all the corrupt and useless men among the men who went with David reacted and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them anything from the plunder which we recovered, except^[q] each man may take his own wife and children. They must take them along and go!” ²³ But David said to them, “You should not do so, my brothers, with what Yahweh has given to us! He has preserved us and has given the raiding band that came against us into our hand. ²⁴ And who would listen to you regarding this matter? For as the share of the one who went down into the battle, so the share of the one who remained with the baggage will be. They will share alike.” ²⁵ So^[r] from that day and beyond, he made it a rule and a regulation for Israel until this day.

²⁶ Then David came to Ziklag, and he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Here is^[s] a gift for you from the plunder of the enemies of Yahweh!” ²⁷ It was for those in Bethel, for those in Ramoth of the Negev, for those in Jattir, ²⁸ for those in Aroer, for those in Siphmoth, for those in Eshtemoa, ²⁹ for those in Racal, for those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites, for those in the towns of the Kenites, ³⁰ for those in Hormah, for those in Bor Ashan, for those in Athach, ³¹ for those in Hebron, and for all the places where David and his men had roamed.^[t]

Saul and Jonathan Die on Mount Gilboa

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and they fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malki-Shua, the sons of Saul. ³ Saul was in the thick of the battle,^[u] and the archers^[v] spotted^[w] him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer,^[x] “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised do not come and thrust me through and make a fool of me!” But his armor bearer^[y] was not willing to do so because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ And when his armor bearer^[z] saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, his armor bearer,^[aa] and all his men together that same day.

⁷ And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those who were beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Thus the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ And then^[ab] the next day, the Philistines came to strip the dead and they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent messengers around in the land of the Philistines to proclaim victory in the temples^[ac] of their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ And they put his armor in the temple^[ad] of the Ashtoreth,^[ae] and they fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan. ¹¹ When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard about it, what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all of the valiant men^[af] set out and went all night and took the corpse of Saul and the corpses of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. ¹³ Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.

The Report of Saul’s Death by the Amalekite

1 After^[ag] the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and he stayed at Ziklag two days. ² On the third day, a man came from the camp from being with Saul, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he came^[ah] to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down. ³ David said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” ⁴ Then David said to him, “How did things go?^[ai] Please tell me.” He answered, “When^[aj] the army fled from the battle, and many of the people fell; also, Saul and Jonathan his son died.” ⁵ Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died?” ⁶ The young man who was reporting to him said, “I merely happened to be on Mount Gilboa. Here Saul was leaning on his spear, and look, the chariots and the horsemen were getting close to him. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called to me, and I said, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ ⁹ He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, even though my life is still in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after his falling; I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet which was on his arm; and here, I have brought them to my lord. ¹¹ David grabbed at his clothes and tore them, as did all of the men who were with him. ¹² Then they mourned and wept and fasted over Saul and Jonathan his son until the evening, as well as over the people of Yahweh and over the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ Then David said to the young man who was reporting to him, “Where are you from?” And he said, “I am the son of an alien man. I am an Amalekite.” ¹⁴ David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed one?” ¹⁵ Then David called to one of the young men and said to him, “Come near; strike him.” So he struck him down and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you by saying, ‘I killed Yahweh’s anointed one!’”

David Laments Jonathan with the “Song of the Bow”

¹⁷ Then David sang this funeral song over Saul and over Jonathan his son. ¹⁸ And he ordered “The Bow” to be taught to the children of Judah. Look, it is written on the scroll of Jashar.^[ak]

David Moves to Hebron

2 It happened after this that David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah?” And Yahweh said to him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” ² So David went up there along with^[ao] his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel^[ap] and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ Also, David brought up his men who were with him, each with^[aq] his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.

David Anointed King over Judah at Hebron

⁴ Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David there as king over the house of Judah, and they told David, “The men of Jabesh-Gilead buried Saul.” ⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-Gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by Yahweh because you did this loyal love with your lord, with Saul, and you buried him. ⁶ Now may Yahweh show loyal love and faithfulness with you. I will also show the good with you that you have done in this matter. ⁷ So then, let your hands be strong and be valiant,^[ar] for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”

Ish-Bosheth over Israel

⁸ But Abner the son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. ⁹ He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over Israel, all of it. ¹⁰ Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel and he reigned two years; however, the house of Judah followed^[as] David. ¹¹ The number of days that David was king over Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.

War between Judah and Israel

¹² Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. ¹³ Then Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out, and they met at the pool of Gibeon. The one group sat on one side of the pool, and the other sat on the other side. ¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come up and fight in our presence.” And Joab said, “Let them come up.” ¹⁵ So they came forward and passed by in number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. ¹⁶ Then each seized his opponent^[at] by the head and each thrust his sword in the side of his opponent, so they fell together. So they^[au] called the name of that place Helkath Hazzurim,^[av] which is in Gibeon. ¹⁷ Then the battle became increasingly fierce^[aw] on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift with his feet as one of the gazelles which is in the open field. ¹⁹ So Asahel pursued^[ax] Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left from going after Abner. ²⁰ Abner turned around and said, “Are you this Asahel?” And he said, “Yes.” ²¹ Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left; seize for yourself one of the young men, and take his belongings for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from him. ²² So Abner said to Asahel once again,^[ay] “For your own sake,^[az] turn aside from following me.^[ba] Why should I strike you down to the ground? How could I show my face^[bb] to Joab your brother?” ²³ But he refused to turn away, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of the spear, and the spear went out of his back. He fell there and he died on the spot.^[bc] Then^[bd] all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died just stood there.

²⁴ So Joab and Abishai pursued^[be] Abner when^[bf] the sun went down. And they came to the hill country of Ammah, which is before Giah^[bg] on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵ The descendants^[bh] of Benjamin rallied after Abner, and they became as one fighting group and stood on the top of a certain hill. ²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Will the sword devour forever? Do you not know that there will be bitterness in the end? How long^[bi] will you not tell the people to turn away from pursuing^[bj] their brothers?” ²⁷ Joab said, “As God lives,^[bk] for if you had not spoken, the people would surely have gone up in the morning, each one of them from following after^[bl] his brother.” ²⁸ Then Joab blew on the trumpet and all the people stopped, and they no longer pursued after Israel, and they did not fight with them again.

²⁹ Then Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night, and they crossed over the Jordan. They went all the forenoon and came to Mahanaim. ³⁰ After Joab returned from pursuing^[bm] Abner, he gathered all the people; nineteen of the servants of David were missing along with Asahel. ³¹ The servants of David had killed some of the Benjaminites among the men of Abner; three hundred and sixty men had died. ³² Then they picked up Asahel and buried him in the grave of his father, which was at Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all that night arriving in Hebron at first light.^[bn]

The House of David Grows Stronger

3 The battle was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David was growing stronger and stronger^[bo] while the house of Saul was becoming weaker and weaker.^{[bp] 2} And sons were born to David in Hebron; his firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam from Jezreel^[bq]. ³ His second was Kileab by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur. ⁴ The fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah the son of Abital. ⁵ The sixth was Ithream by Eglah the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ As the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was continuing, Abner was strengthening himself in the house of Saul. ⁷ Saul had had a concubine, and her name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah. Then Ish-Bosheth^[br] said to Abner, “Why did you have sex with^[bs] my father’s concubine?” ⁸ Abner became very angry^[bt] at the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he said, “Am I the head of a dog which is for Judah today? Do I not continue to show loyal love with the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends? I have not let you fall into the hands of David, yet you have accused me of sin with this woman^[bu] today. ⁹ Thus may God punish Abner,^[bv] if I do not accomplish what Yahweh has sworn to David;^{[bw] 10} specifically, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan to Beersheba!” ¹¹ And Ish-Bosheth was no longer able to answer^[bx] Abner because he feared him.^[by]

Abner Pledges Support for David

¹² Abner sent messengers to David where he was,^[bz] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me!^[ca] Look, my hand is with you to bring all of Israel over to you!” ¹³ He^[cb] said, “Good. I will make a covenant with you.^[cc] I am asking only one thing from you: You shall not see my face unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”^{[cd] 14} Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal whom I betrothed to myself^[ce] for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” ¹⁵ So Ish-Bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.^{[cf] 16} But her husband went with her, weeping all along^[cg] after her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go and return.” So he returned.

¹⁷ The word of Abner came to^[ch] the elders of Israel, saying, “For quite some time^[ci] you were seeking David as king over you. ¹⁸ So then, bring it about, because Yahweh had said to David, “Through the hand of David my servant I am about to save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.” ¹⁹ Abner also spoke privately to Benjamin.^[cj] Abner also went to speak to David^[ck] in Hebron, all that was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

²⁰ Then Abner came to David in Hebron and with him were twenty men. David had prepared a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him. ²¹ And Abner said to David, “Let me get up and go and gather all of Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant^[cl] with you so you can reign over all which your soul desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he left in peace. ²² And look, the servants of David and Joab came from the raid, and they brought much plunder with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he^[cm] had dismissed him, and he had gone in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the army that was with him came, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he left in peace.”

Joab Assassinates Abner

²⁴ Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came here to you? Why have you dismissed him that he actually went away?^{[cn] 25} You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you. He came to learn about your going out and coming in and to know all which you are doing.” ²⁶ Then Joab went out from David, and he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from Bor Hasirah, but David did not know it.

²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak with him in private. Then he struck him in the stomach there and he died, for he had shed the blood of Asahel his brother.^{[co] 28} When David heard this afterwards, he said: “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh^[cp] forever for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ²⁹ May the blood come down on the head of Joab and all the house of his father. May the house of Joab never lack^[cq] one with a bodily discharge or one with leprosy or one who grasps the distaff or one who falls by the sword or one who is lacking food.”

³⁰ So Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner because he had killed Asahel, their brother, at Gibeon in the battle. ³¹ David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothing and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” Now King David was following after the bier. ³² And they buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³ The king sang a lament for Abner and said, “Should Abner have died the death of a fool? ³⁴ Your hands were not tied and your feet were not in contact with bronze fetters. You have fallen as one who falls before sons of wickedness.” Then all the people wept over him again.^{[cr] 35} Then all the people came to give David food. Still on that day, David swore, “May God punish me^[cs] if I taste food or anything before the sun goes down.” ³⁶ All the people noticed, and it was good in their eyes, as everything that the king did was good in the eyes of all the people. ³⁷ Then all the people and all of Israel realized on that day that the king had not desired^[ct] to kill Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸ Then the king said to his servants, “Did you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? ³⁹ I am weak today even though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are crueler than I am. May Yahweh pay them back for doing wickedness according to their own wickedness.”