Bible Reading Plan – Day 88

₁After Saul's death David came back from his victory over the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag for two days. ₂The next day a young man arrived from Saul's camp. To show his grief, he had torn his clothes and put earth on his head. He went to David and bowed to the ground in respect. ₃David asked him, “Where have you come from?”

“I have escaped from the Israelite camp,” he answered.

₄“Tell me what happened,” David said.

“Our army ran away from the battle,” he replied, “and many of our men were killed. Saul and his son Jonathan were also killed.”

₅“How do you know that Saul and Jonathan are dead?” David asked him.

₆He answered, “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and I saw that Saul was leaning on his spear and that the chariots and horsemen of the enemy were closing in on him. ₇Then he turned round, saw me, and called to me. I answered, ‘Yes, sir!’ ₈He asked who I was, and I told him that I was an Amalekite. ₉Then he said, ‘Come here and kill me! I have been badly wounded, and I'm about to die.’ ₁₀So I went up to him and killed him, because I knew that he would die anyway as soon as he fell. Then I took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them to you, sir.”

₁₁David tore his clothes in sorrow, and all his men did the same. ₁₂They grieved and mourned and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan and for Israel, the people of the LORD, because so many had been killed in battle.

₁₃David asked the young man who had brought him the news, “Where are you from?”

He answered, “I'm an Amalekite, but I live in your country.”

₁₄David asked him, “How is it that you dared to kill the LORD's chosen king?” ₁₅Then David called one of his men and said, “Kill him!” The man struck the Amalekite and mortally wounded him, ₁₆and David said to the Amalekite, “You brought this on yourself. You condemned yourself when you admitted that you killed the one whom the LORD chose to be king.”

₁₇David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, ₁₈and ordered it to be taught to the people of Judah. (It is recorded in The Book of Jashar.)

₁After this, David asked the LORD, “Shall I go and take control of one of the towns of Judah?”

“Yes,” the LORD answered.

“Which one?” David asked.

“Hebron,” the LORD said. ₂So David went to Hebron, taking with him his two wives: Ahinoam, who was from Jezreel, and Abigail, Nabal's widow, who was from Carmel. ₃He also took his men and their families, and they settled in the towns round Hebron. ₄Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David as king of Judah.

When David heard that the people of Jabesh in Gilead had buried Saul, ₅he sent some men there with the message: “May the LORD bless you for showing your loyalty to your king by burying him. ₆And now may the LORD be kind and faithful to you. I too will treat you well because of what you have done. ₇Be strong and brave! Saul your king is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”

₈The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim. ₉There Abner made Ishbosheth king of the territories of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, and indeed over all Israel. ₁₀He was forty years old when he was made king of Israel, and he ruled for two years.

But the tribe of Judah was loyal to David, ₁₁and he ruled in Hebron over Judah for seven and a half years.

₁₂Abner and the officials of Ishbosheth went from Mahanaim to the city of Gibeon. ₁₃Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and David's other officials met them at the pool, where they all sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the opposite side. ₁₄Abner said to Joab, “Let's get some of the young men from each side to fight an armed contest.”

“All right,” Joab answered.

₁₅So twelve men, representing Ishbosheth and the tribe of Benjamin, fought twelve of David's men. ₁₆Each man caught his opponent by the head and plunged his sword into his opponent's side, so that all 24 of them fell down dead together. And so that place in Gibeon is called “Field of Swords”.

₁₇Then a furious battle broke out, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David's men. ₁₈The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, who could run as fast as a wild deer, ₁₉started chasing Abner, running straight for him. ₂₀Abner looked back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“Yes,” he answered.

₂₁“Stop chasing me!” Abner said. “Run after one of the soldiers and take what he has.” But Asahel kept on chasing him. ₂₂Once more Abner said to him, “Stop chasing me! Why force me to kill you? How could I face your brother Joab?” ₂₃But Asahel would not give up; so Abner, with a backward thrust of his spear, struck him through the belly so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead, and everyone who came to the place where he was lying stopped and stood there.

₂₄But Joab and Abishai started out after Abner, and at sunset they came to the hill of Ammah, which is to the east of Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. ₂₅The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered round Abner again and took their stand on the top of a hill. ₂₆Abner called out to Joab, “Do we have to go on fighting for ever? Can't you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your fellow-countrymen. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?”

₂₇“I swear by the living God,” Joab answered, “that if you had not spoken, my men would have kept on chasing you until tomorrow morning.” ₂₈Then Joab blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to stop pursuing the Israelites; and so the fighting stopped.

₂₉Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley all that night; they crossed the River Jordan, and after marching all the next morning, they arrived back at Mahanaim.

₃₀When Joab gave up the chase, he gathered all his men and found that nineteen of them were missing, in addition to Asahel. ₃₁David's men had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. ₃₂Joab and his men took Asahel's body and buried it in the family tomb at Bethlehem. Then they marched all night and at dawn arrived back at Hebron.

₁The fighting between the forces supporting Saul's family and those supporting David went on for a long time. As David became stronger and stronger, his opponents became weaker and weaker.

₂The following six sons, in the order of their birth, were born to David at Hebron: Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel; ₃Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel; Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; ₄Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital; ₅Ithream, whose mother was Eglah. All of these sons were born in Hebron.

₆As the fighting continued between David's forces and the forces loyal to Saul's family, Abner became more and more powerful among Saul's followers.

₇One day Ishbosheth son of Saul accused Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. ₈This made Abner furious. “Do you think that I would betray Saul? Do you really think I'm serving Judah?” he exclaimed. “From the very first I have been loyal to the cause of your father Saul, his brothers, and his friends, and I have saved you from being defeated by David; yet today you find fault with me about a woman! _9-10The LORD promised David that he would take the kingdom away from Saul and his descendants and would make David king of both Israel and Judah, from one end of the country to the other. Now may God strike me dead if I don't make this come true!” ₁₁Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.

₁₂Abner sent messengers to David, who at that time was at Hebron, to say, “Who is going to rule this land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you win all Israel over to your side.”

₁₃“Good!” David answered. “I will make an agreement with you on one condition: you must bring Saul's daughter Michal to me when you come to see me.” ₁₄And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say, “Give me back my wife Michal. I paid a hundred Philistine foreskins in order to marry her.” ₁₅So Ishbosheth took her away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. ₁₆Paltiel followed her all the way to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. But when Abner said, “Go back home,” he did.

₁₇Abner went to the leaders of Israel and said to them, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king. ₁₈Now here is your chance. Remember that the LORD has said, ‘I will use my servant David to rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’ ” ₁₉Abner spoke also to the people of the tribe of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tell David what the people of Benjamin and of Israel had agreed to do.

₂₀When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them. ₂₁Abner told David, “I will go now and win all Israel over to Your Majesty. They will accept you as king, and then you will get what you have wanted and will rule over the whole land.” David gave Abner a guarantee of safety and sent him on his way.