After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and he stayed at Ziklag two days. 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 to David, he fell to the ground and bowed down. David said to him, "Where did you come from?" He said to him, "I have escaped from the camp of Israel." Then David said to him, "How did things go? Please tell me." He answered, "When the army fled from the battle, and many of the people fell; also, Saul and Jonathan his son died." Then David asked the young man who was reporting to him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan died?" 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. When he turned around and saw me, he called to me, and I said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ And I said to him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ He said to me, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for convulsions have seized me, even though my life is still in me.’ 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. David grabbed at his clothes and tore them, as did all of the men who were with him. 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. 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." David said to him, "How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Yahweh’s anointed one?" 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. 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!’"

Then David sang this funeral song over Saul and over Jonathan his son. And he ordered "The Bow" to be taught to the children of Judah. Look, it is written on the scroll of Jashar.

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." So David went up there along with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. Also, David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns of Hebron.

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." 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. 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. So then, let your hands be strong and be valiant, for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them."

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. He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over Israel, all of it. 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 David. The number of days that David was king over Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.

Abner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 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. Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come up and fight in our presence." And Joab said, "Let them come up." 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. Then each seized his opponent by the head and each thrust his sword in the side of his opponent, so they fell together. So they called the name of that place Helkath Hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. Then the battle became increasingly fierce on that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

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. So Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left from going after Abner. Abner turned around and said, "Are you this Asahel?" And he said, "Yes." 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. So Abner said to Asahel once again, "For your own sake, turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you down to the ground? How could I show my face to Joab your brother?" 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. Then all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died just stood there.

So Joab and Abishai pursued Abner when the sun went down. And they came to the hill country of Ammah, which is before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. The descendants of Benjamin rallied after Abner, and they became as one fighting group and stood on the top of a certain hill. 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 will you not tell the people to turn away from pursuing their brothers?" Joab said, "As God lives, for if you had not spoken, the people would surely have gone up in the morning, each one of them from following after his brother." 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.

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. After Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the people; nineteen of the servants of David were missing along with Asahel. The servants of David had killed some of the Benjaminites among the men of Abner; three hundred and sixty men had died. 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.

Then all Israel gathered to David in Hebron, saying, "Look—we are your flesh and bones. For some time now, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led the army of Israel in battle. And Yahweh your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel and will be leader over my people Israel.’" Then all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron in the presence of Yahweh. And they anointed David as king over Israel according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Samuel. And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (that is Jebus). And the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "You will not enter here." But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that is, the city of David. Then David said, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites first will be chief and commander." And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first and became chief. And David lived in the fortress. Therefore they called it the city of David. And he built the city all around from the Millo and up to the circuit. And Joab restored the remainder of the city. And David became greater and greater. And Yahweh of hosts was with him.

Now these are the chiefs of the mighty men who were for David, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel to make him king according to the word of Yahweh concerning Israel. And this is the numbering of the mighty warriors who were for David: Jashobeam son of Hachmoni was chief of the three. He himself raised his spear against three hundred whom he killed on one occasion.

And after him was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was among the three mighty warriors. He himself was with David at Pas-Dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for the battle. And there was a plot of the field filled with barley, and the people fled before the Philistines. But they took their stand in the middle of the plot and defended it. And they killed the Philistines. And Yahweh saved them with a great victory.

And three of the thirty chiefs went down toward the rock to David at the cave of Adullam when the army of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David had a craving, and he said, "Who could give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!" Then the three broke through into the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and brought it and came to David. But David would not drink it and poured it out before Yahweh. And he said, "Far be it from me that I would do this before my God. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." And he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Now Abishai the brother of Joab was himself the head of the three. And he roused himself with his spear against three hundred whom he killed and made a name for himself among the three. He was twice as renowned among the three and was their commander. But he did not attain to the three. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a strong man from Kabzeel, one who did great deeds. He himself struck down two sons of Ariel of Moab. And he himself went down and struck down a lion within a pit on a snowy day. And he himself struck down an Egyptian man, a large man five cubits tall. And in the hand of the Egyptian was a spear like a weaver’s beam. But he went down to him with a club and seized the spear from the hand of the Egyptian and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did and had a name among the three mighty warriors. He himself was certainly distinguished among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his bodyguard.

Now the mighty warriors of the troops were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hurai of the valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jehonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, Hepher the Mekerathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Hezro the Carmelite, Naari the son of Ezbai, Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the bearer of the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah, Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, Hanan the son of Maacah, Jehoshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tizite, Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

And it happened that after we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, and running a straight course we came to Cos and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And finding a ship that was crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and put out to sea. And after we sighted Cyprus and left it behind on the port side, we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. And we stayed there seven days after we found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. And it happened that when our days were over, we departed and went on our way, while all of them accompanied us, together with their wives and children, as far as outside the city. And after falling to our knees on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another and embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own homes.

And when we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais. And after we greeted the brothers, we stayed one day with them. And on the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. (Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.)

And while we were staying there many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And he came to us and took Paul’s belt. Tying up his own feet and hands, he said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’" And when we heard these things, both we and the local residents urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul replied, "What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus!" And because he would not be persuaded, we remained silent, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

So after these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. And some of the disciples from Caesarea also traveled together with us, bringing us to a certain Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to be entertained as guests.

And when we came to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. And on the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. And after greeting them, he began to relate one after the other the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard this, they began to glorify God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law. And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles the abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs. What then is to be done? Doubtless they will all hear that you have come! Therefore do this that we tell you: we have four men who have taken a vow upon themselves. Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses so that they can shave their heads, and everyone will know that the things which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law. But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter after deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality." Then Paul took along the men on the next day, and after he had purified himself together with them, he entered into the temple courts, announcing the completion of the days of purification until the time the offering would be presented on behalf of each one of them.

But when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia who had seen him in the temple courts stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, shouting, "Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place! And furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!" (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.) And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul and dragged him outside of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.

And as they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He immediately took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the military tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done. But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others another, and because he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks. And when he came to the steps, it happened that he had to be carried by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd, for the crowd of people was following them, shouting, "Away with him!"

And as he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the military tribune, "Is it permitted for me to say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who before these days raised a revolt and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?" But Paul said, "I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no unimportant city. Now I ask you, allow me to speak to the people." So when he permitted him, Paul, standing there on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he addressed them in the Aramaic language, saying,