The Reign of David

So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house fell together.

And when the men of Israel, that dwelt in the plains, saw this, they fled: and Saul and his sons being dead, they forsook their cities, and were scattered up and down: and the Philistines came, and dwelt in them.

And the next day the Philistines taking away the spoils of them that were slain, found Saul and his sons lying on mount Gelboe.

And when they had stripped him, and out off his head, and taken away his armour, they sent it into their land, to be carried about, and shewn in the temples of the idols and to the people.

And his armour they dedicated in the temple of their god, and his head they fastened up in the temple of Dagon.

And when the men of Jabes Galaad had heard this, to wit, all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

All the valiant men of them arose, and took the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and brought them to Jabes, and buried their bones under the oak that was in Jabes, and they fasted seven days.

So Saul died for his iniquities, because he transgressed the commandment of the Lord, which he had commanded, and kept it not: and moreover consulted also a witch,

And trusted not in the Lord: therefore he slew him, and transferred his kingdom to David the son of Isai.

Then all Israel gathered themselves to David in Hebron, saying: We are thy bone, and thy flesh.

Yesterday also, and the day before when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: for the Lord thy God said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over them.

So all the ancients of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and David made a covenant with them before the Lord: and they anointed him king over Israel according to the word of the Lord which he spoke in the hand of Samuel.

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were the inhabitants of the land.

And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David: Thou shalt not come in here. But David took the castle of Sion, which is the city of David.

And he said: Whosoever shall first strike the Jebusites, shall be the head and chief captain. And Joab the son of Sarvia went up first, and was made the general.

And David dwelt in the castle, and therefore it was called the city of David,

And he built the city round about from Mello all round, and Joab built the rest of the city.

And David went on growing and increasing, and the Lord of hosts was with him.

These are the chief of the valiant man of David, who helped him to be made king over all Israel, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Israel.

And this is the number of the heroes of David: Jesbaam the son of Hachamoni the chief among the thirty: he lifted up his spear against three hundred wounded by him at one time.

And after him was Eleazar his uncle's son the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties.

He was with David in Phesdomim, when the Philistines were gathered to that place to battle: and the field of that country was full of barley, and the people fled from before the Philistines.

But these men stood in the midst of the field, and defended it: and they slew the Philistines, and the Lord gave a great deliverance to his people.

And three of the thirty captains went down to the rock, wherein David was, to the cave of Odollam, when the Philistines encamped in the valley of Raphaim.

And David was in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines in Bethlehem.