The Reign of David

Then the Philistims fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled before the Philistims, and fell downe slaine in mount Gilboa.

And the Philistims pursued after Saul and after his sonnes, and the Philistims smote Ionathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua the sonnes of Saul.

And the battel was sore against Saul; and the archers hit him, and he was wounded of the archers.

Then sayde Saul to his armour bearer, Drawe out thy sworde, and thrust me thorowe therewith, lest these vncircumcised come and mocke at me: but his armour bearer would not, for he was sore afraid: therefore Saul tooke the sword and fell vpon it.

And when his armour bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise vpon the sworde, and dyed.

So Saul dyed and his three sonnes, and all his house, they dyed together.

And when all the men of Israel that were in the valley, sawe how they fledde, and that Saul and his sonnes were dead, they forsooke their cities, and fled away, and the Philistims came, and dwelt in them.

And on the morrowe when the Philistims came to spoyle them that were slaine, they found Saul and his sonnes lying in mount Gilboa.

And when they had stript him, they tooke his head and his armour, and sent them into the land of the Philistims round about, to publish it vnto their idoles, and to the people.

And they layd vp his armour in the house of their god, and set vp his head in the house of Dagon.

When all they of Iabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistims had done to Saul,

Then they arose (all the valiant men) and tooke the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes, and brought them to Iabesh, and buryed the bones of them vnder an oke in Iabesh, and fasted seuen dayes.

So Saul dyed for his transgression, that he committed against the Lord, euen against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and in that he sought and asked counsel of a familiar spirit,

And asked not of the Lord: therefore he slewe him, and turned the kingdome vnto Dauid the sonne of Ishai.

Then all Israel gathered themselues to Dauid vnto Hebron, saying, Beholde, we are thy bones and thy flesh.

And in time past, euen when Saul was King, thou leddest Israel out and in: and the Lord thy God sayde vnto thee, Thou shalt feede my people Israel, and thou shalt be captaine ouer my people Israel.

So came all the Elders of Israel to the King to Hebron, and Dauid made a couenant with them in Hebron before the Lord. And they anoynted Dauid King ouer Israel, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Samuel.

And Dauid and all Israel went to Ierusalem, which is Iebus, where were the Iebusites, the inhabitants of the land.

And the inhabitants of Iebus said to Dauid, Thou shalt not come in hither. Neuertheles Dauid tooke the towre of Zion, which is the city of Dauid.

And Dauid sayd, Whosoeuer smiteth the Iebusites first, shalbe the chiefe and captaine. So Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah went first vp, and was captaine.

And Dauid dwelt in the tower: therefore they called it the citie of Dauid.

And he built the citie on euery side, from Millo euen round about, and Ioab repaired the rest of the citie.

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

These also are the chiefe of the valiant men that were with Dauid, and ioyned their force with him in his kingdome with al Israel, to make him King ouer Israel, according to the worde of the Lord.

And this is the nomber of the valiant men whome Dauid had, Iashobeam the sonne of Hachmoni, the chiefe among thirtie: he lift vp his speare against three hundreth, whom he slewe at one time.