twenty men with him.

:

And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. Then Abner said to David I will arise and go, and gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest be king according all thy soul's desire. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

And, behold, Joab and the servants of David came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. And when Joab and all the host. that was with him came, it was told Joab, saying: Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace. Then Joab came to the king, and said: What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is gone in peace? Dost thou not know Abner son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to learn thy going out and thy coming in, and to learn all that thou doest? And Joab came out from David, and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David knew it not. So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab took him aside in a corner of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. And David heard it after it was done, and he said: I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah forever from the blood of Abner son of Ner. Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread. So

THE LAMENT FOR ABNER.

261

Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier. And they buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. And the king lamented for Abner, and said:

Should Abner have died as a fool dieth?

Thine hands unbound, thy feet not put in fetters;

As a man falleth before the sons of sin, so didst thou fall.

And all the people wept again over him. And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David sware, saying: God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down. And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. And the king said to his servants: Know ye not that there is a great prince fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. Jehovah reward the wicked doer according to his wicked

ness.

So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner son of Ner.

And when Eshbaal, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all Israel was troubled. Now Eshbaal had two men that were captains of bands. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. And Rechab and Baanah went, and came about the heat of the day to

the house of Eshbaal, as he slept his noontide sleep. And, behold, the woman that kept the door of the house was winnowing wheat, and she slumbered and slept, and the brethren, Rechab and Baanah, went privily into the house. And when they were come into the house, Eshbaal lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head.

And they went by the road of the Arabah all night; and they brought Eshbaal's head unto David to Hebron, and said to the king: Behold, the head of Eshbaal son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; but Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them : As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him. in Ziklag; which was the reward I gave him for his tidings. How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But the head of Eshbaal they took, and buried in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

CHAPTER VI.

II. Samuel, v., vi.. viii., xxi. I. CHRONICLES, xi., xiii.~xvi.

PSALMS, xxiv.

DAVID KING OF ISRAEL.

The Parliament of Hebron-Capture of Jerusalem-Water from the Well of Bethlehem-Philistine War-Brave Deeds-The Philistines Subdued-Fetching the Ark-The Breach of Uzzah-The Ark Abandoned-It Brings Success-Second Attempt-A Processional Hymn-The Ark in Jerusalem.

THEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying: Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was thou that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah said of thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah ; and they anointed David king over Israel.

Then the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. And they spake to David, saying: Thou shalt not come in hither; the very blind and lame shall turn thee away (meaning that David could not come in thither). Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. Now David had said: Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, so he was made chief captain.

Then the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to a place of hiding. And while David was in hiding, and a garrison of the Philistines was in Bethlehem, David longed, and said: Oh that one would give me to drink water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And three of his heroes broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David. But David would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah, saying: Far be it from me to do such a thing! Shall I drink the life-blood of these men? For with their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it.

And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of Jehovah, saying Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And Jehovah said to David Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thine hand. Then David came to Baal-perazim, and smote them there. And they left their images behind them there, and David and his men took them.

Then the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of Jehovah, and He said: Thou shalt not go up to meet them; but make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the balsam-trees. And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the balsam-trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is Jehovah gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. And David did so, as Jehovah commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Gibeon until thou come to Gezer.