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And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he said, To Chebron.
2
And David went up thither to Chebron, and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
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and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they dwelt in the cities of Chebron.
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And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
5
And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, because ye have wrought this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and ye have buried him and Jonathan his son.
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And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because ye have done this.
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And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
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But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem
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and made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
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Jebosthe, Saul's son forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.
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And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
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And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
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And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.
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And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
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And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
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And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
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And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.
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And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.