27How the mighty have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!

2

1Then David asked the Lord, saying, "Shall I go to any of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, Go. And David said, Where shall I go? And he said, To Hebron.

2And David went thither, and his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, Nabal's former wife, a Carmelite.

3And David brought the men who were with him, every man with his family, and settled in the city of Hebron.

4Then the men of Judah came and anointed David there as king over the house of Judah. And they reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.

5Then David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead, saying to them, "Blessed are you with the Lord, because you have shown this mercy to your lord Saul and buried him,

6And now may the Lord reward you with mercy and truth. and I will do you a good deed because you have done this;

7Now let your hands be strong, and be of good courage; for your lord Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over him.

8But Abner the son of Ner, the captain of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim,

9And he made him king over Gilead, and Ashur, and Jezreel, and Ephraim, and Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ish-bosheth the son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. Only the house of Judah remained with David.

11The whole time that David reigned in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Abner the son of Neer and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.