Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying,“ Doesn’t the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you.”

押尼珥打发人去见大卫，替他说：“这国归谁呢？”又说：“你与我立约，我必帮助你，使以色列人都归服你。”

押尼珥派使者到大卫所在的地方，说：“这地归谁呢？”又说：“你与我立约，看哪，我必帮助你，使全以色列都拥护你。”

押尼珥派使者到大卫所在的地方，说：“这地归谁呢？”又说：“你与我立约，看哪，我必帮助你，使全以色列都拥护你。”

押尼珥派使者送信给大卫，说：“这个国家难道不是你的吗？如果你与我立约，我必帮助你统一以色列。”

押尼珥差派使者代表他去见大卫，说：“这地是属谁的呢？”又说：“你与我立约，我就必帮助你，使全以色列都归顺你。”

押尼珥打發人去見大衛，替他說：「這國歸誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約，我必幫助你，使以色列人都歸服你。」

押尼珥派使者到大衛所在的地方，說：「這地歸誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約，看哪，我必幫助你，使全以色列都擁護你。」

押尼珥派使者到大衛所在的地方，說：「這地歸誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約，看哪，我必幫助你，使全以色列都擁護你。」

押尼珥派使者送信給大衛，說：「這個國家難道不是你的嗎？如果你與我立約，我必幫助你統一以色列。」

押尼珥差派使者代表他去見大衛，說：“這地是屬誰的呢？”又說：“你與我立約，我就必幫助你，使全以色列都歸順你。”

押尼珥打發使者到希伯崙去見大衛，說：『這地屬誰呢？』又說：『和我立約吧，我的手就輔助你，使以色列人都轉向你。』

押尼珥派使者代表他去見大衛，說：「這地屬於誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約吧，看哪，我的手必輔助你，使全體以色列人都歸向你。」

押尼珥遣使見大衛曰、斯土屬誰乎、又曰、爾與我約、我手必助爾、使以色列眾悉歸爾、

押尼耳遣使、謂大闢曰、斯土屬誰乎。又曰、爾與我約、我則助爾、使以色列族眾歸爾。

押尼珥遣使往見大衛、謂之曰、此國屬誰乎、又曰、與我立約、我則助爾、使以色列人皆歸爾、

Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David,“ Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him. They said,“ Who will rule over this land? Make a covenant with me. Then I’ll help you bring all the Israelites over to your side.”

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying,“ To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.”

Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David,“ Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to turn all Israel over to you.”

Then Abner sent messengers to David at his place, saying,“ Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”

Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying,“ Whose is the land?” saying also,“ Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you.”

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.

Abner sent messengers as his representatives to say to David,“ Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and you can be certain I am on your side to hand all Israel over to you.”

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose[ is] the land? saying[ also], Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand[ shall be] with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.

Then Abner sent messengers to David saying,“ To whom does the land belong? Make an agreement with me, and I will do whatever I can to cause all Israel to turn to you.”

Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying,“ Whose is the land?” and saying,“ Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you, to bring all Israel around to you.”

All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king.They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival.And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, sheep, and goats were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel.

Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him,“ We are your own flesh and blood.In the past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord your God told you,‘ You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’”So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.

Then Amasa convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously. They sent word to the king,“ Return to us, and bring back all who are with you.”

“ So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one,‘ How much do you owe him?’The man replied,‘ I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him,‘ Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’“‘ And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man.‘ I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply.‘ Here,’ the manager said,‘ take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’“ The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

Then Abner said to David,“ Let me go and call an assembly of all Israel to support my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you to make you their king, and you will rule over everything your heart desires.” So David sent Abner safely on his way.

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him,“ We are your own flesh and blood.In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you,‘ You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel.

You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased.

But all the men of Israel complained to the king,“ The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”The men of Judah replied,“ The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven’t eaten any of the king’s food or received any special favors!”“ But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied.“ So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant:“ Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!”So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.Then the king told Amasa,“ Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.”So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.Then David said to Abishai,“ Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”So Abishai and Joab, together with the king’s bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba.As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.“ How are you, my cousin?” Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops,“ If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.”But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him.With Amasa’s body out of the way, everyone went on with Joab to capture Sheba son of Bicri.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,“ Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered.“ Who is this?” they asked.