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.”

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.”

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 were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them.Also, their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, olive oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy in Israel. (niv)

All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said,“ We are your own flesh and blood.In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you,‘ You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel. (niv)

Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. (niv)

He won over the hearts of the men of Judah so that they were all of one mind. They sent word to the king,“ Return, you and all your men.” (niv)

“ So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first,‘ How much do you owe my master?’“‘ Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.“ The manager told him,‘ Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’“ Then he asked the second,‘ And how much do you owe?’“‘ A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.“ He told him,‘ Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’“ The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. (niv)

Then Abner said to David,“ Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. (niv)

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said,“ We are your own flesh and blood.In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you,‘ You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. (niv)

Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died. (niv)

You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. (niv)

Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king and saying to him,“ Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, steal the king away and bring him and his household across the Jordan, together with all his men?”All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel,“ We did this because the king is closely related to us. Why are you angry about it? Have we eaten any of the king’s provisions? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah,“ We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,“ We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.Then the king said to Amasa,“ Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.David said to Abishai,“ Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.Joab said to Amasa,“ How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said,“ Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri. (niv)

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,“ Hosanna to the Son of David!”“ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“ Hosanna in the highest heaven!”When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked,“ Who is this?” (niv)