1
Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
2
And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
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And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
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And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
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And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6
And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.
7
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?
8
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
9
So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
10
To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
11
And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.
12
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.
13
And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
14
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15
And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.
16
And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.
17
And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you:
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Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.
19
And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.
20
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
21
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22
And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, 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.
23
When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24
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 quite gone?
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Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.
26
And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28
And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
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Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on 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 on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31
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.
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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.
33
And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
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Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
35
And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
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And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
37
For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
39
And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
1
And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2
And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
3
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4
And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
6
And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7
For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.
8
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9
And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
10
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, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
12
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
1
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6
But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7
For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
10
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
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But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
12
But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15
But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
16
For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17
But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
18
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
21
Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22
For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
23
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
24
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
25
Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26
I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
27
Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
29
But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30
And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32
But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
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But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35
And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
36
But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
37
Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
38
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.
39
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40
But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
