Bible Reading for April 5

2 Samuel Chapter 1

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned
from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in
Ziklag;

2 It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of
the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and
so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did
obeisance.

3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto
him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped.

4 And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me.
And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of
the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are
dead also.

5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that
Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon
mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots
and horsemen followed hard after him.

7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I
answered, Here am I.

8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for
anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could
not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon
his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them
hither unto my lord.

11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all
the men that were with him:

12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for
Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of
Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

13 And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And
he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite.

14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth
thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?

15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall
upon him. And he smote him that he died.

16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth
hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan
his son:

18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow:
behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the
mighty fallen!

20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest
the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the
uncircumcised triumph.

21 Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be
rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the
mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not
been anointed with oil.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of
Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

23 Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in
their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they
were stronger than lions.

24 Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet,
with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan,
thou wast slain in thine high places.

26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast
thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

2 Samuel Chapter 2

1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD,
saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said
unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said,
Unto Hebron.

2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his
household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the
house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of
Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto
them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto
your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will
requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for
your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me
king over them.

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

9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over
Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over
Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah
was seven years and six months.

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

13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and
met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the
one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before
us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which
pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of
David.

16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his
sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that
place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and
the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the
right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he
answered, I am.

21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy
left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his
armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me:
wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up
my face to Joab thy brother?

23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end
of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out
behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it
came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down
and died stood still.

24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when
they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way
of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after
Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever?
knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long
shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their
brethren?

27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then
in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued
after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and
passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all
the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and
Asahel.

31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's
men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his
father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and
they came to Hebron at break of day.

2 Samuel Chapter 3

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;

3 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;