And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name {was} Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

And when all Israel {saw} that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and {we have} none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: {and} now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

{Then} may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, {even} the son of Tabeal: {vex: or, waken}

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? {rage: or, tumultuously assemble} {imagine: Heb. meditate}

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took {it} from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now {may this} Benjamite {do it}? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. {is confederate...: Heb. resteth on}

Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; {but} will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. {light: Heb. lamp, or, candle}

Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, {namely}, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

His seed also will I make {to endure} for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.

Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:

There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. {lamp: or, candle}

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay {them} before me.

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this {man} to reign over us.

And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name {was} Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

A brother offended {is harder to be won} than a strong city: and {their} contentions {are} like the bars of a castle.

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: {and} meddle not with them that are given to change: {them...: Heb. changers}

Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who {is} Abimelech, and who {is} Shechem, that we should serve him? {is} not {he} the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more {shall not} we {escape}, if we turn away from him that {speaketh} from heaven:

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and {for} all the house of Israel his companions:

Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, {and} make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew {it} not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. {is confederate...: Heb. resteth on}

The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; {even} the king of Assyria.

And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Which was {the son} of Jesse, which was {the son} of Obed, which was {the son} of Booz, which was {the son} of Salmon, which was {the son} of Naasson,

For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous {are they}, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. {government: or, dominion}

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who {is} David? and who {is} the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more {right} in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. {despise...: Heb. set us at light}

And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.

And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

And when all Israel {saw} that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and {we have} none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: {and} now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. {glory: Heb. brightness}

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised {is} wisdom.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.