So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither {have we} inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

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.

{Certain} men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; {the children...: or, naughty men}

But {the sons} of Belial {shall be} all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

Go not forth hastily to strive, lest {thou know not} what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

Many {are} the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

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

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

Now the sons of Eli {were} sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

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;

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

{As} coals {are} to burning coals, and wood to fire; so {is} a contentious man to kindle strife.

And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye {me} to return answer to this people?

{Now} as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, {and} beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

Then answered all the wicked men and {men} of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them {ought} of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead {them} away, and depart. {those: Heb. men}

Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, {which is} thy sword: {disappoint...: Heb. prevent his face} {which is: or, by}

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

{Art} thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. {mighty...: Heb. rock} {established: Heb. founded}

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. {held...: or, was as though he had been deaf}

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.

So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither {have we} inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

There is {one} come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. {a wicked...: Heb. a counsellor of Belial}

{Certain} men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; {the children...: or, naughty men}

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

{As} coals {are} to burning coals, and wood to fire; so {is} a contentious man to kindle strife.

But {the sons} of Belial {shall be} all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast {it} out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king. {retired: Heb. were scattered}

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}

The matter {is} not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, {even} against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. {by name: Heb. by his name}

Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me {to be} head of the heathen: a people {which} I knew not shall serve me.

Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. {bloody...: Heb. man of bloods and deceit}

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Wisdom {is} better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

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}

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.

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?

Now therefore deliver {us} the men, the children of Belial, which {are} in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

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 Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that {was} in Geba, and the Philistines heard {of it}. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. {Geba: or, the hill}

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;

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 they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips {there is} as a burning fire. {An...: Heb. A man of Belial}

An evil {man} seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.